Rosgosstrakh and the Avtodom group of companies conducted a study of the preferences of Russian motorists regarding the use of Chinese cars. In short, it turned out that about 54% of respondents changed their opinion about cars from China. Among the advantages, 41% of respondents noted the variety of cars, 24% of respondents consider them a worthy replacement for European cars that have left the market, and 16% believe that "Chinese" cars have the optimal combination of price and quality.
At the same time, 33% of respondents said that reliability plays a key role when choosing a car, 24% said price, and 13% said technology and equipment inside the car.
It turned out that almost 35% of respondents already drive Chinese cars. The remaining respondents include 17% who own European cars, 15% American, 14% Korean, 12% domestic, and 7% Japanese. At the same time, a quarter of respondents who drive non-Chinese cars of various production are going to purchase a Chinese car soon, and 12% "do not exclude this possibility in the future."
In the first half of 2024, 417.5 thousand new Chinese cars were sold in Russia, or 58% of the total market volume. Moreover, in Moscow, the share of Chinese cars amounted to 69.9%, in St. Petersburg - 74.5%, in the Kaliningrad region - 78.9%. The greatest demand is observed in regions previously focused on products from Western manufacturers. That is, we are not talking about competition between the Chinese and Russian auto industries, but about Chinese automakers occupying the niche that Western manufacturers who left Russia occupied.
However, there are opponents of the Sinicization of the Russian car market: 18% of respondents. Of these, 11% believe that these cars are inferior in quality to analogues from Korea, Japan or Europe. Another 7% noted that "Chinese" cars break down more often, it is unsafe to drive them, and it is unprofitable to maintain them.
According to Rosgosstrakh, the number of CASCO contracts concluded in 2023 with owners of cars from China increased by 236% compared to 2022. As the portfolio changes, the number of insurance cases for such cars is also growing: in 2022–2023, it increased fourfold. The average payout for repairing such cars has also increased.
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