Auto expert advised not to buy Chinese cars older than 15 years

When choosing a used Chinese car, first of all, you should avoid models released in the 2000s and early 2010s. This was stated by auto expert Alexander Kovalev, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports on January 14.

According to the expert, it is on such cars that stable stereotypes about the quality of the Chinese automotive industry have been formed. These cars were notorious for poor reliability, poor corrosion resistance, and problems with the availability of body parts. Models of brands such as Lifan, Hawtai, Zotye, Brilliance and others that have left the Russian market should be considered very carefully, he noted.

As for the category of modern cars, according to Kovalev, buyers of brand models that have low sales and unobvious prospects are at risk. He named the Forhing brand as one example.

"Care should also be taken with Livan vehicles. Despite talks about possible localization, the brand has not yet managed to gain a foothold in the market. Cars of the Kaiyi and SWM brands can also be included in this list — having loudly declared themselves at the start, over time they noticeably decreased their activity and practically disappeared from the public field," the auto expert said.

Have you had enough: sales of premium Chinese cars have collapsed in Russia

Why Russians have lost interest in Lixiang, Zeekr, Tank and other luxury models from China

Earlier in the day, it was reported that prices for new passenger cars in Russia have increased by an average of 1.5–3% since January 2026. Dealers predict that cars will continue to rise in price in the first quarter of 2026, adding an average of 5-10%.

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