The share has grown to a record 83 percent from the 65 percent seen in 2012, the audit firm reports. In total, 1.475 million cars were sold last year in Russia. Of these, 255,000 were imported, which is 7 percent lower than in 2016.
Brands such as Kia, Hyundai and Renault are rarely imported to Russia because they have manufacturing plants in the country. All passenger models of Hyundai are locally produced, only the H-1 minibus is imported.
All Russian sales hits of Renault are produced in the country – the Kaptur, Duster, Logan, Sandero and Sandero Stepway models, the representative of the French company said. Kia also produces all its cars locally with the exception of the Picanto model, the company’s website says.
While in the past Russians were skeptical about locally-made foreign cars, the times are changing. Locally-produced cars are cheaper, and have the same quality as imported ones, the director of a Moscow-based car dealer.
