Director of the analytical agency Autostat Sergei Tselikov said that Russia needs a Chinese Ford Focus that will be affordable.
During the round table on the topic “When will Chinese cars become cheaper?” he noted that twenty-five years ago Ford successfully conquered the Russian car market by selling a Focus model for $11,000. And today this car remains the most popular model on the secondary market. Tselikov also cited the example of Korean cars, which ten years ago began to successfully compete in the Russian market, offering Solaris, Rio and Creta models at a competitive price, writes ridus.ru.
There is currently no inexpensive car for the middle class on the market, the analyst said. The price of such a car should be in the range from one to one and a half million rubles per unit. In Russia there is the Lada Granta model, which is below this category, and the Lada Vesta model, the price of which in the maximum configuration reaches 2.5 million rubles. According to the expert, Chinese cars can occupy this niche.
Tselikov said that we need some kind of Chinese analogue of the Ford Focus, which can be in demand both in car sharing and in taxis, and among individuals. This will allow us to offer a more affordable alternative to current middle-class cars, which cost about three million rubles.
However, without such a project, one should not expect a significant reduction in prices for Chinese cars, he added. A price reduction can occur only in two cases – if the ruble strengthens or if the costs of production and supply of cars decrease. However, Tselikov noted that logistics will not become cheaper this year, and a significant amount of money is spent on car recycling in Russia. This problem can be solved by assembling cars directly in Russia and receiving benefits for the recycling fee. But so far no such projects are expected.
In conclusion, the analyst noted that only some illiquid car models will become cheaper in Russia.
Source: Rosbalt
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