Charted: The Most Popular Car Brands in Russia
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Key Takeaways
- LADA is the most popular car brand in Russia, with nearly one-third share, far ahead of any competitor.
- However, Chinese automakers collectively hold the majority of the market, accounting for over 40% of total sales.
Russia’s car market has undergone a significant transformation in recent years.
Following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Western brands like Ford, Volkswagen, and Renault exited the Russian market, leaving a supply gap that is being filled by domestic and Chinese automakers.
In this chart, we show the most popular car brands in Russia by market share, as of 2023.
Data & Discussion
The data for this visualization comes from RMAA. Note that this page has been updated since the creation of the above graphic.
| Rank | Brand | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  LADA |
30.7% |
| 2 |  Chery |
11.2% |
| 3 | Haval |
10.6% |
| 4 | Geely |
8.8% |
| 5 | Changan |
4.5% |
| 6 | EXEED |
4.0% |
| 7 | OMODA |
4.0% |
| 8 |  Kia |
3.2% |
| 9 | Hyundai |
2.3% |
| 10 |  Toyota |
2.2% |
| Other | 18.5% |
LADA is Russia’s Most Popular Car Brand
LADA is Russia’s top car brand with 30.7% of the market, benefiting from local manufacturing, affordability, and wide distribution.
The company is known for making affordable, simple vehicles designed to handle Russia’s harsh road and weather conditions. Its parent company is AvtoVAZ, which is majority-owned by the Russian state through Rostec.
LADA found success in Western Europe during the 1970s-1980s with models like the Niva, a small 4×4 off-roader. Though the company withdrew from the market in the 1990s, newer models could still be imported into the EU.
Unfortunately, according to a 2023 article by Autocar, imports of the Lada Niva to the UK have been halted due to sanctions.
The Rise of Chinese Automakers
Based on this dataset, Chinese brands account for over 40% of Russia’s car sales. Brands like Chery, Haval, and Geely have stormed the market, offering modern vehicles at incredibly competitive prices.
This momentum has drawn the ire of the Russian government, which recently imposed higher import duties on Chinese-made cars.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
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