Sales of passenger cars and light utility vehicles in Russia amounted to over 188,000 units in October. This means that increases this year have now been recorded in the country during every month since April. Year to date sales stand at 1.5 million, reports autoactu, which is higher than the figure for the whole of 2009. The percentage increase for October (compared to October 2009) was 61.5%, and this follows other spectacular increases, including 55% in September and 51% in August. June and July were almost as high. These figures do follow a slump of 50% during 2009, however, and this year’s total will therefore not reach the 2.9 million of 2008. A scrappage scheme has helped, and the principal beneficiaries of the enthusiastic buying public are Russian-built vehicles, with market-leader Lada at the top of the list (sales up 78% to 50,000 units in October). European brands such as Renault, Opel, Peugeot and Citroën, also made substantial percentage gains (over 100% or even 200%), but only Renault, with sales of just over 10,000 units, is in ‘double figures’.