Putin's Entourage Transferred To Chinese Cars

• 18.05.2023, 9:44

The stock of Western brand cars is over in Russia.

Chinese cars, which took over the Russian market last year, have made their way to Russian President Vladimir Putin's motorcade. A Chinese Tank 500 SUV was spotted among the cars accompanying the head of state to the May 9 parade, writes Mash.

According to the Telegram channel, the official cars of the FSO employees are gradually being changed. Instead of "unfriendly" Toyota and Mercedes cars, they will have to drive the Chinese Tank.

Immediately after the Tank 500 was spotted in the Russian president's motorcade, its price went up by 20%, according to Mash. The base version now costs from 6.5 million rubles, and the maximum price goes up to 7 million rubles. However, there are no stocks of these cars in Russia, they are imported directly from China, according to the channel. As a result there is a long waiting list to buy a Tank 500 - the waiting time for delivery is at least two months.

Chinese cars have become dominant on the Russian car market which plunged into a crisis last year (sales fell 59% year on year). In April this year cars from China accounted for a total of 44% of sales while Russian brands accounted for 35%, of which Lada accounted for 33%.

Chinese cars have become almost the only alternative to Russian cars after stocks of Western brands were virtually sold out.

Chinese company Great Wall Motors, which produces the Tank, opened a representative office in Russia in 2014. In March 2023, it announced the start of sales of the Tank 300 in the Russian Federation, and from April 12 it began taking orders for the larger Tank 500.