Blockage of wine exports on Russian market also affected Moldovan auto market

Although in the first half of the year the sales grew by 50-55% compared to the similar period of the last year, experts in the field say that stopping Moldovan wine exports on the Russia’s market influenced negatively the auto market from Moldova. According to the head of the Auto Press Association in Moldova, Andrei Tabuica, the wine crisis affected not only wine producers, but also the economic agents who deliver necessary appliances to the wine companies – bottles, tickets, corks etc. Also, the transporters have been affected - they cannot afford purchasing cars any longer. Particularly, as the cited source asserts, the sales of cars of “premium” category has been influenced. If two years ago the sales of expensive cars with purchasing prices of EUR 30 – 35,000 were predominant in the R. of Moldova, now the market changed significantly, the predominant type of bought cars being those from “economic” category, with a average price of EUR 10 – 15,000: Skoda-Octavia, Volkswagen-Golf, Renault Megan. The most popular car among Moldovans is “Dacia Logan” sold at a price of about EUR 6 – 6,500. According to the same source, no growth of sales of this type of cars is expected though, because in time their maintenance is too expensive. Among positive tendencies on the Moldovan market, Tabuica mentioned the fact that owners of expensive cars – BMW and Mercedes, bought at second hand – start to sell them in order to buy new cars of “economic” class, a fact encouraged by guarantee terms of 2-3 years and the contribution of leasing companies offering conditions for increasingly attractive purchases for potential costumers. One may find on the Moldovan market the majority of the automobile brands from the European market. Still this statement is less complete in what concerns luxury cars like Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar. There is a subsidiary of Rolls Royce in Chisinau, the most expensive car sold in Moldova till now being also a Rolls Royce, the starting price of which is of EUR 300,000. Other expensive car brands sold in the R. of Moldova are Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche, the price of the latter being of about EUR 100-150,000.