February 27, 2014. Yekaterinburg car market shrank by 4% in January 2014 compared with last January: the sales figure was 5,252, while the Russian market on the whole decreased by 6%. Lada, Nissan, and Renault were the top three best-selling cars, with the share of the former falling and the shares of the latter two increasing by 56% and 65%, respectively, Auto-Dealer-Yekaterinburg's research findings indicate.

643 Ladas were sold in January 2014 (10% less than a year earlier), 529 Nissans and 501 Renaults were sold as well. The fourth best-selling car was Hyundai (464 units, which was 7% more than last year), the fifth best-selling one was Toyota (435, a 52% increase), the sixth best-selling one was KIA (434, an 8% increase), followed by Chevrolet (289, a 19% increase), Volkswagen (234, a 28% increase), Opel (196, a 21% increase), and Skoda (151, a 41% increase).

The sales of Ford dropped most, by 65%, so as a result, this brand was only 17th best-selling car.
'According to the data we have, the sales of this brand declined partially due to very few post-New Year special offers. Given the last year's production plan adjustments of the US concern's Leningrad Region plant that took place in the fall, the sales of this brand might keep on declining. Introducing a new dealer can help improve the situation: the new dealer is expected to arrive in Yekaterinburg this spring,' says Director of Auto-Dealer-Yekaterinburg Mikhail Chaplygin.

On the whole, car sales also declined because the preferential terms lending program expired: this scheme used to boost sales in the last two months of 2013, he adds.