Subject to revision: Chinese automakers lower prices
Automakers from China have begun to reduce the prices of their products for Russia, which is reflected in the price lists of dealers. Izvestia investigated how economically beneficial this is for sellers and whether potential buyers should run to the salons.
Mass dumping
According to Oleg Moseev, president of the Russian Automobile Dealers Association, Chinese car brands massively update information in price lists. However, most of them compensate for the price reduction by canceling previously valid discounts on the same models or trim levels. At the same time, the price adjustment process is volatile.
So, according to the agency "Autostat", during June, prices for new cars changed several times. Following the results of the first half of the month, the brands Chery, GAC, Haval, ROX, Solaris, Sollers and SWM revised their pricing policy towards lower prices.
According to Alexander Starovoitov, former deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Transport, the depreciation of the Chinese currency against the ruble played an important role in this.
— The yuan reached the level of almost 15 rubles back in 2024, and in June 2025 it is trading within 11 rubles. The difference of 37% could not but affect the cost of goods, the expert believes.
According to the Autostat agency, in the first half of 2025, 291.6 thousand new passenger cars of Chinese brands were sold in Russia (55% of the total market volume). Compared to the same period of the previous year, sales of "Chinese" decreased by 30%, Azat Timerkhanov, head of the press service of the Autostat analytical agency, told Izvestia.
— The top 5 Chinese brands include Haval, Chery, Geely, Changan and Jetour. Sales in the first four of the five decreased by 21.5%, 22.6%, 48.5% and 38.5% respectively in the first half of the year. Only the Jetour brand increased sales by 8.5%, which is explained, in particular, by the effect of a low base. Of the other "failed" sales, we note Exeed — 8th place in sales in the Russian Federation (minus 57.2%)," the expert said.
Fighting for the client
Most of the experts surveyed believe that marketing considerations were primarily the reason for the formal price reduction actions. The main task of both large and small brands is to increase their market share.
— The profit from the sale is not the main thing. The market is being captured through the sale of spare parts and the opening of a network of its dealerships," says Alexander Starovoitov.
Marketing expert Sergey Fedulov described the demand for cars in Russia as stagnant, varying from region to region.
— Despite the discounts, the cost of a car for consumers is still quite high, including due to duties, recycling and high loan rates. And besides, a price reduction is significant for a potential customer, but not the only significant one. The choice is influenced by the brand, reputation, trust, and service," he says.
According to the marketer, both Chinese and domestic companies are forced to work on strengthening their activities in the fight for the client.
— As a result, attracting customers becomes more expensive, and the transaction cycle becomes longer. At the same time, it is important to maintain the sales economy so that the company continues to earn, rather than operating at zero or minus," he said.
In relation to the domestic automotive industry, various support programs for the purchase of vehicles play an important role in pricing, Alexander Starovoitov believes.
— AvtoVAZ will have a hard time. They are not as agile as Chinese brands. The only possible protection for our manufacturers may be additional barriers in the form of increased duties and tightening the screws on regulations governing, for example, taxis," he says.
Competition and calculation
The decrease in prices for new cars of the main Chinese car brands represented in Russia is a result of competition not only between Chinese brands, but also with used cars of brands that have left Russia, as well as Chinese brands that enter the secondary market after the warranty period, says the head of the Industry department at the Institute of Oil and Gas Technologies. Olga Orlova.
— The cost of cars in the primary market is decreasing after the secondary market by 4-7%, this is an all-Russian trend. "The Chinese, who have been in operation for only a year, leave the secondary market at half the cost of a new car — this is a pleasant argument in favor of buying a Chinese car with their own hands," she says.
At the same time, the car fleet in Russia as a whole is aging. According to Autostat, if in 2017 the average age of a car in the Russian Federation was 12-13 years, now it is 15.5 years.
— The main reason is the unavailability of car loans (macroprudential limits are now also in effect for secured loans) and cars to their liking (many car owners are principled "ambassadors" of their favorite brands). The situation will not change much before a significant reduction in the key interest rate and, as a result, acceptable loan rates," Olga Orlova believes.
The press service of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, at the request of Izvestia, recommended contacting car dealers and automakers directly. Representatives of AvtoVAZ, Haval, Geely Motors, as well as dealers of Motor Invest, Avilon, Avtomir, Major Auto, Favorit Motors and others did not respond.
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