Acura Russia

In Russia, the Acura RLX Sport

A message about the departure from the Russian market of the Japanese automaker Honda stirred up Thursday members of the professional society. Dealers of the company said that the brand, together with its premium division Acura, stops delivering cars, bikes and power equipment to Russia. With all this, the brand does not have its own production in Russia, unlike many competitors.

How essentially Honda will work in Russia

However, later, Honda officials explained to Gazeta.Ru that it was not about leaving the market completely, but about changing the supply chain of new cars.

“There was no talk about leaving Russia,” Mikhail Plotnikov, head of the sales and marketing department of Honda and Acura in Russia, told Gazeta.ru. – Currently, Honda is discussing with dealers the transition to a new scheme of work. If now distributors work with Honda Motor Rus and receive cars only through this company, then from next year, as we assume, they will purchase cars directly from Japan on pre-order from customers. We are not talking about stopping supplies. This applies to the lineup of Honda and the premium brand Acura. Next year, as planned, we will begin selling the new Honda Pilot. There are no problems with its certification. ”

As the representative of Honda clarified, the new scheme will reduce the risks of dealers when ordering cars and protect themselves in an unstable economic situation. As Plotnikov admitted, fluctuations in the foreign exchange market prompted the company to such a decision.

Despite the clarifications, Honda’s decision caused a mixed reaction in the market. So, a number of experts are sure that such a step is just a delay in the moment the brand completely ceases to work in Russia. Gazeta.Ru sources in Honda’s Russian office share these concerns.

Will the pre-order scheme work

Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of the magazine Driving, says that now, in fact, every Honda and Acura dealer will work as an importer. “Over the years, work has been done in such a way that dealers have their own big patron in the form of representation. It was the representative office that solved global problems in the market — it was engaged in the promotion of goods and customs clearance, ”Kadakov tells Gazeta.ru. – The dealer bought cars from the dealership or received them for sale. All he needed to do next was sell cars. Now dealers, in fact, will be engaged in foreign economic activity. And it’s good if a large dealer in Moscow can afford to hire a couple more specialists who will deal with paperwork. But a small company will simply give up dealerships. ”

The Russian Association of Dealers (ROAD) believes that even the pre-order work scheme in the current economic situation is still associated with risks.