The auto expert called the consequences of the return of foreign brands to the Russian Federation

If foreign car brands that previously operated in Russia return to the country's market, then you should not expect lower prices for cars. When imported, the cost of cars will be significantly higher than it was two or three years ago. Daniil Shkurygin, Commercial Director of <url>, shared this opinion with Izvestia on March 25.

In addition to inflation, the main reason is the recycling fee, which will inevitably affect the final cost of the car for the consumer. Moreover, this fee will be indexed annually until 2030, the expert explained.

"The recycling fee is not paid by companies that have localized production in Russia. However, if it really comes to the purchase of production facilities, the organization of the process implies significant time costs. The buyout deal, logistics setup, purchase of materials and creation of infrastructure will require at least a year," the source said.

Thus, given that there are no specific decisions on the return of foreign car brands yet and it is unknown whether they will be taken in the near future, China will remain the main supplier of cars to the Russian market for at least another couple of years. Given the volatility of the geopolitical situation, it is likely that it will take longer, the expert believes.

However, manufacturers are already offering favorable conditions for buying a car against the background of high competition between Chinese brands present in the Russian market. In conditions of high key interest rates, some companies offer subsidized car loan programs, which also makes the purchase conditions more attractive to consumers, Shkurygin said.

"Since 2022, we have accumulated significant experience in operating Chinese cars, including under heavy load conditions, for example, in taxi or carsharing. It was also possible to significantly improve the situation with the operation of Chinese cars at low temperatures. For example, according to the results of last year's <url> survey, 74% of Chinese car owners are satisfied with the operation of their cars in winter. If the brands that left will return to the market in the foreseeable future, many models from China will be able to compete with them," he said.

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Earlier, on March 13, airline dealers said that rumors about the possible return of departed car brands disorient customers and arouse false hopes through nostalgia about returning "as it was before." There are no prerequisites for the return of the departed car brands in 2025. None of the big players will return until most of the sanctions on the car business are lifted, they are sure.