A new coachbuilding company in Russia called E-Go has come up with a new car built on a Mitsubishi platform. Called Revolt, by E-Go, we don't find it the least bit offensive, although we do think the rear end is a little funky. The Revolt -- in spite of the company's catchy name and word "volt" lurking around in there -- is not electric. Rather, a 3.0-liter V6 gets two turbos slapped on to run some 550 hp through a six-speed gearbox. It has an active air suspension and rides on 19-inch wheels from Japanese wheel company Work, with 325/30 rubber out back. Stopping power should be prodigious, thanks to six-piston calipers up front and four-pots in back. Most interesting, the car's electronics are being developed by engineering firm National Instruments, and you will be able to control them all via a touch screen monitor in the steering wheel. We can't wait to see what that steering wheel must look like, and whether they can make the car drive for you while you punch in new data. Word is that E-Go "has already started building cars," but as usual, we'll wait and see.
That's right, Top Gear Russia is on its way to thaw a looming Cold War II: Putin's Revenge. The official Top Gear site says that a 15-episode series could debut as early as the end of this year, though a suitable trio of comrades to host the newest addition to the brand's arsenal of international shows has yet to be found. The Russians have had their own localized version of Top Gear Magazine since 2004, so producers are hoping there'll be plenty of folks who are familiar with the show's mission of "ambitious but rubbish" television journalism. There's also the matter of finding a Russian-spec Stig and suitable test track. Creepy Cold War experimentation in the former Soviet Union could likely provide the know how to build a Stig out of spare tank parts, and we hear there's lots of available real estate and empty roads around Chernobyl. First one to the decommissioned silo and back wins!
Following the approach taken by rival Renault, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen is working on an entry-level car set to debut in emerging markets in 2011. The Renault Logan has done well in Russia and Romania, which has prodded this interest and action from PSA. The new five-passenger vehicle will be assembled in Turkey or Poland and sold in eastern and central Europe, Russia, Turkey, and North Africa wearing both Citroen and Peugeot badging. If successful, sales would also expand to include China and South America. Even if the vehicle sells well, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen CEO Christian Streiff maintains there are no plans to sell the new car in western Europe – regardless of Renault's strategy.
Every city has at least one: a badly designed intersection with poor visibility that's prone to car accidents. But this one looks like it was laid out by Rasputin. What you see here isn't a snapshot from the set of The Bourne Ultimatum. It's a junction in the increasingly over-populated streets of Moscow where passers-by regularly observe an inordinate amount of crashes. Fortunately, the accidents look like mostly fender-benders, but we'd think that the Supreme Soviet Russian authorities would want to centrally plan a redesign of the intersection, or at least consider revising the signalization, especially since they don't so much have to worry about confounding European armies marching through their capital these days.
As Russia develops into an increasingly important market for many Asian and European carmakers, the Moscow Motor Show is becoming a more important venue. Alongside such new launches as the Lexus LS460 AWD, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Audi RS6 sedan, Renault will be unveiling a new version of its simple Symbol sedan. The car will be sold in such markets as Eastern and Central Europe, Russia, Turkey and North Africa, labeled alternatively as the Symbol or Thalia. The styling is rather uninspired, and the mechanics are nothing to write home about, with power anticipated to come from the same range as found in the new Dacia Logan unveiled by Renault's budget subsidiary just last month. Hard to believe we almost didn't notice this one.
The Moscow International Auto Show is shaping up to be a serious event. Audi is showing off the RS6 sedan, Mazda is bringing a new crossover concept, Mitsubishi will debut the redesigned Pajero Sport and plan on plenty of Lada love to spread around. Lexus is joining the ranks of other top-tier automakers showing their wares in Moscow with the unveiling of an all-wheel-drive version of its LS460 flagship. The AWD system fitted to the LS460 is the same found on the LS600h, and includes a Torsen LSD integrated into the rear drive shaft that receives power from the 381 hp, 4.6-liter V8 via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. In normal driving conditions, torque is split 40/60 front-to-rear, with as much as 70 percent of the power being shoveled to the rear wheels depending on conditions. Russia's affection for stately sedans is one of the reasons that BMW decided to launch the redesigned 7-series in the planet's largest country, and Lexus is obviously trying to tap into one of the world's fastest growing automotive markets with the introduction of the LS460 AWD.
Featuring a slightly revised front and rear fascia on a previous-generation Chrysler Sebring chassis, GAZ has resuscitated the Volga brand name with the Siber sedan. In the words of Sergey Zanozin, Chairman of the GAZ Group, "The GAZ Group has started to produce a new line of cars under the Volga brand on platforms from the world's leading manufacturers. The new production complex has the flexible capacity needed to bring new models into production at minimal cost and investment in the future." Well, alrighty then. While the old Sebring platform might not exactly set the world on fire, it is definitely a step in the right direction for Russian roads, with a slightly lifted ride height and beefed-up suspension components to handle the stresses of Siberian winters. The Siber uses a either a 2.0-liter Chrysler engine with 141 horsepower or a 2.4-liter churning out 143 hp. Standard features include air conditioning, dual airbags, ABS and traction control.
Russia has just passed Germany as Europe's largest market for new car sales -- for the first half of the year, at least. In fact, Russian consumers managed to snatch up 41% more cars for the first half of this year as compared to the previous year. Not only that, but the vehicles being sold in Russia are more profitable than before as well, with the record $33.8 billion in sales so far an increase of 64%. Top marques are General Motors and Hyundai, which replace last year's first and second place finishers, Ford and Toyota. Russian brands? Not so much.
Don't expect the sales figures to cool down any time soon, as the economy in Russia is still booming and it's the middle-class that is seeing the biggest benefit. Older cars will continue to be taken off the road as consumers purchase new replacements which will allow automakers to find an estimated 20-percent of the entire industry's growth in the Russian market over the next several years.
You would think a car company with BMW's brand recognition could roll out its redesigned flagship 7 Series covered in burlap at a mid-December reveal in Siberia with no concerns over public perception, but BMW apparently feels the up-and-coming Russian market needs to be romanced with a glitzy intro right in the middle of Red Square. That's where the carmaker held the official unveiling (though we already got the official photos earlier this month) July 8th.
For two days, the 7-Series was hidden in 180,000 silver balls that filled a giant glass-and-acrylic hourglass almost 40 feet tall that had been built right in front of the Kremlin. Then, on the night of the 8th, as 400 invited guests watched, the top of the hourglass emptied to reveal the car.
BMW officials say the stunt was meant to illustrate the event's tagline, "Never stand still." Hey, if it sells a few Bimmers in Russia, maybe giant hourglasses are the way to go. Still, maybe next time they should at least consider the burlap. It's gotta be cheaper than silver balls, and we'd still blog about it.
Ford says Volvo's not for sale, and the Blue Oval would be smart to hold on to its remaining vestige of the Premier Auto Group as long as it can, especially since engineering and platforms have become so entwined with Dearborn's product line. For its part, Volvo is angling to take on the high end Germans. Volvos have long been premium products, having built a reputation on exceptional durability, meticulous engineering, and of course, safety. Try as it might, however, Volvo has a hard time competing head on with BMW, Audi and Mercedes. The cachet of the Swedish automaker is diminished compared to the Germans, and dynamically, Volvos tend to get schooled hard despite being good, capable drivers when taken alone.
Operations chief Steven Armstrong tells Automotive News that Volvo is looking to be mentioned in the same breath as its intended targets, even as losses mount and layoffs ensue. Volvos already occupy the same pricing arena as the premium Germans, but that's partly due to a weak dollar and transport costs. The possibility of building its cars in the United States might bring prices down and allow better developed performance versions, versus the outclassed R models of the past. Also hurtful is the model range's appetite for fuel -- we've gotten mileage in the teens from some Volvos in the Autoblog Garage. Armstrong says that the fuel economy issue will be addressed soon as technologies like start-stop, energy recovery from braking, and further down the road, hybrid powertrains are brought to market. Green is a good way for Volvo to go, given the Scandinavian proclivity for low-impact, gentler consumption. What it all means is that soon, we may see a kinder, gentler, meaner, faster Volvo product lineup -- possibly managed by Russian, Chinese, or Swedish owners.
