Lightweight: why pickup truck sales have dropped in Russia
According to the results of the first quarter, despite the small overall growth of the car market, sales of pickups in the Russian Federation fell sharply. Experts attribute this to rising prices for the cars themselves, as well as the specifics of pickups. However, this type of car cannot be discounted: it has good prospects in our market, experts say. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
They went into negative territory
From January to March, 4,233 new pickups were sold in Russia. Such data is provided by the analytical agency Autostat, based on the number of issued EPTS. This is 19.9% less than in the first quarter of 2025, experts say.
The first place and 16% of the market at the end of three months is occupied by JAC (674 cars). This is followed by RAM (631 machines), which is not officially represented on the Russian market. The third place was taken by the domestic Sollers (545 cars), the fourth position by Changan (523 cars). UAZ closes the top five with 510 pickup trucks sold. It is noteworthy that JAC, which is represented in our country by three pickup truck models at once, had the T9 model for the vast majority of sales (647 cars).
At the same time, analysts say, this pickup truck was the leader in its segment only in January. In February and March, the American RAM model took the palm, they emphasize.
— Unlike the JAC T9, the RAM 1500 pickup truck is unofficially present on our market, but in the last two months it has already become the most popular among Russians. Only due to January sales, the Chinese model still holds the title of the bestseller among pickups in the quarter as a whole," said Dmitry Yarygin, deputy head of the analytics department at Autostat.
A special class
The share of pickups in the Russian market, unlike in the USA, the countries of Southeast Asia and the Middle East has always been small, says Igor Morzharetto, partner at Autostat. This is due to the rather specific characteristics of such machines.
— Many consider pickups as an alternative to full-fledged frame SUVs. However, despite the presence of a cargo compartment, in some cases it is easier to transport some goods on a crossover or even an ordinary passenger car. For example, the same boards for the cottage — they just won't fit in the back of a pickup truck, in an ordinary car with the seats spread out," he told Izvestia.
For the "target audience" of pickups — farmers or utility workers — in our country they are often too expensive, notes Igor Morzharetto. Therefore, in Russia, pickup truck buyers are a certain class of consumers, a kind of connoisseurs of this type of car.
The situation with the drop in demand for pickups was predictable, according to Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of Za Rulem magazine. After a certain increase in interest in them last fall, associated with the purchase of such cars instead of SUVs or large crossovers, which rose in price after the introduction of new rules for calculating recycling, there was an expected decline, he explains.
— Most of those who considered a pickup truck as an alternative to an SUV have already bought them. In fact, demand has returned to its usual state," Maxim Kadakov told Izvestia.
Irina Frank, CEO of Frank Auto, has a different point of view. In her opinion, the key reason for the drop in pickup truck sales is the general rise in car prices associated with an increase in recycling fees, higher VAT and inflation.
— The cost of cars is also affected by the costs of parallel imports and currency fluctuations. These factors make buying a new car, especially in the expensive pickup segment, less affordable for consumers," she says.
Changing preferences
Experts call the growth in popularity of the American RAM 1500 supplied exclusively through alternative channels a curious trend in the first quarter in the pickup segment. This pickup truck in Russia has dramatically become fashionable and popular with a certain group of buyers, says Anton Shaparin, vice President of the National Automobile Union.
— This is a conscious choice of people who need a full-size premium frame car. At the same time, traditional SUVs in this segment have become noticeably more expensive. The "frames", which are subject to a lower "cargo" collection, have increased in price not so noticeably. This negates certain inconveniences when owning such equipment, such as the prohibition of traffic in the left lane on roads with three or more lanes, as well as restrictions related to the passage of trucks, which, according to documents, is RAM 1500, " he told Izvestia.
Becoming a leader in its segment of the American pickup truck is an obvious change in customer preferences, Irina Frank notes.
— Contrary to the general downward trend, in February and March of this year, the unofficially supplied RAM 1500 surpassed its "official" competitors for the first time. This indicates that the buyer is increasingly focusing not on the formal criteria of having a dealer, but on the liquidity of the car and the availability of service," she emphasizes.
Are there any prospects for pickups in Russia
Experts' opinions on the future prospects of pickups in Russia differ. According to forecasts by Igor Morzharetto and Maxim Kadakov, this segment of cars will still retain a relatively small market share. Irina Frank, on the contrary, believes that the demand for such machines will not only recover in the medium and long term, but also has serious prerequisites for growth.
— Pickups are no longer purely utilitarian or "premium pampering." These are versatile vehicles that are equally in demand both in the city and outside it, for transporting goods or towing a trailer. The key driver of growth in the future will be the development of small and medium—sized businesses, service services, as well as infrastructure projects in the regions and domestic tourism," said the CEO of Frank Auto.
In her opinion, in the future, competition in the pickup segment will only increase. The demand structure may shift towards models with lower cost of ownership, which will push manufacturers to launch more localized and affordable versions, Irina Frank believes.
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