MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. Sales of new passenger cars in Russia may reach 1.3 mln units in 2026, in line with last year’s figure, Autostat analytical agency Director Sergey Tselikov told TASS in an interview ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

"By the end of the year, we expect sales of new passenger cars to be in the range of 1.3 mln to 1.35 mln units. If everything remains stable, the figure will be 1.35 mln. However, fuel has now emerged as a factor, and it is gradually beginning to affect the market: people are postponing purchases. Therefore, we will most likely end up at 1.3 mln," he said.

According to Tselikov’s forecast, the used-car market in 2026 will also show dynamics comparable to those of 2025. The Autostat head recalled that nearly 550,000 used cars were sold in July of this year, down 3% from July last year. According to him, growth will slow going forward.

"We are currently seeing a cumulative increase of 4%, but by the end of the year, I think we will end up roughly at last year’s level, or around 6 mln cars resold," the expert concluded.

The Eastern Economic Forum will be held on September 1-4 in Vladivostok on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University. The forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian government. TASS is the general information partner.