On February 13, the Central Bank reduced the key rate in Russia by 0.5 percentage points to 15.5% per annum. The decision was made due to the absence of risks of new sharp jumps in inflation, said the head of the regulator Elvira Nabiullina.
The Central Bank explained that it does not see a threat of accelerating inflation. Therefore, the key rate was reduced. After the regulator's decision, some commercial banks have already announced a reduction in loan rates.
A decrease in the key rate increases the availability of consumer loans, including car loans. According to Frank RG, in January, 50.2% of new cars in Russia were sold on credit. In the secondary market, the share of credit cars was 7.7%.
The average interest rate on loans for new cars in January 2026 reached 11.4%, for used cars - 22.6%. The availability of loans for new cars is associated with state support programs for certain categories of buyers and discounts from distributors and dealers.