Results of the first Federal Auto Summit: key trends of the automotive market through 2028

      As part of the event, experts discussed changes in buyer behavior, the sustained trend toward digitalization of the industry, as well as government policy in regulating the car market, including new legislative initiatives and support measures for dealers.

      Key statistics and consumer demand trends

      Speakers presented up-to-date data showing market dynamics:

      Demand for new cars in October 2025 rose by 12.3% year on year. The most in-demand (31.5%) were cars priced between 2 and 3 million rubles. In the secondary market, demand grew by 26.6% from June to October, with 87% of user interest concentrated on budget cars up to 2 million rubles. Average prices are declining: for new cars — to 3,410,000 rubles (-0.9%), for used cars — to 1,440,000 rubles (-7.4%).

      Buyers are actively moving into the digital space: 85% of consumers begin their search online, and the share of communication with sellers via chats grew over the year from 58% to 72%.

      The share of new-car buyers increased by 10 percentage points to 37%. The share of those who previously bought used cars but have now switched to new cars rose by 4 percentage points.

      Digitalization as the basis of new business strategies

      In response to changing buyer behavior, market players are adapting their approaches.

      Experts highlighted key development directions.

      Platformization — a comprehensive approach to unifying all services into a single ecosystem. At its core are solutions that help dealers manage key business processes: from sourcing vehicles and restocking inventory to sales and analytics.

      Development of services for secure transactions — the implementation of tools that allow users to complete all selection stages online, and enable dealers to increase efficiency in sales and procurement. For example, services that allow finding a buyer in just 2 hours and selling a car in 2 days are becoming an additional channel for replenishing dealer inventories.

      The view of manufacturers and dealers

      Natalya Gremitskikh, project director of the marketing directorate at JSC AVTOVAZ, spoke about the company's plans to implement a dealer center management system and hosting, including automated content management and the development of a loyalty system. She noted that working with large online platforms is part of the company's strategy.

      Oleg Kuznetsov, Deputy General Director for Digital Transformation of the Autodom Group and Avtospeccenter, shared his experience in creating a customer experience by making services fully available online and making decisions based on data, volga.news reports.

      Forecasts through 2028

      The summit's central event was the panel discussion “The Russian Car Market through 2028.” Its participants identified key trends.

      Younger buyers pay more attention to a car’s ease of use rather than its technical specifications.

      By 2028, around 20% of all car transactions may be conducted online. The key to success is synergy between online and offline, and flexibility in customer interaction will become critically important.

      Trust is a new asset: sellers with transparent and convenient service will gain a competitive advantage.

      International experience was also presented: experts from Saudi Arabia shared a case study of transforming the local car market, where today the buyer expects the same seamless experience when purchasing a car as when ordering from global e‑commerce giants.