We are parallel: sales of premium cars from the EU and the USA have grown in Russia
Despite the global decline in demand for premium German cars, sales of such cars supplied to Russia through alternative channels have increased significantly. Interest in expensive brands from the USA and Japan has also increased. Some brands and models even surpassed the results shown in the pre-sanctions period. Izvestia found out which cars from unfriendly countries are still popular among consumers in Russia.
Fall and rise
According to the results of last year, the world sales of the "German automobile troika" decreased, according to "Autoreview". Thus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz sold 4% fewer cars in 2024 than in 2023. At Audi the situation is even worse: the decrease in sales amounted to almost 12%. Against this background, Russian buyers are showing increased interest in some premium car brands from Germany, other EU countries, as well as the USA and Japan.
According to Avtostat-Info, Russians bought 11,755 new BMW cars last year, which is 30.3% more than in 2023. It should be noted that at the end of last year the management of the Bavarian automaker fired employees who were involved in the delivery of a batch of only 100 BMW cars to Russia.
At Mercedes-Benz the increase is not so noticeable: only 1.7% (6,984 cars). At the same time, over the past year Russians bought more than 2 thousand new sports cars and SUVs Porsche (+15.6%). Sports crossovers and supercars Lamborghini found 150 owners in Russia (+32.7%), sales of Rolls-Royce increased by 74.7% (one hundred and fifty cars of the British brand were sold). Land Rover and Bentley sold 2,336 and 175 cars respectively (+12.8% and 19.9%).
However, some premium car brands from unfriendly countries saw their car sales in Russia decline. For example, Jaguar "fell" by 30.9%, Cadillac - by 28.1%, and Audi by 13.4%. Nevertheless, last year Russians bought almost fifty Cadillacs and more than 3600 Audis. The number of Jaguars sold did not exceed seven dozen.
Personal scoring
As three years ago, domestic consumers of luxury on wheels prefer crossovers and full-size SUVs. Thus, the most popular BMW models in the Russian Federation were X5 (almost 2,700 units) and X7 SUVs (a little more than two thousand). Among Mercedes, GLS (1500 cars) and Gelendvagen (1300 cars) did well. Among the Cadillacs, the Escalade was the most popular (425 cars). Even at Porsche more than a half of the cars sold last year in Russia were Cayenne crossovers (1400 cars). Toyota's Camry sedans (5,800 cars) and Land Cruiser SUVs (2,400 cars) were traditionally in high demand.
Sanctions are not a problem
Despite the sanctions, including the ban on importing certain cars into our country, some models showed literally explosive growth in sales. For example, a full-size American pickup truck Dodge Ram in 2021 sold 422 vehicles in our country. And at the end of last year, 1662 such cars were sold. A similar picture for another "American": sales of Ford F-series pickup trucks in 2021 amounted to only 55 units, and in 2024 they increased to 118 units.
According to the director of retail sales of AG "Avilon" Ilya Petrov, the growth of Dodge Ram sales is due to the popularity of powerful and fast cars. As a rule, for buyers Dodge Ram becomes another "toy" in the collection, he notes.
Moreover, some automobile brands (not only premium ones) in 2024 showed better results than in 2021. So the brand Honda, despite the statements about the suspension of activities in Russia, in 2024 showed a 100-percent growth compared to the previous year. 2,733 cars of the Japanese brand were registered. For comparison, in 2021 Honda sold only 1,550 cars. Ford cars last year found 396 Russian buyers, while in 2021, together with "gray" imports, only 249 cars were sold. The reason for the growth was the Bronco SUV - 131 pieces.
"Superfluous" representations
The results of sales of premium European, Japanese and American cars show that the representative offices of these companies in our country, in fact, is not really needed, says the vice-president of the National Automobile Union Anton Shaparin. According to him, the models of the departed brands are selling well in Russia, even despite the lack of official marketing support.
- People are ready to buy and buy these cars, despite the lack of branded warranty, certain difficulties with their service and maintenance. Moreover, buyers are even willing to put up with "gray" and "black" schemes of import and customs clearance, potentially risking to receive from the fiscal authorities demands for additional payment of duty, duty collection or other mandatory payments, - he told "Izvestia".
I want a Mercedes!
Premium cars have always been in high demand in Russia due to their quality, status and technology, according to Irina Frank, Managing Director of Frank Auto. According to her, the demand for familiar brands will always remain at a high level, even despite the "invasion" of not so well-known Chinese brands.
- It is a matter of people's habits. For example, many people go to see only one dentist or manicurist because they feel more comfortable and confident with a familiar specialist. It is the same with car brands: for many people it is more familiar to drive a Mercedes-Benz than a similar Hongqi," said Irina Frank.
The more prestigious and premium a car is, the more the owner's attachment to the brand manifests itself, notes Igor Morzharetto, partner of the Avtostat analytical agency.
- A person who has been driving a Mercedes-Benz or Rolls-Royce for the last 15-20 years will still buy a new Mercedes-Benz or Rolls-Royce next time. He is used to them and it does not matter to him whether it costs 10 million or 30 million. In the premium and luxury segment, a car is not just a car. It is an indicator of status, which must be met. That is why there will always be demand for these cars in Russia, no matter what," Igor Morzharetto emphasized.
Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of Za Rulem magazine, also believes that in this class of cars the price level is not a determining factor for buyers. Besides, there is simply no alternative to some models.
- There is no Chinese Ferrari or Lamborghini, they are only Italian. And if a person wants exactly these sports cars, he will buy them, regardless of any sanctions, difficulties with logistics and other factors, - said Maxim Kadakov.
Ilya Petrov, Director of Retail Sales at Avilon AG, believes that the demand for premium European and American cars is still there. There is a category of conservative buyers who do not want to change their habits regarding car brands, despite their significant price increases and the difficulties associated with alternative imports, he believes.
China is still only catching up
While in 2021 the Russian premium segment was led by BMW (46,106 units), Mercedes (39,363 units) and Lexus (19,024 units), according to the results of 2024, these are brands from China. The top three are as follows: Exeed (41,082 units), Tank (28,615 units) and Lixiang (23,347 units). While the former showed a slight decline in 2024 (minus 3%), the other two showed a significant growth of 118% and 395% respectively. It should be noted that Lixiang is not officially represented in Russia. The Chinese have also penetrated into "heavy luxury": according to the results of last year, 161 BYD Yangwang U8 super SUVs were registered. Now such cars cost 17.6-25 million rubles.
According to Irina Frank, we will annually observe an increase in the share of "Chinese" in the premium segment of the market. At least, in the absence of official representative offices of American and European automakers in Russia. However, she believes that luxury cars from China will not be able to completely replace premium models from Europe or the USA.
- There will always be adherents of Western brands. Some drivers simply will not get behind the wheel of a car without a BMW nameplate. And there is nothing wrong with that: everyone has different preferences and tastes," says the expert.
Chinese premium cars have not yet been able to completely displace European and American competitors, but the expansion of Chinese brands continues, says Ilya Petrov.
- The speed at which Chinese automakers launch new products and their growing technological sophistication are impressive. Therefore, the number of adherents of traditional European brands is likely to decrease over time," he believes.
