The price of a monopoly: Chinese cars in Russia are getting more expensive right before our eyes

The fact that China is increasingly dictating its will to Russia has been constantly talked about lately. One of the most high-profile statements of this kind was made in early June by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, saying that eighteen months after the start of its bilateral «borderless» partnership, about which so much has been said, looks more and more one-sided. On the example of the automotive industry, this can be seen especially clearly.

According to the results of the first half of 2023, as you know, the import of new passenger cars to the Russian Federation has almost recovered in quantitative terms: it increased by 227.2 thousand cars, or 3.2 times compared to last year. Moreover, three quarters, or 75,7% of cars came from China. And now the share of Chinese cars in Russian taxi fleets has grown from 3% to 30% over the year, analysts of the investment transport company «GTK-Holding» have calculated. By the end of the year, the indicator may increase to 40-45%.

The increase in price ranges from 10 thousand to 1 million rubles

It would seem that live, ride and rejoice. An no. Auto magazine.ru online reports unpleasant news: Chinese crossovers and SUVs have risen in price on the Russian market.

For example, the prices of cars of the Tank, Haval and Geely brands, according to the publication «Chinese Cars», can soar by a million rubles! SUVs of the Tank 300 brand in the basic configuration have risen in price by 200 thousand rubles, and now cost at least 4,099,000 rubles, and the Tank 500 (in two trim levels) has risen by 900 thousand at once, to 6,299,000 or 6,899,000 rubles. Since the prices for it have already increased, in the end it rose by 1.1 million, actually reaching the price of the Japanese «kruzak» Prado (they are from 6 to 7 million rubles. imported by parallel import).

Some models of the Haval brand have added 50 thousand. For example, the Jolion crossover now costs at least 1,949,000 rubles, and the Haval F7 and the F7x cross-coupe — 2,349,000 and 2,449,000 rubles, respectively.

«In total» some Geely models have risen in price by 10 thousand rubles. The most affordable version of the Monjaro crossover configuration costs 4,509,900 rubles. But Changan has risen in price by 100 thousand, the Uni-V liftback is estimated today at at least 2,729,900 rubles.

The Chinese love themselves exactly twice as much as «Russian friends»

However, this is not all news. The fact is that in the most «friendly» China, cars of the same brands cost more than half as much as in Of Russia. This was checked by the publicist Pavel Pryanikov according to his sources.

So the Chinese electric crossover IM LS7 from SAI in Russia costs 8 million 900 thousand rubles, and inIn China — 350 thousand yuan (that is, at the exchange rate — 4.2 million rubles).

The Hyundai Lafesta sedan, which is assembled in China, costs us 3 million 500 thousand rubles, and at the assembly site — 1.7 million rubles.

Now Russian motorists will have to get used to this constant — cars are 2 times more expensive than the same model in China.

For his part, the head of the ROAD Alexey Podschekoldin said that this year new cars have risen in price in Russia by 13,5%. Moreover, over the past decade, a new car in the country has become almost three times more expensive on average. In 2013, this figure was 907 thousand rubles, in 2018 — about 1.5 million rubles, and today — 2 million passed in 2022.

Notes Gingerbread and rising prices for used cars. It amounted to 9% in six months, reaching 1.3 million rubles:

«At the same time, if the segment of new cars this year, with the most optimistic forecast, grows to a million units, then about 6.8 million cars will be resold on the secondary market.»

The Chinese themselves try not to drive their car junk

Well, let's say that Russian motorists and taxi drivers will cope with this scourge. But will they cope with the quality of these products?

And the journalist Sergey Aslanyan (recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation) has his own, very skeptical opinion on this:

«The Chinese buy only what they have learned to understand. That's why they are so diligent in design, engineering, technology. Getting cars highly appreciated by the Russian press. But the Chinese do not know and are not interested in the basic discipline of creating cars — controllability. Therefore, China does not buy testers and does not work at the test sites on course stability, cornering, rearrangement, smoothness.

When Russian journalists are brought on a tour, they are not taken to the landfill. There's nothing to see. But they willingly show Chinese people with computers, where some depict engineers, others designers, others technologists… And there are no testers …

In addition, the Chinese ignore resource and reliability. Their economic situation does not imply long-term use of cars, so there is no one to conduct resource tests in China.

As a result, Chinese cars look interesting and drive poorly. Against their background, it is good to take pictures and it is convenient to recharge cell phones inside. But when driving, there is an inevitable inconsistency in which the engine by itself, the steering wheel by itself, the brakes by themselves and do not add up to a single whole.

At the Shanghai Auto Show, the Chinese arrogantly ask why foreigners are slower than them? Because Europe, America, Korea and Japan makes cars and is responsible to the consumer. And China makes life-size models and is not responsible to the consumer, buying journalists as well.

***

There are no reasons to buy all these products that look like cars. Which does not bother the consumer at all. The fact of buying a car is important to the herds of ordinary people at all times. His Chinese origin was considered shameful for a long time, when there was a choice, and dealers offered decent cars from normal countries. Then it was a shame to buy a Ford Focus — Chery Amulet instead and forced me to justify myself. The owner of Chery Amulet disappointed even his drinking buddies, with whom it was necessary to wash the purchase, washing away the shame. Even Lada Kalina was not as discredited in the eyes of society as the Chinese. Chery Amulet put a cross on a person, crossed him out of the list of decent ones and stopped career growth.

But they did buy…

For your money…

Seemingly ordinary people in signs of external normality and non-obvious latent inferiority.

They supported the market and fed dealers, enriching China.»

So it turns out, according to the expert, that in Chinese «it's already good to stand in traffic jams. But any normal driving, and even more extreme, is contraindicated. It is no coincidence that the Chinese themselves, as soon as they start earning, immediately transfer to German cars or Buicks, they are ashamed to drive their car junk.»