The price trajectory for new passenger cars in 2022 shows a strong, sustained rise that began in the early months and carried through the year. By the end of the nine months tracked in 2022, the weighted average price for a new passenger car reached 2.29 million rubles, marking a 19 percent increase compared with the end of 2021. In practical terms, this means roughly one-fifth more money spent to buy a brand-new car than at the close of the previous year. This pattern illustrates how a market facing supply pressures, increased costs of components, and fluctuating demand can translate into a sharp and memorable price shift for consumers.
Looking back to the close of 2021, the weighted average price of a new car stood at about 1.99 million rubles. That year itself saw an 18 percent rise, signaling the onset of a longer trend. The data for 2022, in turn, demonstrates a record pace of price growth for new vehicles, underscoring how the market responded to evolving conditions across the automotive sector and the broader economy. The rise in 2022 did not come from a single spike but rather a sequence of factors that fed into higher sticker prices over several months.
The most pronounced price jump occurred between January and February of 2022. During this window, demand for cars dipped while prices continued climbing gradually. This juxtaposition — weaker demand on the surface, yet continuing price increases — reflects pricing strategies that attempted to balance inventories with consumer appetite, all while manufacturers and dealers navigated supply chain constraints and exchange-rate dynamics. Over time, the trajectory settled into a pattern where prices kept advancing, albeit in a staggered fashion rather than in a single, dramatic leap.
The market structure also shifted notably during this period. There are far fewer foreign-brand cars available for sale, which reshaped the relative composition of the lineup. According to data shared by Avtostat through Vedomosti and cited by market observers, Ladas accounted for about 40 percent of the market. Another roughly 30 percent was occupied by Chinese automakers, who proved more resilient to the supply disruptions affecting European, American, Korean, and Japanese brands. This shift toward domestic and Chinese offerings helped sustain overall price levels by maintaining a steady, if constrained, supply stream in the face of reduced availability from traditional import sources.
In the secondary market, price increases were even more pronounced. The weighted average price for a used car rose by about 59 percent, reaching approximately 1.19 million rubles. This surge reflects a combination of heightened demand for affordable used vehicles as new-car prices climbed, as well as the continued impact of supply shortages that limited the availability of low-mileage, younger vehicles in particular. If the current shortage persists, the secondary market is likely to see prices continue their ascent, reinforcing the relationship between new-car pricing pressures and the dynamics of used-car value.
Overall, the 2022 pricing environment underscores how shifts in supply chains, brand mix, and consumer demand interact to shape affordability and market momentum. For buyers, this means evaluating not only the sticker price but also the broader costs tied to ownership, such as financing rates, maintenance expectations, and potential incentives from manufacturers or dealers that may influence the total expenditure over the life of the vehicle. For sellers and industry observers, the data point to a landscape where price transparency and inventory management become essential levers for navigating ongoing changes in the market. The trend lines suggest that, unless supply constraints ease substantially, price pressure in both new and used segments could remain a defining feature of the automotive market in the near term, with continued emphasis on the balance between affordable options and the need for reliable, newer models. [Avtostat data via Vedomosti]