Frame SUVs have always been valued by Russian motorists for their reliability and cross-country ability. However, in 2022, the market lost many popular models due to the departure of global brands. They were replaced by Chinese counterparts – often more affordable, but no less interesting. This is written by the portal 110km.ru.
How has the market changed?
The departure of leading manufacturers hit buyers hard: now, instead of official dealers, you have to overpay for “gray” imports or look for alternatives. Chinese brands quickly filled the vacant niche, offering decent options at reasonable prices.
We compared three iconic Japanese SUVs that are lacking on the Russian market, and selected Chinese analogues.
1. Toyota Land Cruiser 300 vs. Tank 500
Toyota Land Cruiser 300 is a legend among frame SUVs, a symbol of reliability and premium quality. It was perfect for Russian conditions: unpretentious, easy to repair, with excellent cross-country ability. After official deliveries stop in 2022, it can only be purchased through parallel imports – from 12 million rubles .
Chinese alternative – Tank 500
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Manufacturer: Great Wall Motors
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Engine: 3.0 l turbo V6 (299 hp) + 9 Automatic
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Features: premium trim, all-wheel drive, adaptive ground clearance
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Price: from 6.3 million rubles
2. Nissan Patrol vs. Oting Palladin
Nissan Patrol – the king of off-road, especially popular in the southern regions of Russia. In 2024, a new generation (Y63) was released, but in the Russian Federation it can only be purchased through unofficial channels for 13-15 million rubles . Chinese alternative – Oting Palladin Manufacturer: Sinomach Auto Platform: Nissan Frontier Engines: gasoline (231 hp) or diesel (190 h.p.) Features: 7 seats, powerful off-road platform Price: 3.8–4.5 million rubles Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is an affordable and practical SUV, ideal for bad roads. Now it is brought from Thailand and Brazil at a price of from 5.4 million rubles . Chinese alternatives: Haval H5 – compact and maneuverable (from 3.8 million rubles ). Haval H9 – a full-fledged replacement for Pajero Sport with 7 seats (from 4.3 million rubles ). Chinese manufacturers offer worthy analogues of the departed Japanese SUVs – for less money and with good equipment. Of course, they are not up to par in terms of status and reputation, but for many buyers this is the best choice in the new reality.
3. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vs. Haval H5 / H9
Conclusion
