Return of the Volga: Russia's iconic car revived with a Chinese twist
In 1956, the Soviet GAZ plant began producing the 21 Volga model. While the second generation of this car (1967 - 1985) is perhaps the most recognisable, subsequent versions were produced until 2009. Now, the Volga is set to return, though this news is not mainly a source of national pride for the Russians.
The Volga, often seen in black, was once so commonly spotted in Poland that it became the subject of urban legends and a symbol of the communist security services. In the Soviet Union, the car was likely a source of pride for some of its residents, even those who could probably never afford to buy it.
Although the design of successive Volga iterations could – to put it mildly – arouse controversy, cars with this name saw nine versions and were produced until 2009. This does not include the brief episode of attaching the Volga badge to the Chrysler Sebring. Incidentally, this version was named the Volga Siber, supposedly to reference the original name, but more likely evoking Siberia. The end of the Volga was probably a disappointment for the Russians. Now, however, a car bearing this name is set to return.
According to autostat.ru, the Nizhny Novgorod Automotive Cluster intends to launch production of three models under the Volga brand, around 100,000 cars annually. The first will be the sedan Volga C40, aimed at businesspeople. There are also plans for the Volga K30 – a mid-sized crossover and a larger relative K40. These cars will have an engine producing 250 PS and a seven-speed automatic transmission. So, success, right? Not entirely.
The new Volga models will not be Russian designs. Each of them will be a clone of a Chinese car. The prototype for the Volga C40 will be the Changan Raeton Plus. For the Volga K30, it will be the Oshan X5 Plus, and for the Volga K40 – the Changan Uni-Z. The Chinese are once again extending a "helping hand" to Russia. However, this help will simultaneously mean complete dependence on China.
