Russia's Avtovaz sales up 4.7% annually in Feb

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Avtovaz, Russia's largest car maker, said on Thursday that sales rose 4.7% on an annual basis in February, to a total of 23,437 vehicles.

Traditionally reliant on Western parts and investment, Russia's car industry has been one of the hardest hit by Western sanctions and the fallout of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine.

Overall Russian car sales collapsed by 58.8% in 2022, according to the Association of European Businesses, which collates sales data from all major manufacturers.

Avtovaz's sales dropped 46% during the year as they partially halted production and at one point were selling vehicles without key safety features such as airbags or anti-lock braking systems (ABS) because of parts shortages.

Avtovaz President Maxim Sokolov said the Lada Granata model was the main driver of sales during February, accounting for 16,257 units - up 161% on the same month last year.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Savio D'Souza)