New car sales in Russia fell 5.7% in March, to 148,676 units, after a month of February that heralded a leveling off, the report said.AEB (Association of European Affairs).
“It should be noted that March 2020 was the best month of last year before the April containment,” however noted the director of the AEB constructors’ committee, Thomas Staertzel, thus explaining the annual decrease.
In monthly terms, sales increased compared to February.
In the first quarter, the market was down 2.8% to 387,322 units.
By brand, Lada remained the market leader in March, with 33,779 units sold (+ 33%), followed by Kia (20,057, + 1%), Hyundai (15,332, – 3%), Renault (11,659 , – 15%), and Toyota (10,278, – 18%).
“It is obvious that the next few months will remedy the situation and the market will show growth, as we will compare the results of the coming months with the worst months in the history of the automotive industry due to the coronavirus pandemic” , added Staertzel.
Russians have been facing rapidly rising inflation for several months, as well as a significant drop in their purchasing power in recent years.
In 2020, sales were down 9.1%.
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