#1 Imported Brand
The Kia Rio took the top spot in the Russian car market last month. It has become the first imported car in Russia to top the sales chart since Russian carmakers appeared in the 1970s. The Rio was chosen by 10,823 customers in Russia last month, followed by the Lada Granta (10,520) and the Hyundai Solaris (10,134).
The Kia Rio made its debut in Russia three years ago. It has been manufactured in the Hyundai Motor Group’s local plant located in Saint Petersburg. The model can be started even at 35 Celsius degrees below zero and comes with a wiper de-icer and an emergency stop system.
In November this year, automobile sales in Russia declined by 1.1 percent from a year ago due to the economic recession and Western sanctions on the country. Lada sold 30,402 cars, while Kia Motors increased its sales volume by 19 percent year-on-year to 20,678. They were followed by Renault (19,170) and Hyundai Motor Company (16,154).