Russian car market returns to normal after summer discounts

The Russian car market is gradually returning to normal: discount programs for new cars are being reduced, and prices continue to rise. Since the beginning of summer, the increase in price has amounted to 1% to 10%, depending on the model, dealers and industry experts note.

In the summer, discounts were actively used to stimulate sales, recalls the Association "Russian Automobile Dealers" (ROAD). Now the market is stabilizing: the cost price, logistics costs and exchange rate fluctuations are growing, and a revision of the calculation of the recycling fee has also been announced. This led to a reduction in discounts of 30–170 thousand rubles and a decrease in the activity of manufacturers: more than 70% of companies limited or completely canceled discounts on individual models, including Lada and Geely.

According to experts, the abolition of discounts affected prices: by September, relative to the beginning of summer, they increased by an average of 3–10%. Logistics, exchange rate fluctuations and upcoming changes in the calculation of the recycling fee are additionally putting pressure on price tags. Electric vehicles and hybrids will become more expensive than other segments.

Demand for new cars continues to recover: according to Avtostat, sales for the last week of September reached a record 32.3 thousand cars since the beginning of 2025. It is predicted that until the end of the year, the growth in prices will be gradual — approximately 1–2% per month. A sharp jump is possible only with strong exchange rate fluctuations or changes in parallel imports.

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