Western automakers limit the operation of their applications in Russia

Western automakers have limited the functionality of their applications for Russian users. According to the Izvestia newspaper, the problem affected, in particular, the owners of Skoda, Kia, Infiniti, Nissan and Renault. Now they can't remotely unlock car doors, start the engine; see how much fuel is left, or update programs that control the operation of the engine, ABS and brake system, industry representatives have confirmed. In addition, car manufacturers left dealers without software that would allow them to learn about recall campaigns when technical flaws were identified. “As of March 2023, about four dozen automotive brands that were presented in the market in March last year left Russia, and about 10 new brands came.

At the same time, some brands that were in the shadows in 2022 will now begin to grow actively. For example, Changan stocks this spring are significantly higher than last year. The positive dynamics of sales will also be influenced by new brands that are localized in Russia, in particular, Kaiyi, which is already filling dealer warehouses. I think that by the end of the year, the car sales in Russia as a whole can grow by 10-15% in compare with the previous year,” Alexander Shaprinsky, development director of Pragmatika Group, told AUTOSTAT agency.