Russia opened a showroom Friday selling its first post-Soviet luxury limousine under the Aurus brand, a type of car used by President Vladimir Putin at his inauguration last year. Russia has been trying to reduce its dependence on imported goods and technology, a drive that gathered speed after Moscow was hit by Western sanctions in 2014.

news Vintage Soviet Cars Cruise Into Moscow Read more

The Russian-built limousine is intended to become the heir to the ZIL sedans that for decades transported Soviet leaders. Priced at 18 million rubles ($274,000) the Aurus, in its basic configuration, targets customers in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as European and Chinese buyers. "We expect a similar showroom will appear in China in 2020-2021," Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said during the opening ceremony in Moscow. The Russian state has invested over 12.4 billion rubles ($189 million) in the Aurus limousine project since 2013. The vehicles are produced by a Russian research institute known by the acronym NAMI in partnership with Russian carmaker Sollers.