22 October 2026
The Russian vehicle fleet is gradually aging, and used cars are moving from large cities to the regions as prices fall. The domestic market is moving toward a “Cuban scenario,” in which cars are used for decades, said Mikhail Matovnikov, Senior Managing Director and Head of Financial Analytics at Sberbank, at the Strategic Automotive Industry Forum, according to RBC. When asked whether such a model could emerge in Russia by 2030, he replied, “In a sense, we’re already there.”
After the Cuban Revolution of 1959 and the US trade embargo, supplies of American cars and parts to the island virtually ceased. Owners were forced to spend decades repairing cars manufactured as early as the 1950s. Later, Soviet-made cars became widespread in Cuba.
The Russian version of this model, according to Matovnikov, is distinguished by the fact that cars are not so much passed on within a single family, but rather moved between regions. New cars, including foreign ones, are primarily sold in major cities, while Russian ones are sold in the Volga region and Central Russia. After they become cheaper on the used market, they are distributed further across the country, he noted. The Far East and Western Russia have developed their own used car import flows. Asian brands play a significant role in the Urals and Siberia, Matovnikov added. He also named the North Caucasus as a major used car market.
As of July 1, 2026, the average age of a passenger car in Russia was 15.4 years, according to Avtostat. By the beginning of the year, 69% of such cars in the country were over ten years old.
After the war in Ukraine began, all global automakers, including Audi, Mercedes , BMW, KIA, Hyundai, Toyota, Mazda , Volkswagen, Renault, and Nissan , left Russia . Apart from AvtoVAZ, GAZ, and UAZ, only Chinese brands remained on the domestic market.
In 2022, new passenger car production in Russia plummeted 67% year-on-year, to 450,000 units, the lowest level since the collapse of the USSR. In 2025, the figure was 673,000. Before the war, annual production was stable in the range of 1.3–1.7 million. From January to August 2026, 507,000 passenger cars were produced in the country. Avtostat forecasts sales for the year to be at last year’s level: 1.33 million.
Cuba is the last stop before the mafia shithole reaches north korea.
Talking of NK. There is a lot of rumours about fat boy going to hell. One can only hope it’s true.