Aurus: The Russians pretend that everything is fine. They presented their own ‘Cullinan’ – auto.pravda.sk

The super-luxury SUV Aurus Komendant has premiered and is said to be about to go into production. At the same time, “Putin’s car company” is not capable of producing even the Senat sedan. It’s starting to look like North Korea-style animation. Photo: Aurus Aurus Komendant – 2022 Aurus Komendant has a length of 5,380 mm and a wheelbase of 3,100 mm. Its curb weight exceeds three tons. This is exactly what the Russians need now. After the invasion of the Russian troops into Ukraine, most of the Western car manufacturers left the country. Renault, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Mazda, Škoda, Volkswagen canceled their activities here, including production, and neither Kia nor Hyundai produce here anymore. In addition, cars have officially stopped being imported to Russia. Quite simply, the Russian automobile industry and the market are on their knees. Car production here has fallen by more than 60% in the first eight months, and so have new vehicle registrations. But Russia pretends that nothing is happening, even that the sanctions only make it stronger. The Russian agency Avtostat publishes one report after another about how Moskvich production is starting at the nationalized Moscow factory of Renault, how Lady Grant and Niva models are returning to the lines in Togliatti. Read more Aurus: Putin’s limousine is a total flop. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, in cooperation with Russian car manufacturers, promises to produce completely new cars on its own Russian platforms. Even electric cars. The appearance of success is to be supported by another big “bubble” – the introduction of the serial super-luxury SUV Komendant, created by Putin’s Aurus car company, which also supplied the Kremlin with a couple of Senat presidential limousines. There is no objection to this car. Not only the Russian automotive institute NAMI participated in its development, but also renowned Western companies such as Porsche or Bosch. After many notices, the Commandant really introduced himself to the public. It sits on the same platform as the Senat, so it is powered by a 441 kW 4.4 V8 hybrid engine, mated to a 9-speed gearbox. Photo: Aurus Aurus Komendant – 2022 The turbocharged 8-cylinder 4.4 V8 and the electric motor in the gearbox take care of the dynamics. The transmission of power to the asphalt is handled by the drive of both axles. And pneumatic suspension for comfort. This can not only change the stiffness but also increase the ground clearance from 200 to 260 mm. It is quite a car with a length of 5,380 mm and a wheelbase of 3,100 mm. Even with an incredibly high weight of 3,235 kg, it can sprint to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 220 km/h. The luxurious interior is based on the Senate, but is more spacious. There will be seven design lines to choose from. The cabin can be 7-seater with three rows of seats, 5-seater with two rows, or only 4-seater with the captain’s rear seat. We have no doubts about the ambitions to compete with the Bentley Bentayga or the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. However, the commandant also has his flip side. Photo: Aurus Aurus Komendant – 2022 Modern infotainment can break Aurus’ ties. It needs a lot of parts from the West. The project of the new car factory, which was financed by the Russian government, has been running for several years. At first, manual production took place directly at NAMI, but the real one was supposed to start already last May at the Sollers plant in Alabuga, into which the Kremlin poured another two billion rubles. However, how many vehicles have been created since then is a mystery. Not even Russian journalists know it. So far, only used, probably pre-series Senat sedans have reached the two exclusive stores in Moscow and St. Petersburg. At the same time, the plant is ready to produce 5,000 cars a year, including Komendant and the large Arsenal MPV. But it’s hard to imagine, because the Aurus models are full of Western electronics, which are subject to strict sanctions. Read more Aurus Senat: ‘Russian rolls’ is already heading for export. But not in the West, Komendant has a digital instrument panel, head-up display, multimedia touch screen, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection and traffic flow detection. Among the luxury features, let’s mention LED lights, keyless access, remote start, powerful equipment, four-zone air conditioning, ventilated massage seats or an electrically controlled steering column and trunk lid. All this needs parts from the West. And where to take them? Even if Aurus managed to start production, it is unlikely that this megalomaniacal project would be able to break even. Photo: Aurus Aurus Komendant – 2022 Who knows how many Russians will ride in these luxurious back seats. Today, car company employees are either on the street or living on half wages. After all, Aurus faced criticism for a waste of money long before the outbreak of the military conflict. Now it will be even more difficult, because export to the West is unthinkable. at the same time, the Russian automaker originally counted on him. For example, the Senate presented itself at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019. We consider the Prime Minister Komandant to be a cover to create the impression that Russia is doing well without cooperation with the West. But former employees of abandoned or standing factories in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Izhevsk, Kaluga or Nizhny Novgorod could tell the Russian president about it. They are certainly very happy about the arrival of a super-luxury SUV for 33.7 million rubles, i.e. 313,000 rubles. And even bigger, that Aurus is already planning an extended version of the Senate or the opening of new stores in Sochi, Kazan and other cities. Moreover, the state will not stop in further investments. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia supported Aurus’ request to conclude a special investment contract. This should enable the production of versions with a hybrid drive. Investments in the project will amount to more than 4.7 billion rubles. There is even a hydrogen Aurus Senat with a range of 600 km and acceleration to 100 km/h in four seconds. The sedan is to be equipped with a combination of classic batteries and fuel cells. Its prototype was already presented by the automaker during the “animation” of the start of serial production last May of last year.