The expert listed the scarce cars from alternative imports

The list of scarce car brand models that are not officially represented in Russia is growing every month. At the same time, we are talking not only about premium cars, but also about many mass-produced cars. Irina Frank, CEO of Frank Auto, told about this on May 19.

According to her, there is an acute shortage of some European and Japanese cars, which are still in high demand, but whose supplies are limited. For example, these are BMW X3, X1 and X2 crossovers, as well as Audi Q3 and Lexus RX 300. Although they are actively imported according to alternative import schemes, however, their supply is limited, and it is difficult to find the right equipment, the specialist shared.

"Some Chinese brands are rapidly increasing their share, and their models are not causing a stir. But there are also those for which the demand is simply huge. I'm talking about models such as the Zeekr 8X, the recently released Zeekr 9X, the Voyah Taishan seven—seat crossover, as well as the XPeng G9, Aito M9, Lync&Co 900 and Nio ES8," Rossiyskaya Gazeta quoted Frank as saying.

The expert noted that many customers are willing to wait, but supplies are often limited. Buying a car under the alternative import scheme "increasingly resembles a rarity hunt," and the keywords of the new market reality are "scarcity" and "pre-order," Frank added.

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Earlier in the day, it was reported that sales of new Honda passenger cars in Russia increased 4.5 times in the first four months of 2026. And sales of new Skoda cars over the same period were three times higher than in the same period last year. Both brands are not officially represented in the Russian Federation.