10% of dealers may leave the Russian car market by the end of the year.

Up to 10% of car dealers may leave the Russian car market by the end of 2025. Alexey Podshchekoldin, head of the Association of Russian Automobile Dealers (ROAD), told about this at a press conference in Moscow on July 8, the Izvestia correspondent reports.

"The car market is falling, and in these conditions it is very difficult for dealers to maintain margins. In addition, in some cases, car dealerships of the same brand are located literally on neighboring streets and they are forced to compete with each other. Under these conditions, according to our forecasts, the number of dealerships in Russia may decrease by 10% by the end of the year," Podshchekoldin believes.

He added that now the cost of opening one car dealership is about 500 million rubles. However, in the vast majority of cases, this money is taken on credit. Given the current high interest rates on borrowed funds, approximately 70% of dealers who repay these loans operate with zero profitability.

According to the analytical agency Autostat, at the beginning of April 2025, there were 3,082 dealerships in Russia and 4,516 dealer contracts with automobile brands for passenger cars. Over the past year (since April 2024), the number of contracts has increased by 20% (+752 contracts). At the same time, the number of dealerships increased by only 2% (+54 units).

Half for a quarter: new car sales fell by 26% in six months%

The situation on the Russian car market is becoming more and more complicated

Also on this day, Alexey Podshchekoldin said that the share of passenger cars older than 10 years in the Russian fleet has reached 72%. At the current rate of new car sales, in five years, 80% of the fleet will be models older than 10 years, while half of the cars will be older than 20 years, predicts the head of the ROAD.