The average price of a Russian car has increased by almost a third over the year

In May, the average cost of cars of Russian brands reached 2.03 million rubles - an increase of 30.3% over the year. Changing market structure and localization of Chinese models explain the price increase.

Significant increase in average price

According to researchers at Avto.ru Business, in May 2026, the average cost of cars of Russian brands (including Lada and localized brands) amounted to 2.03 million rubles. This is 30.3% higher than a year ago. Compared to April 2026, the average price decreased slightly - by 0.4%.

Such dynamics reflect structural changes in the market, and not just inflationary factors: there are more and more models with higher prices in the assortment, which pulls the average bill up.

The role of localization of Chinese brands

The key growth factor is the transition of a number of Chinese models to the local category, when cars are assembled in Russia and sold under domestic brands. These models tend to be more expensive than simple mass-produced offerings. As an example, analysts cite the Tenet brand: the starting model Tenet T4 is valued at more than two million rubles, and the T8 model at least 3.48 million.

Thus, a change in the supply structure - washing out the cheapest models and replacing them with more expensive localized models - significantly increases the average price.

Prices for “Chinese” and the overall picture

The average cost of a new Chinese car in May was 4.07 million rubles - an increase of 0.4% month-on-month and 12.4% year-on-year. The growth is explained by the same shift in the supply structure: the departure of cheap models and the strengthening of the share of more expensive and premium crossovers.

At the same time, among the Chinese models presented in Russia, there are those whose average price has decreased. The top 3 in terms of price drop in May included Jaecoo J7 (−3.6%, to 3.19 million rubles), SWM G05 Pro (−2.4%, to 1.91 million) and Jaecoo J6 (−2.3%, to 2.43 million).

Regional price dynamics

Moscow remains the most expensive market for a new car: the average price in the capital exceeded 4 million rubles in May, an increase over the month of 2.7%. Among the regions, the greatest growth was noted in the Ulyanovsk region (+10.9%, up to 2.6 million rubles), Tatarstan (+5.6%) and the Rostov region (+4.5%).

A decrease in the average price occurred in the Belgorod region (−17%, to 1.7 million rubles), Bryansk (−15.3%, to 2.83 million) and the Udmurt Republic (−12.4%, to 2.5 million).

Forecasts and influencing factors

Commercial Director of Auto.ru Daniil Shkurygin estimates that sales of new cars in the summer will remain at last year’s level or show moderate growth. The main limiting factors are credit restrictions and the general macroeconomic situation.

Statistics confirm the recovery in demand: according to the AEB, 110,667 new passenger cars were sold in Russia in May, which is 18% more than May 2025.

Conclusions for the market and manufacturers

An increase in the average price is a signal of market transformation: localization and promotion of more expensive models (including transformed Chinese brands) are changing the structure of supply and the consumer profile. For automakers, this is both an opportunity to increase margins and a challenge to maintain the availability of mass offerings in the face of rising prices. It is more important for buyers to become more attentive to regions, configurations and credit conditions when choosing a new car.