If you’re in the market for a new car, you may be considering getting one of the many different makes and models of Russian vehicles on the market.
The problem with this idea? Very few real options are available to you if you want to get behind the wheel of a Russian vehicle.
Thankfully, your search will be over soon; this list of the top Russian car brands will help you determine which cars are available and which are best to avoid!
Best Russian Car Brands
1. Kamaz
KAMAZ is an automobile manufacturer based in Naberezhnye Chelny, Russia. It is one of the leading producers of Russian car brands.
KAMAZ has constructed more than 500,000 vehicles since it was established in 1966.
With annual production rates reaching 160,000 units, KAMAZ is one of Russia’s most extensive vehicle manufacturers.
The company is part of Kamaz Holding, which owns the Ural Automotive Plant and AvtoVAZ (AvtoVaz). In 2008, KAMAZ became a member of GAZ Group.
2. GAZ
The GAZ Group (or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod in Russian) is an automobile manufacturer based in Nizhny Novgorod.
They’ve been making cars since 1932, and people consider them one of the manufacturers of Russian car brands.
One of their most popular models is the Pobeda, which means victory in English. In 1957, there was such a demand for them that they were made by hand!
Because production numbers were low, GAZ decided to produce every component themselves rather than outsourcing parts from other automakers.
They even built their tooling! Of course, you can also buy cheap cars online through sites like AutoTrader or Beepi.
3. LADA
LADA is easily one of the famous Russian car brands. The automaker started in 1966 as AvtoVAZ and was a direct competitor to foreign brands like Volkswagen and Fiat.
LADA has been through many iterations since its launch. This includes taking over from Yugo in the former Yugoslavia.
It is still one of Russia’s top car manufacturers with some credibility outside its home country. In 2014, LADA sold more than 300,000 vehicles worldwide.
LADA makes for an exciting buy for anyone looking for solid Soviet nostalgia and reliability that doesn’t cost too much (relatively speaking).
4. UAZ
The UAZ is one of the most recognizable and well-known Russian car brands.
The UAZ brand was initially founded as an acronym for Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, which translates to Ulyanovsk Automobile Factory in English.
This factory in Russia has been producing many different car brands since 1950. Its focus is on military vehicles, motorbikes, and various utility vehicles.
That said, however, several small SUVs are available today under these iconic letters.
Since 1987, it has been owned by General Motors. In 2018 alone, it sold about 2700 cars across nine different models at a relatively affordable price point.
5. Marussia Motors
The Marrusia car brand is known as one of the best Russian car brands. It might be one of only a few that has entered some foreign markets.
The Marrusia brand has been around since 1962 and was initially part of AvtoZAZ.
For many years, it was known as Zhiguli (ZAO). After independence in 1991, they tried to market under that name but eventually changed to Marrusia due to licensing issues.
Today, Sollers JSC owns it, which also owns Kamaz and Hyundai. Its headquarters are in Volgograd, and it has several manufacturing plants in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.
6. Moskvich
Moskvich is one of the oldest Russian car brands, founded in 1933 and producing cars as late as 2007. The name means Muscovite or Moscow citizen.
Moskvich manufactured only microcars and city cars for most of its life until it introduced one sedan model in 1958.
Many modern vehicle designs have their roots in Moskvich. While they did not survive very long in Russia after being purchased by AvtoVAZ (Lada), Moskvich managed to carve out a significant niche during its 60-year history.
Conclusion
You can’t buy love from Russia’s automakers. If you know where to look and what to look for when shopping for Russian car brands, your search for an affordable new or used car will be easier.
Fortunately, North American consumers don’t have to pay import tariffs on vehicles entering Canada or most of the United States.
The top Russian car brands worth considering today include Lada (brand), Zhiguli (brand), GAZ (brand), Sibir (brand), and KamAZ.
They are known as some of Russia’s top automakers and producers of vehicles both inside and outside their borders.
These are just five car brands manufactured in Russia worth exploring more closely.
