March 5 (Reuters) - Japan's Mazda, which exited Russia in 2022, is seeing a revival as one of the country's best-selling car brands thanks to new Russian scrappage charges that have shifted import patterns via third countries.
Data from Russian analytical agency Autostat shows Mazda climbing to sixth place with 4,871 vehicles sold in January-February, up from 338 in the same period of 2025.
Its CX-5 model was the top seller among imported cars with smaller, lower-output engines that qualify for much lower scrappage fees than those imposed on larger vehicles.
Mazda stopped exporting vehicles to Russia in 2022 after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and sold its 50% stake in a manufacturing joint venture in Vladivostok. Last year, it lost its right to buy back the stake.
"The Mazda vehicles registered in Russia are imported by independent third-party vehicle trading companies that are not controlled by Mazda Motor Corporation or any of its affiliates," Mazda said in response to a Reuters request for comment.
Tens of thousands of cars made by foreign companies that quit Russia are still entering via third countries - mainly China - without the manufacturers' consent.
Import trends have shifted since December 1 when the scrappage fee for powerful and expensive cars, imported by individuals for personal use, rose by hundreds of percent. The change has sharply boosted the appeal of smaller cars, which were not similarly affected.
Autostat said on Wednesday that car sales in Russia rose 2.5% year-on-year in February to 80,027 vehicles. Toyota, in ninth place, is the only other top-10 brand not from China, Russia or Belarus.
(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov. Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Mark Potter)
