Car sales in Russia fell by 45 percent

In March, the Russians bought 83,095 new cars and light commercial cars, according to the European Business Association (AEB) with reference to PPC data on registrations. This is almost half as much as in March 2024. And the first quarter, the market completed a reduction by 26 percent (also in an annual comparison), up to 254,069 cars. The new factor began to influence demand: the Russians began to postpone the purchase of cars in anticipation of the return of foreign brands, analysts say.

In the first quarter of 2025, about 55 percent of the sold cars were local production, calculated in the AEB. For comparison: last year this figure was 43 percent. Through the official channels, 35 percent of the sold cars were imported-the share is the same as in January-March 2024. But the share of “parallel” cars was noticeably reduced – from 22 percent last year to 10 percent of the current.

Experts note that the results of the first quarter are one of the worst over the past 10 years. Less sales of new cars in the Russian market were only in March 2022, when demand fell by 59 percent.

Volkswagen has stopped car supplies in the United States calculated how the price of the most popular Chinese cars in Russia in Russia has changed for the first time after four months of growth fell sales of used pickups

The ongoing fall is explained by a high key rate, high cost of machines, as well as the fact that many Russians managed to change cars last fall, until the rate of utilsbor. But a new one joined the previous factors: the Russians against the backdrop of news about changes in geopolitics began to wait for the departed brands. In the future, this will create a strong deferred demand, but now the fall is so great that it can lead to a crisis, which will be able to cope with only with the help of the state.

The head of AvtoVAZ called the March fall in the car market “dramatic.” The LADA itself has a more positive speaker, however, the demand for AvtoVAZ products has seriously declined – by a third in an annual comparison.

Sochi Drift Challenge: The final of the season