New car sales in Russia during April this year hit a record low not seen in fifteen years. The last time the market bottomed in April was in 2020, when the pandemic initially slowed activity and sales briefly stalled. According to AUTOSTAT, Russians bought 54.5 thousand new cars that month. In April 2022, the figure stood at 28 thousand, roughly half of that level.
The source notes that April’s result was three times smaller than March’s 78.9 thousand units and far below April 2021, when 171.4 thousand cars were purchased.
Number of cars sold by brand, April 2022
- Lada-6377
- Kia-3396
- Hyundai-2877
- Renault-2166
- Skoda-1402
- Toyota-1225
- Chery-1143
- Volkswagen-1064
- BMW-1006
- Haval-979
Number of cars sold by model, April 2022
- Lada Granta-2180
- Lada Vesta – 1652
- Lada Niva (Travels and Legend) – 1604
- Kia Rio-1213
- Hyundai Solaris-1211
- Hyundai Crete-895
- Skoda Rapid-876
- Renault Duster-766
- Volkswagen Polo-760
- Renault Logan-706
Looking at the brand breakdown, Chinese automakers are drawing increased attention as visibility for other foreign manufacturers remains uncertain. Chery and Haval could soon move from the Top 10 toward the Top 5 in Russia’s market share. Meanwhile, Volkswagen remains strongly linked to one model, the Polo, which accounts for a sizable portion of the brand’s sales in the country.
- The editor-in-chief of Behind the Wheel, Maxim Kadakov, offered a clear outlook for the car market.
- Behind the Wheel is available on Odnoklassniki, a social platform used in Russia.
The current data set underscores shifts in buyer preferences and brand strategy in a market facing economic and regulatory changes. For analysts and industry watchers in North America, the April figures provide a point of comparison for market resilience, import patterns, and brand performance under challenging conditions.