Russians purchased a total of some 1,910,000 brand-new cars and minibuses last year, said Rossiskaya Gazeta.

Last year's best seller is a homemade car, Rada, with a record of 517,147 sales.

Nine of the ten most popular vehicles are local ones.

The homemade automobiles are not expensive and secondhand vehicles have been scrapped in the country in recent years.

Increased buying power, low bank loan interest and the local currency getting stable also stimulated the rapid growth in the Russian auto market.

2,240,000 vehicles are expected to be sold this year. Exports are of the view that auto sales will reach 2.8-2.9 million next year, given the economic situation remaining stable, so that the auto market will be able to regain the pre-economic crisis level.