Over the past 12 years, car prices in Russia have more than tripled, writes Sergey Tselikov, general director of the analytical company “Autostat”. He reminds that sanctions against Russia began to be introduced already in 2014, and at the end of the same year the ruble was devalued. The second period of rapid price increases was the pandemic in 2020–2021. Back then, disruptions in global supply chains led to car shortages around the world.
The outbreak of Russia's war in Ukraine in 2022 has become the third stage of growth. According to him, it led to a radical change in the market structure. Supplies of brands well-known in Russia have been suspended and the remaining items have skyrocketed in price. Their place was taken by more accessible Chinese models.
Currently, the average price of a new car is 3.79 million rubles (almost PLN 184,000), while in 2014 it was 1.2 million rubles (PLN 58,000). Over the course of 12 years, new car prices have more than tripled, or by 216%. Celikow explains that the calculations were based on average prices from three advertising websites.
During the same period, used car prices increased by the same amount – 210%. According to the expert price dynamics on the secondary market repeats the prices of new cars with a delay of up to one and a half years.
Over the last two years, prices for new and used cars have stabilized. According to Celikov, the market has approached the limit at which price increases encounter a barrier in the form of purchasing power.
Another impulse for price increases will be another devaluation of the ruble. Because the currency component in the price of a car is very high. Even in cars assembled in Russia. However, in the current situation, the ruble is as strong as ever
– he emphasizes.
Last year, Celikov also calculated that since the end of 2021, the prices of the main “AvtoVAZ” models have increased by an average of 72%, and the prices of Chinese brands in Russia have doubled. This is twice as much as the cumulative inflation in the same period (36%).
As the president of the association “Russian car dealers” Alexei Podshekoldin notes, a new car is becoming less and less accessible to society: if in 2014 30 average salaries were enough to buy one, now it takes more than 40. According to the association's forecast, by 2030 new cars may be available only to 5-7 percent. society.
