hyundai solaris
Hyundai’s India division introduced the next-generation Verna sedan, which is essentially an exact replica of the Russian Solaris. The only significant difference is that in the local market the car is sold with right-hand drive.
The budget model has increased in size compared to the previous generation car: the sedan has become 130 mm longer and 36 mm wider, and the wheelbase has increased by 70 mm (the dimensions were 4535x1765x1475 mm with a wheelbase of 2670 mm). In this way, the luggage volume of the sedan has increased from 480 liters to 528 liters.
Hyundai Verna/Solaris received two-segment optics and illuminated LED dimensions front and rear. The most expensive version has a two-tone interior trim, 10-inch multimedia screens and instrument panels combined in a single block in the cabin, and the maximum equipment includes eight-speaker Bose acoustics, 64-color ambient lighting, heated and ventilated seats.
For the first time, the sedan received a complex of driving assistants,
These include adaptive cruise control, forward impact warning systems, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping, reversing collision avoidance and others. This four-door already comes with six airbags.
In India, the Verna is equipped with a new 1.5-litre direct-injection turbo petrol engine paired with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. As an alternative, an atmospheric one-and-a-half liter engine has been proposed, either mechanically or in conjunction with a shifter.
The basic cost of the sedan is 1.1 million rupees (about 1 million rubles at the current exchange rate).
Solaris for the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg and at the end of 2021 took the fifth place among the most popular models in the passenger car market. Now the Hyundai factory is idle.
toyota corolla
At the beginning of 2022, Toyota stopped the delivery of cars to Russia, including the Corolla sedans that came to our market from Turkey.
By 2023, the Turkish firm has prepared an updated model, the sales of which began in March.
Externally, the 2023 Toyota Corolla remained the same, the designers made only minor touches to the pattern of the radiator grille and front bumper. The interior uses new materials for the trim and seat upholstery, and the cars are offered with new alloy wheels and an expanded body color scheme.
The equipment list of the new Corolla included a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, but the manufacturer calls the emergence of a fifth-generation hybrid system the most important innovation of the sedan. The power plant consists of a 98-horsepower 1.8-liter engine and a 95-horsepower lithium-ion battery with an electric motor.
The manufacturer claims that the hybrid Corolla’s acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is reduced by 1.7 seconds (up to 9.3 seconds) and gasoline consumption is only 4.6 liters per 100 km.
Prices of Toyota Corolla vary between 706.9 thousand and 987.5 thousand Turkish liras, depending on the configuration (2.8 million to 4 million rubles). Before restricting work in Russia, Toyota sold the Corolla for 1.95 million rubles.
kia soul
Last year, a restyled third-generation Kia Soul hatchback appeared. Designers abandoned the “two-deck” main optics in favor of a single headlight unit, replaced the bumpers with a radiator grille, updated the wheels and expanded the body color gamut.
In the most expensive trim levels, Kia Soul is equipped with a digital instrument cluster and an electromechanical handbrake and a multimedia display with a diagonal of 8-10.3 inches.
Updated at the end of 2022, Soul debuted on the Kazakhstan market.
Where it is sold at a price of 10.7 million to 14.5 million tenge (about 1.8-2.4 million rubles). In the neighboring country, the hatchback is offered with 1.6 (123 hp) and 2.0 (150 hp) engines.
In Russia, the Soul was produced at Avtotor’s plants in Kaliningrad, ranking seventh after the Sorento and Cerato in model sales at the end of 2021. Now Avtotor produces Chinese cars and Kia models are imported into the country only through parallel imports.
Renault Logan and Sandero
At the end of 2020, Logan and Sandero changed generations, received the Renault-Nissan alliance’s CMF-B platform and are sold in the European market under the Romanian brand Dacia.
The updated cars did not have time to reach Russia. Both models were increased in size, received LED optics, touchscreen multimedia, air conditioning system, six airbags, parking sensors and an obstacle warning system in hidden areas. The engine range included one-liter units with power from 65 to 100 hp.
Both models were planned to be put on the conveyor of the Lada plant in Togliatti in mid-2022.
In the spring of 2022, the Renault concern left the Russian market, so now several offers for the sale of the new Logan and Sandero can be seen only on the “boards” of the announcements of entrepreneurs who are ready to place orders to bring these cars. Russia.
As of the beginning of 2023, the third generation Logan and Sandero in Romania cost from 14 thousand euros (about 1.2 million rubles).
Nissan Qashqai
In Russia, the second generation Nissan Qashqai has consistently been on the list of the most popular crossovers on the market. In Europe, the third generation model was released in 2021, and at the Nissan plant in Russia they were preparing to put it into production, but they did not have time – now St. Control of the Nissan plant in St. Petersburg passed to AvtoVAZ.
The new Qashqai has become longer, wider and more modern, received crossover hybrid power plants, boomerang-shaped headlights, digital layout and a new multimedia system, as well as a projection function on the windshield and much more.
At the beginning of 2022, the Nissan Qashqai cost 1.7 million rubles in Russia.
The basic version of the third-generation crossover in Europe is estimated at 23 thousand euros (1.9 million rubles).
Chinese replacement
Empty production facilities at Russian factories began to fill up with Chinese car brands. Already on Avtotor started Production of Kaiyi E5 sedans at a price of 1.96 million rubles.
In the same year, a number of other models should appear in the segment, up to 2 million rubles, in the Russian Federation. Kaiyi will bring three more crossovers to our market, and new products will cost 1.8 million rubles.
Two Kaiyi SUVs already representation Journalists in Moscow – these are the X3 and X3 Pro models, similar in size to the Kia Soul model familiar to Russians, equipped with 1.5-liter engines (116 hp and 147 hp, respectively).
Unavailable “budget”
Renat Tyukteev, director of retail sales of Avilon AG, told socialbites.ca that it no longer makes sense to import the old budget bestsellers of the market to Russia. According to the interlocutor, among cars imported through parallel imports, Russians are most interested in crossovers in a rich configuration or models in a high price segment.
“Concerning imports in general, I would like to note that it is now unprofitable to import cars cheaper than 1.5 million rubles.
because the cost of logistics makes the cost of the car at the exit uncompetitive. For the consumer, this is sensitive,” explains Tyukteev.
Compact crossovers are already well represented by the official dealer network of Chinese manufacturers, he says. Among sedans, cars of the middle price segment are bought less often than executive-level sedans.
Vladimir Zhelobov, head of the department responsible for the acquisition of Avtodom Group of Companies and AvtoSpetsCentre Group of Companies, agrees that often parallel imports import cars that are most economically profitable.
“Whatever a car costs, they take up a spot on a ferry or car carrier, and premium and luxury brands have higher margins. Budget vehicles are less profitable for parallel import deliveries,” he said.