VTB: the car loan market accelerated growth in March by 70%

      According to VTB's estimates, in March 2026, the Russian auto loan market reached 174 billion rubles. This is 70% higher than the figure for March of last year and 1.5 times higher than February of this year. For the entire quarter, auto loan sales increased by 42%. The market this year demonstrates a stable positive dynamic month by month. Key growth factors include banks' adaptation to tightening regulatory requirements, where only official borrower incomes are considered, as well as a consistent decrease in market rates following the easing of the monetary policy of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. "March's issuances confirm the market's transition to a phase of sustainable recovery. We are recording growth not only in volume but also in the number of transactions – this is a signal of the return of mass demand. The increase in demand for new cars indicates that clients, despite the market situation, maintain interest in updating their vehicle fleets and are ready to make decisions when more favorable lending conditions arise," commented Alexey Okhorzin, Senior Vice President and Head of the Retail Business Products Department at VTB. According to VTB's forecasts, if the current trend continues, by the end of 2026, the volume of the auto loan market could reach about 1.8 trillion rubles, which is 5% higher than last year's result.