Last December proved to be quite successful for AvtoVAZ dealers (for the second year in a row!). And the point here is not only in love to give out gifts, but in much more prosaic circumstances. At this time, corporate clients and “state employees” are noticeably becoming more active, who definitely need to spend part of their profits on “development” and at the same time reduce their general tax deductions. Updating the fleet for this purpose is most welcome. In 2004, a surge in sales was noted even in Moscow and the region, where, in fact, in recent years almost no vazovskaya products have been noticed. In December, sales of cars from Tolyatti in the capital increased by more than a third (!), And as a result of the 700 thousand VAZ cars sold in the country, about 130 thousand were registered in Moscow and the region.
Increased demand also pulled retail prices: they grew by 1% in just a month. It seems to be nonsense, no one will notice, but if you compare even with the beginning of 2004 - the picture is impressive. So, the average weighted price for cars of the "tenth" family in Russia in December was 232 thousand rubles, which is 14% more than at the beginning of that year! The change in prices for the "classics" and "Samara" from the beginning of the year is not as significant as the "tens", but also impressive: + 8.5 and + 5.6%, respectively …
Truly record-breaking growth in the average retail price last year was demonstrated by baby Oka: by almost 17%! If in January it could be purchased for 74–75 thousand rubles (approximately $ 2, 500 at the then exchange rate), then by the end of the year the minimum cost of a minicar had grown to 85–86 thousand rubles. The average now is 91.5 thousand rubles. (at the current exchange rate - $ 3270).
In fact, last year a certain landmark was overcome: the cheapest and unassuming Russian car began to cost more than 3 thousand dollars. Recall that in the not too distant 1998–2000, for much less money you could buy, consider, any model of the VAZ “classic”, even the “Niva”; "Oka" then generally cost 1300-1500 at. e. Times are changing, population incomes are rising, prices are slowly pulling up to world prices, and probably already a Russian will never be able to buy a new car at a price below $ 3, 000. Alas!
But all this is just a backstory to the story about New Year's gifts: it was last year, but this year … It began with an announcement: from January 1, AvtoVAZ changed the selling prices for Lada cars for its dealers. On the model of the “tenth” family, they increase by 2.0–2.5 thousand rubles, “classic” models and cars of the Samara family will become more expensive by 1-2 thousand rubles. The old “Niva” is getting more expensive than the others - by 3.5 thousand rubles, while the elongated (the former “thirty first”) and mini-van “Lada-2120” will grow in price very slightly - by 500 rubles.
For the first time in the protocol of approval of dealer prices there is a model “Lada-11183” (sedan of the “Kalina” family). Its selling price at the beginning of the year according to the price list is 203.4 thousand rubles, although in real sale it will appear only by the summer. The Lada-21053 remains the cheapest VAZ model: in a simple “norm” configuration, it goes to AvtoVAZ dealers for 107, 775 rubles. The most expensive production model was the Lada-111 station wagon with air conditioning in the Lux configuration. He gets to dealers only with an advance payment for 240 858 rubles.
Other domestic manufacturers decided to keep up with their comrades in the shop and “pleased” the buyers with the planned-expected price increase. The “new” Volga GAZ 31105 added 5% in price, and now it starts from 215–220 thousand rubles. for the "bare" car.
Unfortunately, the list of price hikes in the new year is just beginning. There will also be a traditional spring season, when prices always rise. And by the summer, the government promises to introduce standards that limit the toxicity of car exhausts (Euro II). Actually, they should have done this since January 1, 2005, but, according to the official version, they did not have time to prepare a bill.