Prices for new cars in Russia rose across the market at the start of 2026 as automakers moved to offset higher taxes and recycling fees, industry analysts said.
Manufacturers including Lada, Moskvich, UAZ, Belgee, Solaris, Omoda, Tenet and Tank have revised price lists in January, said Sergei Tselikov, CEO of analytics firm Avtostat.
Six additional brands raised prices in the final days of 2025, auto market analyst Oleg Moseyev said.
China’s Chery increased prices on all 2024-2025 models late last year by 45,000-90,000 rubles ($558-$1,116), or about 2-3%, Moseyev said, calling higher prices an inevitable long-term trend.
AvtoVAZ said it would index prices by an average of 0.5%. The slow-selling Lada Aura will drop 14% to 2.245 million rubles ($27,838), while the Lada Largus van will fall 4% to 1.587 million rubles ($19,679).
At the same time, prices for top sellers including Lada Granta, Iskra and Niva will rise by nearly 2%, while Lada Vesta prices will increase by up to 1% depending on configuration.
So far, prices have increased by about 2-4%, or 40,000-80,000 rubles ($496-$992), but further monthly increases are likely, Tselikov said.
If the ruble remains stable, automakers are expected to pass on the impact of a value-added tax increase to 22% from 20% in January, as well as higher recycling fees.
Preferential rates for vehicles above 160 horsepower were scrapped in December and fees were raised by 10-20% from January.
Tselikov estimates prices could rise by 5-6% over the next three months.
Higher prices are expected to weigh on sales after strong late-2025 demand, when buyers rushed to purchase cars before increases took effect.
Russia sold 1.3 million new passenger cars in 2025, down 15% from the previous year, the Industry and Trade Ministry said.
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