As of mid-2023, Russia registered 12.5 million vehicles in the SUV category, including crossovers, which accounted for 27.3% of the nation’s total passenger car fleet. This data comes from the analytical agency Avtostat. The majority of these SUVs are concentrated among five brands, with Lada and Toyota each reporting about 1.2 million units, Nissan around 1.1 million, Hyundai close to 898 thousand, and Kia roughly 732 thousand.
The model rankings show the Lada 4×4 SUV as the leading choice, with approximately 972 thousand units in operation by July. Right behind it sits the Chevrolet Niva SUV at about 642 thousand, followed by the Toyota RAV4 crossover with around 510 thousand units. Among the top five most popular SUV models, Renault Duster and Hyundai Creta also appear, with roughly 496 thousand and 370 thousand units respectively.
For the first nine months of 2023, Russia sold 896.2 thousand new vehicles, a 1.5-fold increase compared with the same period the previous year. Passengers still accounted for about 80% of the total car sales during this period, signaling steady demand across the primary vehicle segments.
Market observers have noted a continued rise in car prices through October, influenced by shifts in supply chains, exchange rates, and seasonal demand. Analysts suggest that price movements in the autumn months reflect broader macroeconomic trends affecting the automotive sector in Russia and the broader region.