Analysts from SberMarketing and SberAvto used the Medialogia social media monitoring system to rank the most talked-about domestic car models and to explore sales dynamics, painting a portrait of a typical Russian car owner. A close look at the findings was shared with socialbites.ca, which reviewed the results and provided context for the consumer landscape in Russia.
Following the withdrawal of foreign brands, conversations around Lada Granta dominated social feeds. Medialogia tracked more than 250,000 posts mentioning this model between October 2022 and April 2023. Lada Granta also marked a milestone by resuming production after a temporary factory shutdown, and its price—approaching the one-million-ruble mark—became a talking point in discussions about affordability and value.
Lada Vesta followed in second place with about 230,000 mentions. The chatter peaked in March, coinciding with AvtoVAZ releasing the updated Lada Vesta Cross, which drew interest from buyers seeking a refreshed design and improved capability.
Moskvich 3 ranked third with around 117,000 posts. The highest volume of coverage occurred in November when the Moskvich plant announced the restart of operations and the launch of the new city crossover, Moskvich 3, signaling renewed production activity in the industry.
In fourth position was Lada Priora, generating roughly 94,000 publications. The list closed with the VAZ-2107, which amassed about 89,000 messages, reflecting ongoing nostalgia and continued public interest in classic models alongside modern offerings.
Other notable mentions included UAZ Patriot (UAZ-3163), Niva (VAZ 2121), Kopeyka/Zhiguli (VAZ 2101), and VAZ-2106, with Evolute appearing in tenth place. The peak period for Evolute coverage came in November, when Lipetsk hosted the rollout of the first 400 Evolute i-Pro electric vehicles for the 2022 model year.
Less discussed among domestic models were Lada X-Cross 5, Volga GAZ-31105, and Moskvich-408, which attracted comparatively lighter conversation on social networks.
According to SberAvto, the online car sales platform, LADA Granta emerged as the most popular domestic car in terms of consumer interest this year. In terms of actual sales, LADA Vesta and LADA Niva traded places as the second and third best-sellers, underscoring a market preference toward versatile, locally produced models.
The profile of the typical Russian buyer leans toward office workers across various roles. Those engaged in manual labor appear prominently in the second tier, while freelancers make up a distinct third segment, illustrating a broad spectrum of consumers increasingly attracted to domestic options.
Extensive daily usage is common: around 79% of owners drive every day, with 18% driving several times a week and a small share driving less frequently. About a third of owners show a habit of modifying their vehicles, reflecting a culture of personalization and hands-on maintenance among a sizable subset of drivers. The primary channels for purchasing a Russian car remain traditional dealerships, followed by online shopping, highlighting a shift in consumer behavior fueled by convenience and new financing options. Buyers cited the availability of opportunities that previously did not exist, the prospect of purchasing their first car, and the desire to upgrade to a newer model as key motivations for buying domestically produced vehicles.
Earlier data also indicated a noteworthy attitude among Russians toward licensing: a meaningful portion of the population expressed reluctance about obtaining a driver’s license, signaling potential implications for future mobility choices and the evolution of the domestic automotive market. These insights collectively shed light on the market dynamics, consumer preferences, and the social narrative surrounding Russian-made cars in recent years. In attribution, the study details sources and methodologies used by the monitoring teams, with findings compiled from social media posts and sales data and reported through the referenced media outlets.