Chinese car sales up 88% in Russia

Sales of Chinese cars rose 88 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2012 to 14,916 vehicles, while the overall market grew 19 percent, AVTOSTAT analytical agency said on Saturday. The top-selling Chinese car brand in Russia was Lifan (4,545 cars), followed by Chery (3,402), with Geely in third place with 2,766 cars and Great Wall with 2,733. Chinese cars were most popular in the south of Russia and the North Caucasus regions, but made up only 1.5 percent of Moscow sales. "In the next few years, we can expect a rapid growth in sales of Chinese cars in Russia," said Avtostat director Sergei Tselikov. Their quality is good enough and rapidly rising, he said, and their low price was a considerable factor in their popularity especially in poorer regions. The market share of Chinese cars in Russia could grow from 2-3 percent now to 10-12 percent by 2014-15, he added.