Mazda Surges to 6th in Russian Sales Despite 2022 Exit

Japanese automaker Mazda has unexpectedly become one of Russia's top-selling car brands despite officially leaving the country in 2022. The surge comes from vehicles being imported through third countries like China, taking advantage of new Russian scrappage fees that favor smaller cars.

Despite officially withdrawing from Russia two years ago, Japanese automaker Mazda has unexpectedly emerged as one of the nation’s most popular car brands, according to new sales data released March 4.

Russian automotive research firm Autostat reports that Mazda has jumped to sixth place in vehicle sales, moving 4,871 units during January and February compared to just 338 vehicles during the same timeframe in 2025.

The dramatic increase stems from Russia’s revised scrappage fee structure, which heavily penalizes larger, more powerful vehicles while keeping costs low for compact cars with smaller engines. Mazda’s CX-5 crossover has become the leading imported vehicle in this category.

The Japanese manufacturer ceased operations in Russia following Moscow’s military action in Ukraine in 2022, and recently forfeited its opportunity to repurchase a 50% ownership interest in a Vladivostok production facility.

When contacted by Reuters, Mazda has maintained that unauthorized third-party sales remain beyond the company’s influence.

Thousands of vehicles from international manufacturers that abandoned the Russian market continue flowing into the country through intermediary nations, predominantly China, without official approval from the automakers.

Sales patterns have dramatically shifted since December 1, when Russia implemented massive increases in scrappage fees for high-performance and luxury vehicles purchased by private buyers for personal use. These changes have made compact vehicles significantly more attractive to consumers.

According to Wednesday’s Autostat report, Russian automobile sales increased 2.5% compared to the previous year in February, reaching 80,027 vehicles. Toyota, ranking ninth, represents the only other top-ten brand not originating from China, Russia, or Belarus.