The expert spoke about preferential car loans for families with children

The preferential car loan program for families with children will have a positive impact on the domestic car market, but it will not stop its decline, which has continued since the beginning of the year. Vladmir Kulikov, adviser to the CEO of Mains Lab, told Izvestia about this on April 21.

"The program will definitely have a positive impact on the domestic car market, but it will not be able to save it from the decline that has been going on since the beginning of the year due to lower purchasing power, rising prices for components and general economic instability," he said.

According to Kulikov, in 2022, subsidies contributed to the stabilization of the market, but they could not return it to the level before the crisis. The main problems of the industry, such as the shortage of electronic components, logistical difficulties and the poor quality of individual models, remain relevant and continue to have a negative impact on sales.

He added that for sustainable growth, not only targeted support measures are needed, but also modernization of production, improvement of the model range and restoration of supply chains.

The expert drew attention to the fact that LADA Largus, which could have been a great family car, was not included in the program.

"Due to the increased wheelbase, space for passengers is provided inside. The model has a large trunk (up to 560 liters), the possibility of interior transformation. Due to the absence of cars included in state programs, the attractiveness of the model is reduced," he said.

At the same time, the Moskvich 3 was included in the program, since it has a modern design and a good package, there is enough space in the cabin, although the trunk (380 liters) is smaller than that of the Largus.

According to the expert, the program will include only those foreign brands that assemble cars in Russia with a high degree of localization.

"This means that the manufacturer must use a significant amount of Russian components and technologies, and not just assemble cars from ready—made imported parts," Kulikov summed up.

Last year's snow: new car sales halved in March

Why has the purchasing activity of Russians decreased?

On April 15, it was reported that about a third of Chinese brands in Russia increased their discounts on new cars in the amount of 70-100 thousand rubles to keep up with demand. Some brands offer discounts on cars manufactured in 2024 in the amount of 5-10%, and for unclaimed equipment the discount can reach 15-20%.

On April 4, it became known that sales of new passenger cars in Russia in March 2025 amounted to 79.8 thousand units, which is 45.5% less than in March last year.