Russian new car market hit 396,000 units in Q3 2026 — ministry

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Sales of new cars in Russia in the third quarter of this year climbed above 396,000 units and increased by 32.3% compared to the first quarter of 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said.

"The new vehicle market in Russia in 2026 is demonstrating positive quarter-on-quarter dynamics. Sales volumes of new cars (up to 3 years old) in the third quarter of 2026 were above 396,000 units, which is 4.2% higher than the figures for the second quarter of this year and 32.3% higher than in the first quarter of 2026," the ministry said.

The trend toward a gradual recovery of the auto market was managed to be strengthened in particular through the implementation of programs stimulating demand for Russia-made vehicles, the ministry noted. Over the past period of this year, 178,200 domestic vehicles were sold on more favorable terms under subsidized car loan and leasing programs.

"In January-September 2026, 1,076,512 new vehicles (up to 3 years old) were sold in the Russian Federation, which is 6.2% more than the figures for January-September last year. The market for domestically produced cars over the 9-month period exceeded 687,000 units, up 23.4% against the indicators for January-September 2025," the ministry said. In September 2026, sales of new vehicles totaled 136,100 units, staying flat against the figure in last September.

The share of Russian-made vehicles based on the results of the first nine months of 2026 grew by 8.9 percentage points compared to the same period last year, reaching 63.8%.

The market in the hybrid and electric vehicle segment for January-September 2026 stood at 99,700 units, which is 94.6% higher on an annualized basis. The share of Russian-made electric vehicles and hybrids was 28.4% (28,319 units), compared to 12.5% in the like period of the last year. "Electric vehicles and hybrids accounted for a 9.3% share of the total new car market over the 9 months of the current year. Last year, this indicator equaled 5.1%," the ministry noted.

Market by Segments

Car sales over the 9-month period grew by 8.8% to 968,000 units, and by 0.1% to 122,100 units in September. The LCV [light commercial vehicle - TASS] market for January-September plunged by 15.8% to 63,500 units, with a 5.3% decline to 8,600 units in this September. Truck sales for the nine months totaled 37,500 units (down 7.3%), and 4,500 units (+2.7%) in September. Bus sales in January-September 2026 dropped by 7.3% to 7,500 units, and by 12.2% in September to 939 units.