The Chinese corporation FAW and the Russian company “NAMI” planned to jointly produce the premium sedan Hongqi H9 under the Aurus brand at the former Toyota plant in Saint Petersburg. This brand produces luxury executive cars in limited series. Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, in particular, use them.
However, after the Russian automakers faced sanctions, the Chinese conglomerate FAW withdrew from the project.
According to one of the Russian officials, FAW “backed out of the negotiations” at the last minute, cancelling the start of production, scheduled for the end of 2024.
Officially, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation does not acknowledge the termination of the agreement but instead states that the project is still relevant and the timelines for its implementation are “flexible.”
Meanwhile, the Russian-produced Lada electric car, which was based on the old “Logan,” ended up costing more than Tesla.
