Autostat analysts predict that one million new passenger cars will be sold in Russia by the end of 2023. They believe the market will either meet or surpass this milestone as the year closes. Since spring, sales activity has surged, reflecting a dynamic upward trend in the automotive sector. In May, more than 72 thousand vehicles were sold; June saw about 82 thousand; July around 96 thousand; August roughly 110 thousand; and September just over 110 thousand new cars moved off dealer lots, according to Autostat.
Through September, Russia logged approximately 717.3 thousand sales of new passenger cars. In Autostat’s optimistic forecast, total 2023 sales could reach about 1.09 million units, a gain of roughly 74 percent versus 2022 results. This outlook underscores a robust recovery trajectory for new car ownership over the year.
Earlier in the year, Russians spent a record amount on used cars, with three-year spending hitting around 590 billion rubles. European and Japanese used vehicles continue to dominate the market in terms of value. In August alone, expenditures on European used cars reached 207.9 billion rubles while purchases of Japanese used cars totaled 206.2 billion rubles, according to market data for that period.
Additionally, the market share dynamics show that new Russian cars and buses accounted for about half of the market share in recent assessments, indicating a significant penetration of domestically produced vehicles within the broader vehicle mix.