- The Russian passenger car (PC) market contracted by 15.7% in 2025, to 1,306,299 units compared to 1,550,249 in 2024. This decline is likely a consequence of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which is prompting Russia (even though it is not yet operating under a full-blown war economy) to prioritize military needs over civilian requirements. The Russian light utility vehicle (LUV) market also contracted, declining by 23.8%, to 104,980 units compared to 137,734 in 2024, for the same reasons as the passenger car market.
- The best-selling passenger car brand in Russia in 2025 was Lada, part of the AvtoVAZ group (330,357 units; -24.8%), although its sales declined more sharply than the overall market, indicating that some of its customers switched to Chinese brands. Its market share fell from 28% in 2024 to 25% in 2025.
- The remaining 75% is largely monopolized by Chinese brands, which hold 60% of the Russian market in 2025 (786,737 units). European, Japanese, American, and Korean brands account for 15% of sales, but it is likely that a significant portion of these sales also originate from China, as these brands officially refused to sell their cars in Russia after the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. The hypothesis that many European, Japanese, American, and Korean models are imported through Chinese dealerships therefore remains highly probable (evidence of this is that Volkswagen Group's Jetta models are sold in Russia, even though this brand only produces its models in China).
