Ford Sales Recover from Labor Unrest in Russia
Ford improved its position on the Russian market in the first quarter of the year, with its Focus model becoming the sales leader. At the same time, sales sagged for eight other foreign carmakers. The Association of European Businesses has published sales data on new foreign car sales in Russia in the first quarter. A total of 454,000 foreign cars were sold in that period. That represents market growth of 54 percent.
Chevrolet was the top seller, with 58,500 vehicles, and 59 percent sales growth. It was followed by Hyundai, with 44,000 sales, equaling 97 percent market growth. In third place is Ford, with 41,500 sales for 6 percent market growth. The Ford Focus was the most popular foreign car in Russia with sales of 20,100 in the first quarter, even though that is a decrease in sales of 3 percent for it. The Chevy Lacetti was close behind it with sales of 20,000, a 148-percent increase in sales. The Renault Logan was in third place with 18,000, sales up 45 percent.
Ford has thus largely recovered from the 1-percent drop in overall sales (3-percent for the Focus) it experienced in January due to labor unrest at its plant in Vsevolozhsk, Leningrad Region. In January, Ford sales were in fourth place, and the Focus, which has been the sales leader for the last five years without break, ceded its position to the Hyundai Accent.
In addition, the Chinese Chery noted a 19-percent drop in sales in the first quarter of the year. Truckmaker FAW Commercial was down 24 percent. Hafei dropped 16 percent, the Iranian IKCO fell off by 54 percent, Citroen fell by 20 percent, Mercedes Benz Vans were down 14 percent, Lexus down 1 percent and Alfa Romeo dropped by 76 percent. Distributors noted production interruptions and, in the case of FAW and Hafei, delays associated with Russia's conversion to the Euro 3 fuel standard.
Ford improved its position on the Russian market in the first quarter of the year, with its Focus model becoming the sales leader. At the same time, sales sagged for eight other foreign carmakers. The Association of European Businesses has published sales data on new foreign car sales in Russia in the first quarter. A total of 454,000 foreign cars were sold in that period. That represents market growth of 54 percent.
Chevrolet was the top seller, with 58,500 vehicles, and 59 percent sales growth. It was followed by Hyundai, with 44,000 sales, equaling 97 percent market growth. In third place is Ford, with 41,500 sales for 6 percent market growth. The Ford Focus was the most popular foreign car in Russia with sales of 20,100 in the first quarter, even though that is a decrease in sales of 3 percent for it. The Chevy Lacetti was close behind it with sales of 20,000, a 148-percent increase in sales. The Renault Logan was in third place with 18,000, sales up 45 percent.
Ford has thus largely recovered from the 1-percent drop in overall sales (3-percent for the Focus) it experienced in January due to labor unrest at its plant in Vsevolozhsk, Leningrad Region. In January, Ford sales were in fourth place, and the Focus, which has been the sales leader for the last five years without break, ceded its position to the Hyundai Accent.
In addition, the Chinese Chery noted a 19-percent drop in sales in the first quarter of the year. Truckmaker FAW Commercial was down 24 percent. Hafei dropped 16 percent, the Iranian IKCO fell off by 54 percent, Citroen fell by 20 percent, Mercedes Benz Vans were down 14 percent, Lexus down 1 percent and Alfa Romeo dropped by 76 percent. Distributors noted production interruptions and, in the case of FAW and Hafei, delays associated with Russia's conversion to the Euro 3 fuel standard.
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