OREANDA-NEWS. August 24, 2010. SOLLERS Automobile Holding has reviewed retail sales for the FIAT Ducato for the first half of 2010. In just six months 5,222 vehicles were sold which is more than twice the number for the same period the previous year (an increase of 115%). Moreover, in June 2010 alone 1,413 vehicles were sold which is a sales record for the entire period the Ducato has been present on the Russian market.

Furthermore, the doubling in sales figures for the FIAT Ducato has enabled us to significantly strengthen our position in the sector of commercial vehicles on the Russian market, our share increasing from 5.5% in 2009 to 9.7% in 2010.

The increase in sales for the FIAT Ducato in comparison with the first half year of 2009 was noted in all sectors. In particular, the number of sales for all-metal vans increased by 1.7 times, and passenger combi-vans sales increased by 2.3 times, and passenger modification increased almost three times.

The number of planned sales contracts for the FIAT Ducato by large government organizations and private companies increased. As several hundred vehicles were already sent to the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Emergency Services, Federal Customs Service, State Transport Licensing Agency, Rosstat, Russian Agricultural Monitoring Service, and companies Transway, Transroad, Spacesteel (passenger transport), Rosinkas, Transaero and others.

According to the general director of Turin Auto (the official distributor for FIAT and FIAT Professional on the Russian market), Alexey Likhachev, such significant success was achieved due to active marketing and trading policies.

“We have specifically predicted a general reinvigoration and growth in sales in the LCV market in 2010, and have prepared for it beforehand, taking full advantage of the moment. In addition to an excellent product, which has already been produced in more than 20 different modifications, we were able to maintain our most competitive prices in all of our sub sectors and offer customers the best choice with regard to price and quality. This is largely the result of localizing production, which in some cases is exceeding 50%. I am certain that over the next few months we will increase the rate of production even more and by the end of the year will have sold no less than 15,000 Ducato”, observed Mr. Likhachev.