Russia’s car industry still cannot quite get off the launchpad
The Moskvitš M70 and M90 arrived with sizeable ambitions: a new M series, turbo engines, generous equipment and presumably enough nostalgia to make buyers shed a tear at the checkout. Reality, however, landed with some force. In April, the brand sold just 106 cars in total, which is a modest result even by the gentlest possible reading, especially in a market where Haval shifted 16,493 cars in the same month.
Nostalgia can sell an advert, but not always market share
According to Autopotok, Moskvitš sold 68 M70 and 38 M90 SUVs in April. That makes 106 cars altogether. In March, the same two models managed 162 sales, so demand fell in the first full month, just when the new models should have been gathering momentum.
That is quite an elegant achievement, because Moskvitš did not arrive with an empty specification sheet. The M70 and M90 offer large screens, a panoramic roof and smartphone connectivity, while the M90 adds ventilated seats and all wheel drive. In other words, the buyer got almost everything expected from a modern SUV, apart from one detail: a pressing desire to actually buy it.
The hardware comes from China, the sales magic may have been held at customs
According to Interfax, the Moskvitš M70 uses 1.5 litre and 2.0 litre engines, paired either with a seven speed wet clutch automated gearbox or a nine speed automatic. The M90 gets a 2.0 litre engine and an automatic gearbox. The same source states plainly that the M70 is based on the MG HS, while the M90 is based on the MG RX9, also known as the QS. Both come from SAIC’s technical universe. In Russia, then, the car is assembled from large pieces. That is more or less the story.
By European standards, this sounds familiar. When a car uses an existing Chinese platform, a turbo engine and plenty of kit, the price needs to be very sharp or the brand needs to be very strong. Moskvitš appears to have chosen a third route: ask near premium money and hope buyers translate an old name into new value. The market translated back.
The price is funny, but buyers do not seem to be laughing
Russian sources say the recommended retail price started at 3,099,000 roubles (about 37,000 euros) for the M70 and 4,199,000 roubles (about 50,200 euros) for the M90. Even when some dealers offered the M90 for 3,425,000 roubles in cash, it still sat at around 40,900 euros.
For that money, buyers in Russia can also choose established Chinese brands with stronger dealer networks, greater visibility and less need to explain why the car looks like an MG, sounds like an MG, but wears a Moskvitš badge. Rebranding can work when the price is surgically precise. Here, the scalpel seems to have fallen on the floor.
The rivals barely had to try
In April, Russia’s new passenger car market reached 117,500 units. Haval sold 16,493 of them, Geely 6,800 and Belgee 5,700. Against that backdrop, the 106 Moskvitš M70 and M90 sales looked less like a model offensive and more like a statistical cough.
The brand’s own ambition makes the number hurt even more. TASS wrote in March that the factory planned to sell at least 10,000 M70 and M90 SUVs in 2026. To reach that target, Moskvitš would need to average roughly 833 cars a month. April’s 106 sales delivered about 12.7 percent of that monthly pace. In other words, Moskvitš did not miss the plan by a little. It sent the plan a postcard from another time zone.
From Europe, none of this looks especially exotic
For a European buyer, the Moskvitš story is not technically surprising. The same logic applies here. When a new or revived brand brings a Chinese sourced SUV to market, it must offer something clear. That could be price, warranty, software, charging ability, unusually good body dynamics or strong design. A big screen and panoramic roof no longer save anything. In 2026, they are about as rare as tyres under a car.
The biggest problem with the M70 and M90 is not the hardware on paper. A 2.0 litre turbo engine, automatic gearbox and all wheel drive do not sound bad. The problem is positioning. Moskvitš wants to be domestic, yet stands on a SAIC technical foundation. It wants to sound nostalgic, yet sells a modern Chinese SUV. It wants to play in the mass market, yet its price climbs towards stronger players in the segment. The result is a car with all the right ingredients, but a recipe that tastes to the market a little like yesterday’s press release.
The harshest number is not 106
Selling 106 cars in a month looks bad, but the trend is harsher still. The M series started with 162 cars in March, then fell to 106 in April. A new model launch usually brings curiosity, showroom traffic and the first wave of enthusiasts. When the fall comes this quickly, curiosity has evaporated before the sales staff have managed to get the coffee machine running.
Moskvitš can improve the situation with discounts, state orders, aggressive leasing or fleet sales. At retail level, though, the message is clear. Buyers are not crying out for the M70 and M90. They are looking at Haval, Geely, Chery, Belgee and others, then asking a deeply unpatriotic question: why pay for a Moskvitš badge when a better known Chinese original, or simply a stronger rival, is sitting right there?
Technical snapshot
The Moskvitš M70 and M90 sold 106 units in April, made up of 68 M70 SUVs and 38 M90 SUVs.
The March result was 162 cars, so sales of the M70 and M90 fell by roughly a third in a month.
The M70 uses either a 1.5 litre or 2.0 litre turbo engine, with an automated gearbox or a nine speed automatic.
The M90 gets a 2.0 litre engine, automatic gearbox and all wheel drive.
Recommended prices started at 3,099,000 roubles (about 37,000 euros) for the M70 and 4,199,000 roubles (about 50,200 euros) for the M90.
For now, Moskvitš has the badge, the screens and the nostalgia. What it still needs is the awkward little detail that makes a comeback work: buyers.
