MOSCOW, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Sales of new cars in Russia are expected to rise by 2.5% to 1.4 million units in 2026, the Association of European Businesses (AEB) said on Tuesday.
The weak growth forecast reflects increased valued-add tax (VAT) rates and scrappage fees, and the high level of interest rates, the lobby group said.
Sales of new passenger and light commercial vehicles dropped 17% last year, AEB said. Russian analytical agency Autostat, which covers only passenger car sales, said the market fell 15.6% in 2025.
“The significant decline in the market reflects the difficult situation in the industry, which is experiencing both external pressure in the form of sanctions restrictions and changes in internal regulation,” said Alexey Kalitsev, chairman of AEB’s Automobile Manufacturers Committee.
(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
