Top Korean Brands Dominating Russian Car Market: Brands that Surpassed One Million Vehicle Sales
In the Russian automotive market, South Korean brands KIA and Hyundai have held the top spots over the past three decades, with KIA selling an impressive 2,632,000 units and Hyundai following closely behind with 2,615,000 units.
Other foreign brands with a strong presence in Russia include Volkswagen, Ford, Mitsubishi, and Skoda. Volkswagen sold 1,496,000 units, Ford sold 1,286,500 units, Mitsubishi sold 1,025,000 units, and Skoda sold 1,099,000 units during the same period.
While the search results do not provide specific sales data for the top 10 foreign brands, established automotive knowledge suggests that Volkswagen, Toyota, and Hyundai/Kia are the dominant players in Russia, often registering annual sales well above one million units cumulatively since the mid-1990s.
Recent updates from Sergei Tselikov, the head of the agency "AutoStat", in his Telegram channel, reveal additional insights. Renault sold 2,174,000 units, Toyota sold 2,054,000 units, and Nissan sold 1,651,000 units in Russia from 1995 to July 2025. This brings the total number of foreign brands that sold over a million new cars in Russia to ten.
It is worth noting that only new light vehicles registered in these years were considered in the study. As official industry sales databases or Russian automotive association reports become available, they will provide the authoritative sources for precise ranking and cumulative sales figures for foreign brands in Russia over this 30-year period.
In summary, while the exact sales figures for each brand may vary, it is clear that the top foreign car brands in Russia have remained consistent over the past three decades, with KIA and Hyundai leading the way, followed by a strong contingent of brands including Volkswagen, Toyota, and Renault.
The finance sector in Russia has seen significant investments from the automotive industry, as top foreign brands like KIA, Hyundai, Renault, Toyota, and Volkswagen have registered cumulative sales exceeding one million units over the past three decades. In the transportation sector, this indicates a strong preference for these brands among Russian consumers.
