Russia: Car sales up 72 per cent in January!

According to the Association for European Business, in Russia car sales were up 72 percent in January!

Russia was on track to become Europe’s biggest car-market before a sharp economic slump halved sales in 2009. But government initiatives and fast-growing consumer confidence have put the country back on cards to return to its pre-crisis peak in 2012.

The ministry’s forecast is slightly more cautious than the Association of European Businesses, which confirmed a 20 percent growth forecast for 2011 on Tuesday after sales shot up 72 percent year on year in January to 127,564 units.

“We are pleased to see that the Russian industry started very strongly in January,” Mark Ovenden, Vice-Chairman of the AEB’s Automobile Manufacturers Committee, said in a statement.

“With high oil prices driving the economic recovery and the continuation of the scrappage and government loan program, the foundation is there for a very good year provided these fundamentals stay in place,” he added.

===============================================
                         Jan.       Jan.    YOY
                         2011       2010     %
=================================================
LADA                    35540      17308    105%
KIA*                     8000       4920     63%
RENAULT*                 7810       3631    115%
CHEVROLET                7303       4898     49%
NISSAN                   6850       2777    147%
TOYOTA*                  6316       3340     89%
HYUNDAI*                 5358       5118      5%
DAEWOO                   4605       3012     53%
VOLKSWAGEN               4258       2292     86%
GAZ*                     3965       2925     36%
FORD*                    3629       2937     24%
=================================================
                         Jan.       Jan.     YTD
                         2011       2010   YOY %
=================================================
SKODA*                   3354       1827     84%
MITSUBISHI*              3214       1150    179%
OPEL*                    3045       1452    110%
UAZ                      3025       1957     55%
PEUGEOT*                 2455       1632     50%
SUZUKI                   1847       1485     24%
MAZDA*                   1508       1198     26%
IZH (incl. VAZ           1507         12  12458%
BMW                      1426       1089     31%
CITROEN*                 1339        433    209%
AUDI                     1205        812     48%
MERCEDES-BENZ            1060        751     41%
SSANGYONG                 894        608     47%
CHANCE**                  852        480     78%
LIFAN*****                814        148    450%
FIAT*                     788        640     23%
LEXUS                     670        386     74%
=================================================
                         Jan.       Jan.     YTD
                         2011       2010   YOY %
=================================================
SUBARU                    570        630    -10%
LAND ROVER                563        316     78%
HONDA                     514        857    -40%
VOLKSWAGEN vans           489        191    156%
INFINITI                  443        258     72%
BOGDAN**                  399          0      -
VORTEX                    386        402     -4%
VOLVO                     380        211     80%
GREAT WALL*               348         93    274%
TAGAZ                     207        999    -79%
GEELY                     127        138     -8%
CADILLAC                  114         32    256%
PORSCHE                   102         47    117%
MERCEDES-BENZ v            68         63      8%
JEEP                       51         25    104%
MINI                       50         40     25%
SEAT                       45         26     73%
=================================================
                         Jan.       Jan.     YTD
                         2011       2010   YOY %
=================================================

JAGUAR                     42         41      2%
ISUZU*                     20          5    300%
DODGE                       5         17    -71%
CHRYSLER                    4         24    -83%
CHERY                     n/a        369       -
TOTAL                  127564      74002     72%
=================================================
Note: *Light commercial vehicles sales are included into total brand's sales,
for some brands reported separately.
** Produced in Ukraine.

SOURCE: Association of European Business in the Russian Federation

• Russia: Car sales down 52% in October
• Russia – September car sales up 26 percent [table]
• Russia car sales up 80% in February

• Russia: Car sales down 52% in October
• Russia – September car sales up 26 percent [table]
• Russia car sales up 80% in February