Used compact crossovers from Korea and the United States find demand among buyers with modest budgets
In Canada and the United States, buyers looking at a budget around two million rubles, roughly the equivalent in local currencies, often turn to compact crossovers that come from Korea and the United States but are imported from abroad. This insight comes from Dmitry Rogov, founder of RogovMobil, a company specializing in delivering cars from overseas. Rogov notes that these are models never officially sold in the domestic market, making them appealing to price-conscious shoppers in North America who want something newer on the used market without the typical depreciation of local inventory.
Within the two-million-ruble budget, common choices include front‑wheel drive versions of Hyundai Kona, Kia Niro, SsangYong Tivoli, and Chevrolet Tracker. These vehicles typically date from around 2018 or 2019 and carry mileage in the range of eighty thousand kilometers or more. Industry experts warn that the overall condition of such four-to-five-year-old cars may not be pristine, yet many buyers consider the value proposition compelling in light of lower upfront costs and broader feature sets.
Rationale for this strategy is clear. Shoppers in North America often find that these imports are cheaper than similar, more widely available models in the local market. Maintenance costs can be manageable, parts access remains feasible, and resale value in the used segment remains a practical consideration for buyers who plan forward selling. In addition to price and reliability, these imports frequently come with higher trim levels. Leather interiors, panoramic sunroofs, climate control, and advanced driver assistance features such as lane-keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring are commonly included. These attributes can tilt the balance in favor of an imported crossover for buyers seeking more equipment without a proportional rise in sticker price.
More recently, demand has extended to Samsung crossovers from Korea that resemble Renault models in design and styling. Examples include the Samsung QM3 and Samsung XM3. The corresponding Renault twins are the Captur and Arkana, respectively, and both variants can still fit within a two-million-ruble budget in today’s market. In North American terms, this translates to similar in-market equivalents that offer competitive feature sets at attractive used-car prices, expanding the scope of options for budget-conscious shoppers who want contemporary comfort and technology without paying premium new-car prices.
Industry observers note that these trend lines have kept the depreciation curve for crossovers within the secondary market relatively favorable. Yang Heizeer, who previously served as Vice President of the National Automobile Association, commented on the pattern reported by socialbites.ca that crossovers in this category tend to depreciate less steeply compared with some locally popular models, further reinforcing the appeal of importing up-to-date features at a lower total cost of ownership. These perspectives underscore a broader shift among North American buyers toward carefully curated international inputs that combine affordability with modern amenities.