The market of new commercial vehicles in Ukraine (including heavy) in January-October 2018 increased by 13% compared to the same period in 2017, to 10,500 units, the Ukrautoprom association has reported. Thus, according to the results of 10 months, the market slightly slowed down the growth rates (in January-June, in particular, it was 24%). In October, the registration of these vehicles showed an increase both compared with the same month in 2017 (by 10%) and compared with September of the current year (by 13.1%), to 1,105 units. In September 2018, there was a drop respectively by 0.5% compared with September 2017 and by 12.5% compared with August 2018, to 977 units.
The greatest demand in the October market was still on Renault vehicles, which were registered 9% more than in October 2017 (163 vehicles).
Fiat ranked second with 121 registrations, a 7% increase from last year’s October figure, while Citroen closed the top three with a more than threefold increase, to 103 units.
Mercedes-Benz with a 40% increase and registration of 91 vehicles was in the fourth position, and Volkswagen was fifth, which increased sales by 56%, to 75 units.
The Belarusian MAZ came next with the registration of 73 vehicles and an increase of more than 43% compared with October last year.
Ukrainian brands ZAZ and KrAZ were respectively the 14th and 17th of the October rating with registration of 21 vehicles (against 12 in October last year) and 17 vehicles (against 35).
Komtranskomplekt LLC (Kyiv), the official distributor of Isuzu vehicles and spare parts in Ukraine, has acquired 100% of shares in private joint-stock company Isuzu Ukraine automobile company (Kyiv), which sells Japan’s Isuzu trucks. According to a report in the information disclosure system of the National Commission for Securities and the Stock Market, Isuzu Ukraine received the notification on August 26. The deal to sell 25% of the company (the face value of each share is UAH 1,000) was signed in May 2018.
According to the commission, as of late Q2 2018, 80% of shares in PrJSC Isuzu Ukraine belonged to Japan’s Isuzu Motors and 20% to Sojitz Corporation.
Isuzu Ukraine automobile company was founded in 2007 to promote Isuzu-Bogdan buses and trucks to the Ukrainian and CIS markets. Bogdan Corporation held 50% of the shares, Isuzu Motors – 30% and Sojitz Corporation – 20%. In 2013, Bogdan Corporation left the company as a shareholder.
Six Ukrainian automobile plants produced 675 vehicles in April 2018, which is 13% less than in March 2018, the Ukrautoprom association has said. According to preliminary data, production of vehicles compared with April 2017 grew by 8.7%. Eurocar, the Skoda car manufacturer, cut production in April by 10% compared with March 2018, to 615 cars. Production grew by almost 8% year-over-year. Eurocar was the only producer of passenger cars in Ukraine in April.
Bus production fell by 13% compared with March 2018, to 54, including three buses made by ZAZ, one each by Bogdan Corporation and Chernihiv Automobile Plant of Etalon Corporation. Chasiv Yar Plant made 14 buses, and Cherkasy Bus – 35.
Only six commercial vehicles were made – one at ZAZ and five at Cherkasy Bus, while in March 2018 a total of 62 vehicles were made and in February – 80.
AutoKrAZ did not provide information on its production figures.
The association said that in January-April 2018, vehicle production grew by 32.7% year-over-year, to 2,739. Passenger car output grew by 31%, to 2,383 (all made at Eurocar), bus production – by 16%, to 255, and commercial vehicle output (without figures of AutoKrAZ) fell by 34%, to 101.
Ukraine and Malaysia are working out plans to expand bilateral military and technical cooperation, and the Malaysian side shows its interest in procurement and joint production of a wide range of Ukrainian weapons, the press service of the Ukroboronprom State Concern reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, military and technical cooperation between Ukraine and Malaysia became the subject of negotiations between Ukroboronprom Head Pavlo Bukin and Malaysia’s top military leadership, which were held as part of the 16th Defense Services Asia 2018 (DSA) exhibition, which is taking place in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) on April 16-19.
According to the report, Bukin, in particular, held a meeting with Chief of Army General Tan Sri Dato Zulkiple Bin Hj Kassim during which they discussed the possibility of supplying the Malaysian side with Ukrainian-made 4×4 combat vehicles. During the talks, the chief of the Malaysian army expressed his country’s interest in acquiring Ukrainian ATGMs from Luch Design Bureau. At the same time, the sides stressed the need to intensify the work of the bilateral commission on military and technical cooperation, the report says.
Bukin also held talks with Chief of Navy Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Hj Ahmad Badaruddin, during which they discussed the possibility of supplying to Malaysia the floating docks manufactured by Pallada Kherson State Plant, part of Ukroboronprom, as well as the possibility of establishing cooperation for their production with a Thai manufacturer.
In addition, as part of the exhibition, Bukin met with Commander of the Royal Malaysian Air Force General Dato Seri Affendi Buang.
“The sides discussed a range of issues on cooperation in the field of aircraft building. In particular, they talked about the possibility of supplying to Malaysia the Antonov airplanes with the possibility of localization of production facilities. A separate topic of the talks was also the possibility of supplying Ukrainian vertical take-off and landing UAVs to the Malaysian side,” the report says.
