MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Korean and Japanese car brands have every opportunity to return to the Russian market within a few months if sanctions are lifted, but it will be more difficult for them to attract buyers, industry experts interviewed by TASS say.
"If we assume that today all sanctions are suddenly lifted, for example, by the US Treasury, then the Korean regulator will immediately allow companies to openly trade in Russia. The Koreans will be the first to arrive, they have been at a low start since they left. If sanctions are lifted today and a positive signal is received, according to my estimates, within six months, maybe a little faster, Hyundai and Kia will start selling their cars," said Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of the Za Rulem magazine, a popular monthly magazine about cars and the automotive industry.
They will be followed by Japanese brands and only then by European ones.
The expert stressed that it will be more difficult for foreign brands to fight for customers in the new reality.
"There are loyal customers, there are many of them. Another thing is that it is now more difficult to fight for customers, because many were forced to switch to Chinese cars and realized that they can also drive them," Kadakov said.
In his opinion, Volkswagen or Skoda cars will probably be more expensive than Chinese cars, so it will be difficult for them to win back customers. However, this should only be discussed after the sanctions are lifted, auto expert Igor Morzharetto noted.
"As long as there are sanctions, no one will return, they are working out their own scenarios. If the sanctions are lifted - Toyota, Hyundai, Volkswagen will return," he noted.