Today it is already clear who benefits the most from the departure of Western car companies from Russia. The Chinese seized the opportunity. But the whole situation says the most about the Russians themselves.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Western companies didn’t want to get their hands dirty. They left the country and left behind production capacities in several car factories. Other cars are gradually starting to be produced in them. Reuters has found that this is not always acknowledged.
“The automotive industry is making progress,” write the Russians in an analysis of what the so-called special military operation has brought them good. In short, Russia has its own specifics, and this is well known in the automotive industry.
Among the benefits of the war in Ukraine, the Russians include the restoration of two traditional car companies. Officially, Russian engineers rolled up their sleeves again and resurrected the Moskvich and the Volga. In addition to the return of these brands, I write in a pamphlet about how Russia has risen in the last two years, and about the improvement of the situation in AutoVaz.
But Russian pride runs into reality. The Moskvich that settled in the Renault factory are just Chinese JAC electric cars with a pasted logo. Likewise, the much-heralded return of the Volga, which is to be produced on the Novgorod line from which Skodas rolled off before the Russian invasion, is also just Changan cars in disguise.
There may also be doubts about developments at AutoVAZ. Production continues to be partially based – with the exception of the Niva, of course – on Renault technologies, although everything looks like honest Russian development. Progress may lie in the fact that some technologies that were unavailable after the start of anti-Russian embargoes are returning to cars. For example, cars lost the ABS system, airbags and the emission standard suddenly dropped from Euro 5 to Euro 2, because it was not possible to import the necessary parts.
But Lada also started trying to show the power of Russian engineering. Last year, it introduced the new X-Cross 5 model, the production of which was supposed to start last summer. Even after a year, it is still not in the brand’s offer. Experts quickly recognized that it was just a rebadged FAW Bestude T77. Thus, Russian development was most likely only involved in the choice of glue under the logo.
The explanation why the model has not yet arrived on the Russian market may be that in the meantime, the Russians founded the Xcite car company, which this year presented the X-Cross 7 model, which in turn is a disguised Chery Tiggo 7.
The Chinese have captured more than half of the Russian market, but the Russians still crave the Western one. Some prefer to pay more for cheaply imported cars from the West, usually via the Caucasus or Central Asia. But not everyone can afford that. Some prefer to be satisfied with Lada, which has at least a part from Renault, and others return to used cars from Japan. Cars with right-hand drive are already spreading to a greater extent in the Urals. Until now, they were more widespread further east in Siberia and the Far East. In Russia, the (un)quality of Chinese cars is a big issue, and it seems that different cars than are available in Europe are getting there.
More and more Chinese cars are manufactured, or rather completed, directly in Russia. Sources of the Reuters agency said that the Chery brand has already taken over three Russian factories abandoned by Volkswagen, Mercedes and Nissan (the aforementioned Xcite carmaker was also created in the same one).
But the mystery is why Chery does not officially apply for these races. He did not announce the production anywhere or respond to questions from Reuters. Most likely it is because even the Chinese do not want to get involved with Russia in such a way that it spoils their business in the west. It is not even known why only a minimum of work is done on them in Russian factories. The cars are delivered to them practically finished. Even this is probably enough to avoid customs duties, and in addition, it can artificially increase Russian car production and thus improve statistics.
In Russia, someone has already built their own Cybertruck. And functional • WildWildMoscow
But the fact is that the Chinese are far from being able to keep the factories busy. For example, in Kaluga, where Škoda cars were also produced, approximately 27,000 Chery cars will be produced or rather finished this year. The media reported that the Citroën C5 Aircross is also manufactured there under Chinese supervision from Chinese parts, but it is not clear how many were ultimately created. The Russians began to produce Hyundai and Kia cars “from leftover parts” under the new logos, even here it is not clear how many cars there were in the end.
The chapter itself is the Chinese electric car market. In these, Russia has similar ambitions as Europe and, for example, is subsidizing the construction of chargers across Siberia. The market is growing rapidly and is currently around two percent of the market (in the Czech Republic it is four percent this year, in September alone it was a record eight percent). The competition in the Russian market is specific in electric cars: Chinese cars, Chinese cars completed in Russia and Chinese cars disguised as Muscovites face each other.
Riding in Style: The Russian Automotive Comedy of Errors
Ah, the automotive industry in Russia – it’s like a bad game of musical chairs, where the music stopped, and all the Western car companies have scuttled off, leaving the Russians with a lot of empty seats and a few half-assembled IKEA bookshelves. Spoiler alert: The big winner in this automotive game? It’s China! Yes, folks, in the great ‘guess who got left behind’ game, Russia isn’t exactly holding the cards.
Western Exit: The Great Automotive Disappearing Act
When Russia decided to throw a surprise party by invading Ukraine, the Western companies took one look at the guest list and thought, “Yeah, we’re out!” And just like that, they left behind their production facilities like a teenager leaving home for college, only to return a decade later to find that their space has been turned into a gym. Yes, Western companies may have fled, but the Russians are already regaling themselves with audits of how far they’ve come, as if the cars coming off those lines have a tendency to spill their secrets to a good therapist.
The Moskvich and Volga: More Like Moskvich-What?
You know what’s hysterical? The Russians are heralding the “return” of iconic brands like Moskvich and Volga as if they’ve just resurrected Shakespeare from the dead. Spoiler alert: They didn’t roll up their sleeves and whip out any auto-magic. No, no! Those Moskvich cars are basically dressed-up versions of Chinese JAC electric vehicles – throw a logo on stubbornly and voilà, it’s “Russian!” And that Volga? Just another Changan model that decided it needed a change of name for the sake of nostalgia. Talk about a glow-up gone wrong!
A Glimpse at AutoVAZ: Russian Engineering? Or Russian Rebranding?
Let’s have a cheeky chat about AutoVAZ, shall we? They brag about “Russian development,” and yet it seems their engineering prowess dates back to copying down Renault’s notes during their moonlit car design sessions. They’ve been dropping safety standards faster than I drop a pun at a comedy club. Airbags? Gone! ABS? See ya later! It’s like they’re auditioning for a reality show titled “Survivor: Automotive Edition!”
Oh, and the new Lada X-Cross 5? Good luck finding one! For all we know, it might just be an elaborate practical joke they’re pulling on us, because it’s mainly a cheap FAW Bestune T77 with some Russian-centric glue slapped on under the logo. Russian innovation at its finest, folks!
Chinese Cars Taking Over: An Invasion in Disguise?
The Russian car market has become one huge game of “Spot the Difference” – but with Chinese cars that look like they’re playing dress-up! Over half of the Russian market is now crawling with these enthusiastic imports, and the Russians still have that tinge of homesickness for their Western counterparts. It’s like being married to someone and staring longingly at all the potential partners you swiped left on.
And let’s not forget that our dear friends at Chery are going about their business in such a shady manner that you’d think they were planning a spy movie. They’ve taken over factories left by the Western giants, but instead of grand announcements, they’re playing coy like the world’s sneakiest magician. “Ta-da! No one knows we’re here!”
Electric Dreams or Electric Nightmares?
Ah, and here’s where it gets real: electric vehicles! Russia dreams of a future filled with sleek, silent rides, much like their Western counterparts. But the lineup is filled with, you guessed it, disguised Chinese vehicles. It’s like the world’s weirdest costume party where everyone showed up as… themselves. Patent pending on the ‘Moscow Electric Cosplay Show’ – coming to a factory near you!
In Closing: A Bumpy Road Ahead
As the dust settles on this bizarre automotive saga, one thing remains clear: Russia, your journey through the automotive world is going to be as thrilling as a Lee Evans stand-up routine—unpredictable and a bit of a shambles! So buckle up, folks. The ride may not be smooth, but it’s guaranteed to be *entertaining*—even if your new car turns out to be a fancy-looking imitation with Chinese roots. Cheers to that!
