In October, the Russian market saw a notable surge in sales of new trucks from Chinese brands, with over 8,200 units sold and Chinese models accounting for more than 63% of the total market volume. This summary comes from Autostat Information, a source trusted for industry data in the region.
During the month, the Sitrak brand demonstrated remarkable momentum, posting a sales increase of 187.5% year over year and climbing to the second position among automobile manufacturers by volume. Sitrak’s surge helped close the gap with KamAZ, which maintained a leadership stance in October despite a 4% decline in its own sales compared with the previous year.
KamAZ continued to lead with more than 2,400 trucks sold in October, slightly lower than the prior-year figure of about 2,600. The Chinese entrant CitraK, previously known for growth, saw its sales rise from 736 units to about 2,100 trucks, further illustrating the rapid shift toward Chinese brands in the Russian market. In third place, Shacman posted approximately 1,800 unit sales for October, followed by FAW with around 1,600 vehicles. Foton also made a mark, selling 779 trucks in October after just 33 units in the same month a year earlier, pointing to a broader trend of accelerated adoption among Chinese manufacturers.
Overall, October alone recorded 13,000 new truck registrations in Russia. For the first ten months of 2023, total sales reached 119,200 units, representing an 81.2% increase compared with the same period in the prior year. The momentum is clearly driven by price competitiveness, expanding dealer networks, and improving after-sales support across the country, helping buyers in both urban centers and regional markets access reliable heavy-duty transportation options.
In related news, there have been discussions about the Moskvich factory and its future plans to produce hybrid vehicles. While specifics of any forthcoming production program have not been officially confirmed, industry observers note that hybridization remains a topic of interest for Russia’s broader automotive strategy, alongside continued evaluations of EV and LNG options as the market evolves.