During the worldwide pandemic, the automotive industry braked hard. This research will look into the Corona crisis, as it relates to the automotive industry's long-term sustainability, as well as the measures used by both sides of the world to deal with the crisis. The goal is to provide an understanding of auto manufacturers in the West and East about ESG sustainability during the crisis using the sample of 33 corresponding companies. The descriptive statistics and frequency analysis were used to assess companies' sustainability performance. We found that Western companies demonstrated a better power in ESG rating of MSCI index in the first year of the Covid pandemic. However, Eastern companies are better in managing ESG risks nowadays, which can accelerate future ESG growth. The research can contribute to the better understanding of the importance and inalienability of sustainability strategies in times of uncertainty.