Global automakers regain 15% of Russia’s new-car market in July

Global brands return toward February peak

Global automotive brands accounted for 15% of Russia’s new passenger-car sales in July, according to figures reported by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The category, which excludes brands from Russia, China and Belarus, delivered 18,300 vehicles out of total monthly sales of 122,000 units.

The result marked a reversal after the segment’s share weakened during the spring. Sergey Tselikov, head of the Autostat analytical agency, said the category had reached a record 15.9% in February before losing ground. Its share remained within a range of 12% to 14% between April and June, but July’s increase interrupted that decline.

The latest figures show that automakers outside the Russian-Chinese core of the market have retained access to a substantial group of buyers despite sanctions and the restructuring of official distribution networks. The July share was close to the February record, although the number of vehicles sold still represented a minority of the overall market.

Share more than doubles from 2025

The recovery is particularly pronounced in comparison with the previous year. During January-July 2025, global brands represented only 6.5% of Russia’s new-car market, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported. The current share is therefore more than twice that level, indicating that alternative supply channels have become a larger component of the country’s vehicle business.

Tselikov linked the increase to sustained consumer interest in alternative vehicle supplies. He said not all Russian customers wanted products made by the Russian-Chinese automotive industry. That preference is supporting demand for international marques even where their former sales and distribution arrangements have changed.

Japanese brands are the largest part of this segment, with an 8.2% market share. German manufacturers follow at 4.3%, while Korean brands account for 1.6%. Together, those three groups represent 14.1% of the market, covering most of the 15% attributed to global brands in July.

Alternative supply remains commercially relevant

The nationality breakdown matters for dealers, logistics providers and vehicle importers because it identifies where Russian demand remains strongest outside domestic and Chinese brands. Japanese marques alone hold more than half of the global-brand segment’s total market share. German vehicles form the second-largest pool, while Korean manufacturers maintain a smaller presence.

The figures also suggest that brand preference continues to influence purchasing decisions alongside availability. A 15% share gives sellers of global marques a meaningful customer base, while the gap from February’s 15.9% record shows that the segment is operating near its post-sanctions high rather than setting a new peak.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta separately reported that Russian new-car sales increased by 12.2% over the first seven months. Against that expanding market, the rise in the global-brand share indicates that the category’s recovery is not solely the result of contraction elsewhere. For market participants, the next test will be whether the July improvement can be sustained beyond a single month and whether Japanese, German and Korean brands can preserve their respective positions.