In January-June new car sales dropped by 50.8 per cent year-on-year, representatives of the Association of Car Manufacturers and their Authorized Representatives in Bulgaria said. This decline has persisted for a third month in a row, which shows that even large discounts do not provide an opportunity for decreasing the negative consequences of the crisis. From January to June dealers sold 14,310 new cars, compared to 28,001 in the same period of 2008.

The deals concluded in June (2,420) are less than those in May (2,448), the third weakest record after January (2,300) and February (2,345).

The situation with trucks is most severe as sales have dropped from 2,125 to 498 and the situation with buses is not much different as 44 deals have been concluded in January-June compared to 163 in the same period of 2008.

To prevent the shrinking of the market companies have undertaken direct discounts or offers of higher class equipment and useful accessories. The lucrative prices are valid for limited series and stored numbers.

Most cars can be bought with a discount of at least 20 per cent. Italian Fiat offers discounts for all its models, ranging from 1,000 leva for the cheapest Panda to 4,000 leva for the luxurious Croma 4.

In the case of Peugeot the most lucrative deal is the 206 sedan with a price of 18,982 leva, VAT included, which will not be raised in the next five years if the car is leased.

Citroen smallest C1 can be acquired with a free air-conditioner and the new C4 generation starts with prices of 23,990 leva, VAT included, while C4 Picasso comes with a discount of up to 5,000 leva.

Renault offers a limited series of Clio LS Night&Day for 23,590 leva, Vat included, with a lot of extras free and Megane Sedan Extreme comes at a price of 25,990 leva, VAT included, also with a lot of free extras.

Chevrolet dealers try to attract clients with an extended 5 year or a 150,000 km warranty for the entire modern range. The smallest Spark can be acquired with a discount of up to 3,240 leva is it is leased and the larger Lacetti can be leased with a discount of 4,500 leva, or up to 6,500 leva for one with a diesel engine.

Opel importers offer Corsa with a discount between 1,500 and 4,500 leva while Astra ranges between a discount of 2,500 leva and 7,500 leva for corporate clients.

Volkswagen offers a total sale of all Eos, Golf, Golf Plus, Golf Variant, Jetta, Passat Variant on stock. The preferential offer is with a guaranteed discount in cash ranging from 10 to 20 per cent of the vehicle's price depending on the model.

KIA see-d already comes at a price of 19,995 leva, VAT excluded while Mazda3 can be acquired with free perks worth 7,500 leva.

Toyota, Ford and Skoda also offer lucrative discounts and extras.

Source: BTA