‘Thanks to the wide spread and availability of car loans, borrowers who only used to be able to afford Russian cars can now buy a medium-price-range foreign one. Yet the buyer’s choice is normally influenced not only by the price and the range of options a car can offer but also by the cost of further maintenance. Even though Geely Otaka is not much more expensive that, for example, Lada, its maintenance, repair, and spare parts are much more costly,’ Iyul Motor Show’s press officer said to UrBC.

The first Geely Otaka cars were produced in Novouralsk on June 5, 2007. Its producers claim the car is going to be able to compete with VAZ cars and Lada Kalina. A basic Geely Otaka, though, is about 60,000 RUR more expensive than a Lada Kalina, whereas according to experts’ estimates, if a car falls into the under-$13,000 price category, even a small difference in price can become a decisive factor.

‘Since this brand is new to the Russian market, Geely Otaka owners might have trouble having their cars repaired, especially if a problem occurs somewhere in the countryside. One good thing about Russian cars is that they can be fixed by any mechanic in virtually any garage, which is particularly important for small town dwellers. It is not quite clear just how the spare parts are to be delivered, and how speedy a delivery one can hope for. Besides, it might be not very easy to sell a car a few years later as the secondary market is usually suspicious of unknown cars,’ the press officer observed.