During the 39th week of 2022, spanning September 26 to October 2, Russian consumers purchased 8,711 new cars. This figure shows a continuation of the downward trend observed in the previous week, even as analysts had hoped the market might stabilize amid broader shifts in the country. According to Avtostat, the 8,711 transactions represent a 19% drop from the week prior, underscoring how recent economic and social changes have influenced demand for new vehicles.
In the overall mix of new vehicle sales, passenger cars remain the dominant category, accounting for roughly four out of five units. The remaining 20% is split among commercial vehicle segments, with light commercial vehicles (LCVs) representing a notable portion of that share. The LCV market declined by about 20%, totaling 982 units for the week. This indicates a weaker appetite for practical, smaller-scale cargo and service vehicles among buyers in the period observed.
The heavy truck segment fared even worse, with sales dropping to 1,321 units, a 22% decrease versus the previous week. Buses were the most affected among the main vehicle classes, slipping by 33% to 88 units. When viewed across the entire primary auto market, total purchases reached 11,102 units for the week, reflecting an overall weekly decline of around 20% compared with the prior period.
Looking at year-over-year performance, production in the sector has also contracted significantly, with declines exceeding 60% relative to the previous year. This broader production slowdown mirrors the reduced demand dynamics seen in sales data and highlights ongoing challenges facing the automotive industry in the region this period. For researchers and market watchers, these numbers from Avtostat provide a snapshot of how consumer behavior and production capacity were aligning in late September and early October 2022.
Contextual notes for readers: the distribution among vehicle types reveals that any recovery in demand would likely need improvements in consumer confidence, financing conditions, and supply chain stability. The data suggest that buyers were prioritizing certain vehicle classes over others, influencing the mix of purchases as the market navigated a constrained environment. Analysts typically compare these weekly figures with longer-term trends to discern whether the observed declines are a temporary fluctuation or part of a more sustained shift in market dynamics. [Source: Avtostat]