Shell and Mobil remain two of the three most popular motor oil brands in Russia, despite Shell and ExxonMobil exiting the country following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to a recent survey of motorist preferences.
Moscow-based Autostat, which conducted the survey, noted that some brands are difficult to obtain. Lukoil ranked first in the poll, while South Korean brand Zic showed at fourth. The survey also found that motor oil preference is more related to personal experience with the product than with its price.
Published Nov. 28, the consultancy’s annual survey “Omnibus 2023. Motor Oils: Preferences of Car Owners” indicated that 60% of respondents use synthetic motor oils, while 80% choose viscosity grades of 5W-40, 5W-30 and 10W-40.
“Among the brands, the leading positions are held by Lukoil, Shell, Mobil and Zic, while an increasing share [is going to] such brands as Gazpromneft, Rosneft, G-Energy and Sintec,” Viktor Pushkarev, Autostat’s senior manager, told Lube Report Tuesday.
The online survey was conducted in October and was filled out by more than 3,100 respondents, 90% of them men.
Pushkarev added that in 2023 Russian motorists encountered difficulties in obtaining desired products “due to shortage of the usual brands, price increases, [difficulty] in determining the country of origin, appearance of fakes and so on.”
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, many foreign companies across a wide range of industries exited Russia, including Shell, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies. Products bearing their brands still enter the market in smaller volumes, largely imported through back channels and sanction loopholes established in third countries that do not comply with Western sanctions.
The Autostat survey asked respondents to rate which of five factors carried the most weight in forming their opinions about the brand of motor oil they prefer. Personal experience rated the highest, followed by original equipment manufacturer recommendations and approvals, compliance with industry specifications, the appeal of packaging and price. Autostat’s “Omnibus 2023” survey also deals with the motor oil brand recognition, the reason for preferring one over other brand and what changes such decisions, the assessment of the quality of the products offered on the Russian lubricant market, the index of consumer loyalty, and other factors. The report is available at the Autostat.ru website.