How the war against Ukraine makes Russians drive Zhiguli
russian propaganda is actively spreading the news that russian lada cars have become the top-selling passenger vehicles in russia.
▫️This is presented as proof of the success of “import substitution,” but the real reason behind the “success” of russian “zhigulis” is the unprecedented collapse of the car market. In the first four months of 2025, passenger car sales in russia plummeted by more than 25%.
Due to enormous expenses on the war, the inaccessibility of loans for most russians because of high interest rates, economic crises, and the exit of several Western car brands from the russian market, the only affordable options for russians remain cheap russian and Chinese cars. In other words, the sales of cheaper lada cars have fallen less than those of more expensive and higher-quality vehicles.
▪️As they continue the war against Ukraine, russians are gradually returning to the situation of the soviet era, when “zhigulis” were the absolute sales leader, but only because soviet citizens had no other choice.
