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- "Where did your Chinese boy go?": premium hybrids from China will receive a guarantee and service
"Where did your Chinese boy go?": premium hybrids from China will receive a guarantee and service
Official sales of Lixiang/Li Auto hybrids will start in Russia in the second quarter of this year, Izvestia found out. Previously, cars of this brand were supplied to our country by alternative routes and, despite the lack of factory warranty and support, they gained some popularity. Lixiang is not the only Chinese premium brand that will soon be legalized in Russia. At the same time, the official status can significantly increase the prices of cars. The details are in the Izvestia article.
When will the first car dealership open?
Sinomach Auto Concern intends to start official deliveries of Lixiang cars to the Russian market. This was reported to Izvestia by a source in the dealer community. According to him, the opening of the first official Lixiang car dealership is planned for the second quarter of this year.
— Active work is currently underway in this direction. The issue of the possibility of providing guarantees for cars that have already been imported into Russia is also being discussed," the source told Izvestia. He also did not rule out that the company will be involved in the certification of Lixiang models for our market.
Earlier it became known that Hyperion Leasing (Tianjin), a subsidiary of Sinomach Auto, began searching for employees in Russia to manage the brand. On the Internet, you can find vacancies for the Lixiang (Li Auto) brand: lawyer, PR manager and warranty manager.
Sinomach Auto entered the Russian market in 2023 and, in addition to Oting SUVs (supplied from the Zhengzhou Nissan factory), is the general distributor and importer of Rox hybrid SUVs. Currently, the dealer network of Oting and Rox in Russia includes more than 40 enterprises.
What other brands will come to Russia officially
The Sinomach concern also announced the start of global export and trade cooperation with Xiaomi Auto, whose cars are also planned to be introduced to the Russian market.
So far, very few Chinese premium brands of electric vehicles and hybrids have been officially introduced in Russia. In addition to the mentioned Rox, these are Aito/Seres, Wey and Voyah, the latter has already managed to assemble its cars in Russia. Official sales of Exlantix hybrids and electric vehicles will start soon.
There is a possibility that the Zeekr electric car brand (owned by Geely) will also be legalized in the Russian market. According to one version, the distributor of Belgee and Knewstar, Slava Motors Rus, will sell Zikr. Moreover, under the new Nordcross brand, not only Zeekr, but also Lotus and Lynk&Co. will be presented in our country. Anyway, the domain names Nordcross-Zeekr, Nordcross-Lynkco, and Nordcross-Lotus are registered on Slava Motor Rus. According to another version, the same Sinomach concern is negotiating the distribution of Zeekr.
Sales won't grow much
From 2022 to 2025, according to the analytical agency Autostat, the total sales of Lixiang cars in Russia amounted to 29.6 thousand. Of this amount, 46.5% of imports accounted for the L7 model, and another 40.4% for the L9.
At the beginning of 2025, sales of "Excess" imported through alternative channels collapsed. While 2,691 hybrids were sold in February last year, only 692 were sold in February 2025. The reason is also a twenty-fold increase in recycling rates from January 1, 2025, experts believe.
Despite the release of "official" cars, the import of "alternative" cars will not disappear anywhere, says Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of Za Rulem.
— Obviously, there will be no doubling of Lixiang sales with their official status. If the current economic conditions continue, the total sales of cars of this brand may increase by 15-20% compared to the current level, the expert believes.
"Lisyan" will be appreciated more expensive
At the same time, with the official status of Lixiang, they may become more expensive. As practice shows, the transition of cars from the category of "gray" to the status of "official" inevitably affects their price, Maxim Kadakov notes.
— Avatr or Sere s are examples of this. Now it is difficult to say exactly how much the official Lixiang will become more expensive than those that are currently supplied through alternative channels. I don't think the increase will be more than 10%. Actually, this difference includes the official warranty for the car, its certification and Russification," Kadakov said.
The official release of a brand is always associated with additional costs. These include certification (OTTS), customs duties, logistics, the creation of a service network and warranty obligations, Irina Frank said. This could lead to an estimated price increase of 15-30% compared to current offers through parallel imports.
— If the Lixiang L9 currently costs about 8-9 million rubles in Russia, its official price may reach 9.5–11 million rubles. However, the final cost will depend on the brand's positioning and market strategy," says CEO Frank Auto.
Igor Morzharetto, partner of Autostat, did not rule out that the "official" cars would cost as much as the "gray" ones, and perhaps even cheaper.
— It is clear that certification, Russification, warranty and the possibility of corporate service are not free. But the cars currently supplied through alternative channels are initially purchased from a local Chinese dealer, who obviously also puts his margin into the price. The "official" cars will be delivered directly from the factory on completely different, more attractive terms for the importer. Also, do not forget about the logistical costs: in terms of one unit, these costs for a batch of 100-200 vehicles will be noticeably lower than by ten," Igor Morzharetto believes.
What are the advantages of "official" cars?
A possible increase in price saves the owner the trouble of finding spare parts and services for repairs or maintenance, experts say.
— Of course, Lixiang in our country has long learned how to maintain and repair. But there are quite a large number of people who do not want to bother their heads about where to give the car for maintenance and where to purchase the necessary part: there is an official dealer — I will buy a car from him, I will be serviced from him, — Maxim Kadakov noted.
The advantages of this approach are obvious, Igor Morzharetto believes. In addition to the company's warranty, this is the absence of potential risks of blocking the car or parts of its systems, as well as normal Russification.
The status of an official dealer will strengthen trust in the brand and compensate for the effect of the price increase, Irina Frank is sure. She expects demand to stabilize, especially if Lixiang offers competitive lending terms or loyalty programs.
— Customers will have access to official warranty programs and service centers, which will eliminate or minimize the risks of poor-quality repairs. The cars will comply with Russian safety and environmental standards, and will also receive a remote control system without restrictions. Do not forget about access to original spare parts, software updates and the brand ecosystem. For example, integration with mobile applications. In addition, the official status will reduce the currency and logistical risks that currently affect prices for parallel imports," Irina Frank said.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
