By late 2022, analysts noted that new car prices could be at or below the levels seen in February of that year, according to Avtostat data cited by Andrey Olkhovsky, the managing director of the Avtodom Group of Companies. The market was showing a clear, multifaceted pattern: a large portion of models held their prices steady while some segments experienced notable price reductions. Olkhovsky indicated that, toward year’s end, an overall downward drift in price was likely, with the most pronounced shifts occurring in the mass-market segment where buyers typically seek the best value.
He explained that prices might align with February figures or dip beneath them, but such a shift would probably become evident only in December. The rationale, he noted, is that 2022 closes with a change in the definition of “new” for vehicles not sold by January 1, making those unsold units no longer count as new in the market’s official metrics. This dynamic helps explain why some models could appear cheaper as the year wraps up, even if average prices earlier in the year stayed firm.
In the same period, the strongest price increases were recorded in the first quarter of 2022, with rises ranging from 30 to 40 percent. Alexei Starikov, who leads the New Car Sales division at Avilon AG, commented that a subsequent easing in the cost of new cars began to emerge, supporting a more moderate level of demand as buyers anticipated further pricing adjustments and promotional incentives from dealers.
These shifts were not isolated to a single market; reports from several regions underscored a broader pattern of price reconciliation after a period of rapid increases. Retail networks across the industry began recalibrating their inventories and promotional strategies to attract price-conscious buyers, particularly within the middle-price bands where competition was fiercest and the perceived value of new vehicles could still be compelling despite tighter budgets.
Moreover, the market faced structural changes affecting dealer networks. In some markets, a significant number of outlets restructured operations or exited the scene; in certain cases, this translated into tighter supply chains and, paradoxically, temporary price stability in some models, while others saw renewed discounting as dealerships sought to clear aging stock. These developments contributed to a more nuanced price landscape, one where buyers could encounter both favorable terms and ongoing trade-offs related to model availability and financing conditions.