Best Car in Russia
According to the Association of European Businesses (AEB) on January 16, the Hyundai Solaris sold 90,380 units in Russia last year, becoming the best-selling car among all vehicles sold in the country.
In particular, it beat its long Russian rival the Lada Granta of Russian automaker AvtoVAZ, which sold 87,726 units over the cited period.
The Solaris, which is produced at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus (HMMR) plant in St. Petersburg, is a compact sedan for the local market. The model ranked first in terms of annual sales for the first time since its Russian debut in 2011. The Lada Granta had been the best-selling car for three years in a row from 2013 to 2015, while the Solaris had been the second-best selling car in Russia. The South Korean vehicle has steadily gained popularity for technologies that make it the perfect choice for driving in Russia's harsh winter environment.
Considering the extremely low temperatures in the country, the Solaris is equipped with a heat-generating glass in the front window, heated washer nozzles, a large capacity battery, a 4.6-liter windshield washer reservoir and an anti-freeze windshield wiper system. Kia Motors’ Rio, called the Pride in South Korea, made the top three. The Rio sold 87,662 units in Russia last year, becoming the third best-selling car.