The key facts
- October sales of new passenger cars in Russia grew by 8.2% compared with September — to 132.9 thousand vehicles, the best result since the beginning of 2026.
- In year-on-year terms, sales fell by 19.8%.
- Expert Artyom Bobtsov considers demand low and does not expect a sharp price increase in the near future.
October sales growth and its limits
Sales of new passenger cars in Russia grew by 8.2% in October compared with September, reaching 132.9 thousand vehicles. This is the best monthly result since the beginning of 2026, yet compared with October of last year, sales fell by 19.8%. This was reported by Life.ru.
Expert's assessment: the record does not mean the market has recovered
The October record does not yet mean that the car market has emerged from its crisis, believes automotive expert Artyom Bobtsov. In his assessment, demand remains low, and dealers and manufacturers are competing for a limited number of buyers. He noted that since the start of the pandemic, the market has gone through several waves of panic buying driven by currency fluctuations, changes in the key interest rate, and the recycling fee; many of those who intended to buy a car and had the money have already done so, and there are no equally strong reasons to rush at the moment.
Advice for buyers
Commenting on the situation for Komsomolskaya Pravda radio, Bobtsov said that 'there is no reason to postpone buying a car, since the recycling fee will continue to rise,' but that 'there is also no need to rush to the dealership right now: no sharp price increase is expected in the near future.' When choosing a car, he advised taking into account one's budget and operating conditions, finding out in advance where the car will be serviced, and, in the case of buying an electric vehicle, whether there will be an opportunity to charge it regularly.
