Russia October 2019: GAZ (+19.7%), Skoda (+16.9%), Haval (+322.9%) impress in market down -5.2%

Haval is up 4-fold in Russia thanks to the new F7 and F7x (pictured).

After stabilising in September (-0.2%), new light vehicle sales in Russia are back into frank negative in October at -5.2% to 152.057 registrations, marking the 8th year-on-year drop in the past 9 months and leading to a year-to-date tally down -2.4% to 1.423.449 sales. With the local economy handicapped by international sanctions linked to the Crimean crisis, the Russian market seems to indeed have indeed plateaued at a level well below its highest annual volumes of  2.9 million in 2012 and 2.7 million in 2008. Brand leader Lada (-5.5%) matches its home market to 19.9% share, in line with the 20.8% it commands YTD with Kia (-4.1%) doing slightly better but tipping its YTD volume into negative (-0.1%) and Hyundai immobile year-on-year, selling 7 units more than in October 2018.

GAZ sales leap up 19.7% year-on-year in October.

At #4, Renault (+12.5%) impresses once again with a 4th straight double-digit gain leading to a 9% market share, its highest since February 2017. It’s however not the largest gain in the Top 10, with GAZ (+19.7%), Skoda (+16.9%) and Mercedes (+14.8%) all doing better, with BMW (+19.2%) lurking at #11. Chinese carmaker Haval (+322.9%) is up two spots on September to a new record ranking (#18), volume (1.514) and share, crossing the symbolic 1% market share milestone for the first time. Theses are the best Russian monthly volume and share by a Chinese brand since December 2017 (Lifan at 2.120 and 1.3%). Geely (+139.3%), Changan (+118.8%), Suzuki (+39.9%), FAW (+36.4%), Chery (+33.9%), Mini (+22%), Volvo (+15.9%), Porsche (+14.4%) and Citroen (+12.7%) are among the best performers further down.

First ever Top 10 finish for the Skoda Octavia in Russia.

In the models ranking, the Lada Granta (+14.1%) enjoys a 7th straight monthly pole position, 12th in the past 14 months and 52nd in total, by far the most of any nameplate in Russia over the past decade. The Kia Rio (+10.4%) overtakes the Lada Vesta (-22.2%) to snap the #2 spot for the first time since August 2018. The Hyundai Creta (+16.2%) remains unassailable as Russia’s #1 SUV: it has held this spot for 39 consecutive months with no interruption since its August 2016 launch, meaning the Creta still has never experienced a month when it was not been the best-selling SUV in the country. The VW Polo (-12%) bypasses the Hyundai Solaris (-15.8%) to crack the Top 5 for the 2nd time in the past 3 months just as the VW Tiguan (+11.9%) lifts its ranking record to #7 and marks a 5th Top 10 finish in the past 6 months. As for the Skoda Octavia (+75.3%), in runout mode before the arrival of a new generation, it breaks into the Russian Top 10 for the very first time (previous best #11 in March 2014) just as the Kodiaq (+5.9%) posts its 4th Top 20 finish at #19. The Renault Logan (+24.5%) and Sandero (+11.9%) are the only additional double-digit gainers in the Top 25 which sees the 2nd appearance of the Renault Arkana at #23, a ranking it also held last August.

Previous month: Russia September 2019: Renault (+28.2%) stuns in 7th market decline in past 8 months (-0.2%)

One year ago: Russia October 2018: Lada Vesta leads, VW Tiguan breaks into Top 10

Full October 2019 Top 53 All-brands and Top 25 models below.