New Aurus Komendant: the cost of 34 million rubles and an incomprehensible fate

At the end of September 2022, in Russia, or rather, in the Museum of the Special Purpose Garage of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, the presentation of the unique crossover Aurus Komendant took place.

This novelty could rightfully be attributed to the “long-term construction”, because the first prototype was shown by the manufacturers back in 2019. Only four years later, the public was able to get acquainted with the first assembled model. Read the article for details about this unusual and very expensive car.

new car design

It is known that the representative Aurus Komendant received its spectacular name in honor of the Kremlin's Komendantskaya tower. Some features of the new car repeated the exterior of the Senate sedan previously presented, but acquired greater brutality and power.

Aurus received original panels in the front of the body, as well as individual hood and headlights. The SUV is equipped with large 20-inch wheels and attracts attention from the outside. The color of the car is traditionally black. In general, the car will be offered in nine color options. About seven variations of interior decoration will also be selected for the salon.

Salon and options Aurus Komendant

The interior design of the car can be called classic. Of course, there is a front panel and dashboard, a steering wheel and a time-tested selector. The motorist will love the analog buttons and knobs.

All this equipment, again, repeats the interior of the Senate. The finish is somewhat different, namely, the Commandant's seats are covered with genuine leather, and the finish is made using wood veneer from expensive species. For passengers there are seats arranged in two rows. Potential buyers will have the opportunity to choose a model with a classic three-seater sofa and with separate chairs controlled by an electric drive.

When choosing the second option for seating, a central box is also provided, in which folding tables are “hidden”. There is also a small minus. In the second row, the seats cannot be folded down, since the luggage compartment does not have enough volume for this. Each car can be personalized.

Design features and technical characteristics of the car

The 2023 novelty is based on a single-type modular platform, which was also used to assemble the Senat sedan and the Arsenal minivan. In the model line, the car is considered the smallest model, since it has smaller dimensions: 5380x2004x1820 mm, with a wheelbase of 3100 mm, weight - 3235 kg. True, manufacturers diligently avoid the issue of luggage compartment volume, but it looks like it is small.

The all-terrain vehicle has air suspension, but other cars of the Aurus family were equipped with a spring mechanism. Ground clearance is 230 mm, but it can be reduced to 215 and raised to 260 mm. A few words should be said about the technical characteristics of the car:

standard power plant from a 4.4-liter NAMI V8 gasoline engine and with two turbines, with a capacity of 598 hp;

the car operates on AI-98;

it has a nine-speed automatic transmission, which also has a built-in 63 hp electric motor. Speeds can be switched manually, or you can use special paddle shifters;

the car has a lithium-ion battery, which is located above the rear axle. Its power is 16 Ah;

four-wheel drive, there is a transfer case for activating the front axle;

brakes with ventilation "in a circle" and power steering are provided.

When will mass production start and how much will the car cost?

As far back as 2022, manufacturers reported that an SUV could be installed on the conveyor at the Yelabuga plant, and the plant's capacity would allow the production of up to 5,000 cars every year. However, this has not yet happened. What will happen next, time will tell.

Of course, the car will not become a mass model, and the price tag of 34 million rubles will not allow it, but for certain cases, for example, to accompany the presidential motorcade, this car is quite suitable, although this place is already occupied by the Chinese Tank 500 car. By the way, the first premium SUV that came off the assembly line of the Aurus plant in Tatarstan went to the transnational energy company PJSC Gazprom, which is not surprising.

There is a feeling that in the automotive industry Russia has lost the race on all fronts, but this is solely my opinion. Of course, someone will object to me that we have good cars, but partly their merits and fame are the merits of developers, engineers and technologies of past years.

Do you agree with me? Did you like the new Aurus Komendant? As always, leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below, thank you for being with us.