Expert Podshchekoldin: 80% of cars are bought with credit

Up to 80% of passenger cars are purchased by private individuals using credit, said Alexey Podshchekoldin, president of the Russian Automobile Dealers Association (ROAD), during the round table “Russian car market 2026: has the bottom of the crisis been passed?”, organized by the Reedus publication.

“In April, we already saw an increase in the issuance of loans, because, compared to last year, the average rate on them nevertheless decreased by 6.5%. In fact, it settled at 14.5%,” the expert clarified.

In his opinion, it is the monetary policy of the Russian government, and specifically the size of the key rate, that has the main influence on the sales of new cars by dealers.

According to preliminary estimates, in total for the first four months of 2026 (January-April), the Russian passenger car market will grow by approximately 10% compared to the same period last year.

The positive dynamics are associated with the adaptation of automakers to new logistics schemes, the expansion of model ranges of available brands and the aforementioned reduction in car loan rates.

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