Market scenes: Chinese cars rise in price more slowly than others
Chinese—made passenger cars are the only ones on the Russian market whose prices are rising at the lowest rate, dealers and insurers told Izvestia. The cost of new cars from China is stable, and the cost of used cars is decreasing altogether. Dealers have to sell the first ones at big discounts due to the fact that they have a lot of cars in their warehouses, and the second ones are not among the top 10 cars with mileage desired by Russians, analysts say. About how prices for used and new cars change — in the material of Izvestia.
What are the prices for used cars?
Passenger cars of brands from China are becoming more expensive the slowest in the secondary car market, insurance companies and dealerships told Izvestia. On average, for all brands, from January 2024 to March 2025, prices for used cars increased by 4.7%, and only the "Chinese" with mileage saw a 7.5% decrease in cost, according to data from Renaissance Insurance Group.
The majority of Chinese used cars are those with an average age of up to two years, said Andrey Grishakov, director of the Department of used cars at Avtodom Group and Avtospeccenter Group.
— Such machines have flooded the market, because of this, the most significant loss in value is observed. It is conditioned by the competition of this segment with new cars from Chinese manufacturers," he added.
In addition, used vehicles from Chinese manufacturers are significantly losing in price due to falling demand and the end of the factory's warranty, said Artem Yakovlev, director of Ingosstrakh's Casco domain.
"The infrastructure for servicing such machines has not yet fully developed, and a number of representatives of the Chinese automotive industry are experiencing problems with the reliability of individual components and assemblies," the expert explained. — Buyers are more inclined to purchase vehicles with mileage from manufacturers in other countries, for most of which, despite the restrictions, there are spare parts and specialists who can provide qualified service.
According to Avito Auto, the average price of a used car in Russia in the first quarter of 2025 was 845 thousand rubles, remaining at the level of the same period in 2024. Korean brands have become noticeably more affordable among the brands: Hyundai has lost 8% of its value compared to last year, Kia — 7.1%.
Among the models popular on the secondary market, the most noticeably decreased the cost of Hyundai Solaris, Toyota Camry and LADA Kalina, as well as Ford Focus and LADA Granta. The "Chinese" did not enter the top 10 cars with mileage.
Hyundai Solaris car in the parking lot
Prices for used cars from the USA and Germany rose the most, Renaissance added. German cars became especially more expensive — by 12.4%. Cars from Sweden, Japan and the United Kingdom also entered the top 5 in terms of the dynamics of value increase in the Russian secondary market. For example, the price of a Mercedes-Benz E increased by half a million to 4.7 million rubles.
The cost of used domestic cars remained almost unchanged, with an increase of less than one percent (0.8%). Prices for Korean cars also demonstrated relative stability — their cost increased by 1.3%.
Moskvich 3 cars
According to Pavel Yakovlev, senior product manager of the retail insurance department of RESO-Garantia, the peak of price growth for supported vehicles was passed last year. Back then, used cars became more expensive after new ones.
New car Market
The demand for new cars is decreasing this year, experts noted. Their retail price is rising, but dealers from among the brands that officially operate in Russia are now offering attractive conditions for the remainder of 2024, the Rosgosstrakh press service reported.
— They also give discounts on condition of purchase on credit and the use of a trade-in program, — they said. — This is a temporary period, while the cars of the previous year of production remain in warehouses.
Dealership operation
A decrease in consumer activity leads to an inevitable decrease in the cost of used cars and an increase in discounting from retail value, Andrey Grishakov confirmed.
"At the moment, consumer activity is not expected to increase until the fall, and therefore the cost of the main market segments will decrease," he said.
Thus, the average price of a new car in the first quarter of 2025, according to Avito Auto, remained virtually unchanged compared to the same period last year and amounted to 2.9 million rubles. Among the brands, the domestic Moskvich has fallen in price most noticeably (-14.7%). The Chinese brand Omoda is in second place (-4%).
Omoda Cars
Despite the decline in sales in April 2025, demand for intercity car carriers increased in Russia by 11%, the press service of Avito Services reported. Against this background, the number of performers offering transportation of cars between cities has more than doubled compared to April 2024 - by 153%.
— More and more Russians are using the service of moving cars within the city, especially when buying a car on the secondary market or when there is no time for an independent trip. Demand for urban haulage increased by 84% compared to April last year and by 44% over the month. The service is becoming more and more in demand in megacities and large regional centers. The average cost of transporting a car around the city starts from 5-10 thousand rubles, they added.
Why are the "Chinese" getting cheaper
Some dealers who sell Chinese cars have filled their warehouses with cars, including before the increase in recycling in the fall and from the New Year, so now they are trying to sell them at the old prices, Alexey Ivanov, owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network, told Izvestia.
"But dealers are facing a lack of demand," the expert said. — In part, the decrease in interest by almost a quarter is explained by the optimistic mood of consumers regarding the return of Western brands. However, this year it is unlikely. And since new cars are arriving, the old ones have to be sold at the expense of profits.
Chinese cars of the Haval and Changan brands
The low cost of fresh models, according to the expert, is explained by the strengthening of the ruble not only against the dollar, but also against other world currencies.
— In this situation, the policy of the People's Bank of China helps the Russian consumer, which, in the face of protective duties imposed by China and the United States, lowered the exchange rate of the national currency in order to partially offset the effect of the trade war, — said Alexey Ivanov.
In addition, some Chinese brands may withdraw from the Russian market due to the competition lost to their own compatriots.
"Sales are low, warehouses are clogged, dealerships are actually idle and do not pay for themselves," he added. — In contrast to these trends, there are also price growth factors. In particular, inflation.
Experts believe that in 2025, it is highly likely that the cost of both new and used cars will increase further. This is due to plans to increase recycling and tighten control over the rules for the import of cars for parallel imports, in particular through the use of preferential schemes.
— We do not predict a significant drop in prices. It is worth focusing on the impact of the change in customs clearance rules introduced on May 1, as this will mean an additional increase in cost for a number of vehicles," said Artem Yakovlev from Ingosstrakh.
According to experts, the increase in the cost of cars in 2025 may amount to 10-15%.
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