buyers often accept higher prices out of concern they will rise further. In a study informed by the insights of Yuri Timkin, who visited a dozen car lots, dealers opened up about current price levels and what buyers are facing. The points below summarize the notable observations from his tour.
Recall the car shortage from a month ago. Back then, dealers asked for 200,000 to 300,000 rubles more, and on occasion even half a million, with extra accessories like salon mats and protective nets tacked on as add-ons. Today, there is no mandatory display podium, yet prices can still exceed the official suggested retail price in some cases.
The figures below reflect what Timkin was told by dealership managers in Moscow, based on real-time conversations and price sheets observed during visits.
- Toyota RAV4 — four-wheel drive, 2 l engine, CVT, comfort equipment; dealer price 5.3 million rubles. For reference, the suggested retail price for a complete package of this specification is 3,035,000 rubles at the time of writing.
- Renault Duster — four-wheel drive, 2-litre engine; dealer price 2.4 million rubles. The recommended retail price for the Style package (top version, all-wheel drive, 2.0, petrol, manual transmission only) starts from 2,049,000 rubles.
- Kia Seltos — a crossover with a 2-litre engine and four-wheel drive is currently available at about 3.5 million rubles. The price ladder for these cars begins at 2,374,900 rubles for the Style equipment level.
- Skoda Kodiaq — the dealer quoted a diesel variant at around 6 million rubles. He also offered the same pre-styling version at a discount of 500,000 rubles. The official price for four-wheel-drive diesel models now sits at 2,643,000 rubles (Ambition) and 2,818,000 rubles (Style).
- Lada Vesta Sedan — 1.6 l, 113 hp, CVT; the Luxe Enjoy Pro version is offered at 1,870,900 rubles by the dealer. The factory suggested price sits just under 1.5 million rubles.
It should be noted that these figures refer to actual prices at specific Moscow dealers. Names are intentionally omitted because pricing varies daily and is highly individualized in today’s market.
As the notes show, margins swing—some higher, some lower. The situation also differs in other ways: some showrooms have plenty stock, others are quiet, some hide prices, and others display them openly.
Further brand options and additional details about the dealership landscape are available in the full version of this material, where readers can see how dealer dynamics shift across locations and time.
For those who want a visual summary, Drive content related to this topic can be found on YouTube. (Source attribution: Drive)