KIEV, Feb. 15 – Sales of new passenger cars in January 2011 came to 11,200 cars, which was 50% up on January 2010.

"The January results exceeded all expectations. January continued the trend of the last few months of 2010 and tuned the market to an optimistic mood," reads a posting on the Web site of the Auto-Consulting information and analytical group.

The experts said that January's success was mainly linked to the revival of crediting. The market easily accepted prices, as the prices of many dealers changed in January.