Business news from Ukraine

CAR MARKET OF UKRAINE COULD RISE BY 12.5-25% IN 2016 – EXPERTS

5 October , 2015  

KYIV. Oct 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – New car sales in Ukraine (including light commercial vehicles) in 2016 could total 45,000-50,000 units against the expected sales figure of 40,000 units, director for the development of AIS group of companies Serhiy Borovik has said.

“Our expectations for the next year are as follows: if the hryvnia to U.S. dollar exchange rate is at the promised level of UAH 23 per $1 and GDP growth stands at 2%, we expect the market to reach 45,000-50,000 cars against 40,000 cars expected this year,” he said at a press conference.

Borovik said that in comparison with 2014 (when about 99,000 passenger and commercial cars were sold) the car market this year will be reduced by 55-60%.

Borovik stressed that for an objective assessment of the car market to be ensured the passenger and commercial cars segments must be combined.

“The concept of commercial vehicles today includes such cars as, for example, Fiat Doblo or Renault Kangoo. But these are conventional passenger cars, while in analytical statistics they are mentioned as commercial,” the expert said.

According to CEO of the Ukrainian Association of Auto Importers and Dealers (VAAID) Oleh Nazarenko, taking into account the cancellation of special duty on imports of passenger cars with petrol engines of 1-2.2 liter and a number of other factors, a small revival in the car market should occur in the fourth quarter.