Serial production of Russian Aurus Komendant SUVs has been launched at the Yelabuga plant, the car manufacturer said Monday in a statement.
"On November 26, 2022, the Aurus Komendant mass production process was launched at the Aurus plant in the Alabuga SEZ of the Republic of Tatarstan. This is the first Russian luxury SUV that will be fully produced in our country, from components, most of which are supplied by Russian manufacturers," the report says. - "Already now all the basic units of Aurus are made in Russia. At the moment the share of Russian suppliers has reached 70%, including all the major components of the car: the power plant, transmission, electronics, interior and decorative solutions."
The launching ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation - Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov and President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. Komendant has become the second model in the Aurus luxury line. The production of the first model, the sedan Senat, started in May 2021.
The first presentation of the SUV was held at the end of September this year. Then General Director of the Aurus company Nikolai Khodosevich said that this year it is planned to produce trial cars that will not go on sale, the start of sales is scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. The company specified that the car price will be from 33.7 million rubles. Dealers of the brand started receiving pre-orders for Komendant at the end of September.
"Every year Aurus brand systematically develops, updates the model range and expands the car production. I have no doubt that Aurus Komendant will be in great demand, we have already started to form the portfolio of orders for this model. Our task is to increase the volume of manufactured cars and at the same time to provide the highest quality parameters fully complying with the world standards," noted Khodosevich, whose words are cited in the report of the company.
About the SUV
All-wheel-drive vehicle is equipped with an electric propulsion system, V8 Twin-turbo engine with a capacity of 598 hp and a volume of 4.4 liters. The weight of the SUV is more than 3 tons.
"Aurus Komendant is a car designed specifically for Russian operating conditions, it has the power and cross-country ability of an SUV and the comfort of a luxury sedan at the same time," says the message of the brand. - "Aurus Komendant's shortened wheelbase combined with the all-wheel-drive guarantees better maneuverability and controllability on any kind of road surfaces without losing comfort."
Ground clearance of the model is up to 260 mm (depending on the position of suspension, which adapts to different types of road surfaces, reacts to the speed and steering signal), according to the report, "reinforced elements of the suspension provide safe driving on gravel, paving stone and mixed surfaces in all weather conditions". The vehicle's steel body is made with the option of armoring the vehicle.
The interior of the model is equipped with style interior lighting, audio system, multimedia system with two separate monitors for rear passengers, as well as comfortable seats with built-in massage, ventilation, and memory functions. The SUV is also equipped with a built-in navigation system.
"The driver's seat is adapted to the peculiarity of SUVs: the seat is shifted higher and the angle of the steering column is changed, which provides a confident and comfortable seating position, as well as better visibility. The impressive size of the trunk of the new model allows you to take everything you need on a trip, and the shape of its doors facilitates boarding and keeps the sills clean," added in Aurus.
Earlier, it was reported that the SUV passed climate tests at temperatures ranging from minus 40 degrees Celsius in the subarctic climate near the Arctic Circle to plus 50 degrees Celsius on the roads of Abu Dhabi.
About the Aurus cars project
Aurus cars is a line of representative cars, which is being created since 2013 by order of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. The NAMI Institute has developed most of the technical solutions for the creation of the Aurus line of cars. The starting point of the project was the need for a domestically produced limousine for the head of state. In the autumn of 2013, the president of the Russian Federation signed a decree initiating the development of the project to create and produce luxury cars based on the "Unified Modular Platform". On May 31, 2021, serial production of the Aurus Senat model started at the plant in Yelabuga.
Now Aurus Senat is used by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as members of the government, including Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov. Aurus cars are also used abroad, for example, in the summer it became known that Turkmenistan purchased the first Aurus car, it was used by President of the Republic Serdar Berdimuhamedov during his official visit to Russia in June of this year. It was also reported about deliveries of cars to Bahrain and Azerbaijan.
It is planned that the brand will combine several models. Besides Senat sedan and Komendant SUV the range will include Arsenal minivan , Aurus Senat Long limousine (its serial production is planned for 2025), and production of Merlon motorcycle is also planned (a prototype is already being tested). Hydrogen and electric versions of the cars are being developed. In November 2021, Head of Rostec Sergey Chemezov announced the SSJ Aurus business jet. The Aurus models are named after the towers of the Moscow Kremlin: Senatskaya, Komendantskaya and Arsenalnaya.
In September, it became known that Aurus together with its Emirati shareholder Tawazun were developing a dealership network in the UAE. Khodosevich then noted that in the middle of 2023 it is planned to "declare in advance, what developments [for the dealer network] we have with them [UAE]. He added that in order to sell cars in the UAE, final assembly of the cars is also considered directly in the UAE, provided a large volume of car supplies to the region, noting that it is the prospect of 2024-2025. As Manturov said in November 2021, Russia and the UAE discussed the possibility of opening an Aurus showroom in the UAE. He also noted that the start of final assembly of Aurus in the UAE is possible after the start of Aurus Komendant production due to the demand for SUVs in Asia and, in particular, in the Middle East.
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Photo: Vladimir Gerdo/TASS
Based on materials from TASS