NO ALTERNATIVES
However, for this you do not even need to go to the exhibition. You can on the Internet. Just on the eve of Motor Show, AVTOVAZ OJSC on its website presented unified recommended retail prices for the entire model range of its vehicles. They are divided into groups with a “step” of 50 thousand rubles, and each user can find a car of the right price, configuration and color.
According to the site, the cheapest VAZ car - the classic VAZ 2105 with a 1.5 liter carburetor engine in the “standard” configuration - cost 117 thousand rubles as of September 1. The most expensive model of the Volga Automobile Plant is the Lada-111 station wagon with a 1.6-liter 16-valve engine in the “normal” configuration with air conditioning - 263 thousand rubles. Such “openness”, according to the leaders of AvtoVAZ, will help equalize retail prices in the country.
It is possible that someday it will be so. In the meantime, prices are “aligned” mainly in the direction of their increase. In July-August, with steady demand for almost all models from Tolyatti, retail prices rose on average by almost 4%. The greatest growth occurred in the Samara family (+ 8%), the average cost of which successfully surpassed the bar of 205 thousand rubles. The VAZ “classic” has considerably risen in price - by 3.5% - now it costs dealers an average of 137 thousand rubles. Slowly, prices changed for the "tens" - some miserable half a percent for August. In the first eight months of this year, they rose by only 1.6% (the average retail price in Russia is 236 thousand rubles). The most “fashionable” cars of the past summer were “Sevens” and “Nines” (they are still assembled in small batches in Syzran), as well as all cars of the Samara-2 family. Of the "ten" hatchbacks "Lada-112" with a 16-valve engine were best sold.
Among dealers, rumors are actively circulating that in early autumn the plant is preparing to raise selling prices. They call 2-3%, and the “classic”, which is assembled in Izhevsk (VAZ 2106 and VAZ 2104), can rise in price even more. This is due to the introduction at IzhAvto of a new painting complex for KIA Spectra. From September-October, all cars at the plant will be painted using new technology. The “sixes” and “fours” will corrode, of course, more slowly, but the cost of VAZ cars will increase by about 5 thousand rubles. And this despite the fact that for eight months of this year, retail prices for Izhevsk sedans and station wagons have already increased by 10-11 thousand rubles. (up to 126 thousand rubles for VAZ 2106 and 154 thousand rubles for VAZ 2104 3). At such a pace, buyers may well prefer the “fives” from Tolyatti instead of the “sixes”. The Quartet remains the only inexpensive station wagon in Russia.
After the production of Fabula was stopped, the closest competitor, Lada 111, starts at 224 thousand rubles. And according to information from unofficial sources, if the partnership with the Koreans develops successfully, next year IzhAvto may even refuse to assemble vazov models.
AUTUMN NEWS
At the end of August, the leaders of GM-AvtoVAZ JV officially announced that the production plans of the enterprise for 2005 will be revised, namely, the output of the Chevrolet Viva sedan will be significantly reduced: only 3, 000 are planned instead of 7.5 thousand cars. Demand on “Viva” was much lower than expected. The reason is clear - the price of a Russian-made car is too high. Now the possibility is being considered to apply the resolution “On industrial assembly” in this project, which can significantly reduce the price. Will hope…
