Russia revives Soviet-era Moskvich brand with Chinese model

By Gleb Stolyarov and Alexander Marrow

MOSCOW (Reuters) -After a two-decade hiatus, Russia on Wednesday launched production of the Moskvich car brand at a plant near Moscow given up by the French carmaker Renault, with a new, modern Chinese design that barely resembles the Soviet-era classic.

While the last Moskvich ("Muscovite") was a basic three-box saloon or pedestrian hatchback, the Moskvich 3 is a muscular-looking petrol-powered crossover hatchback with alloy wheels, LED slit-headlights and a large central touchscreen display.

In fact, the car looks identical to the Sehol X4 compact crossover made by China's JAC, also known as the JAC JS4.

Sources told Reuters that JAC's design, engineering and platform were being used, with parts being delivered from China, and the vehicles shown at the launch displayed numerous JAC stickers bearing part codes.

However, Maxim Klyushkin, the plant’s project manager, declined to confirm that the Chinese firm was Moskvich's partner.

"We have (Russian truck maker) Kamaz as an external partner and we have a long-distance partner we are working with," he said. "We are not naming that partner."

Klyushkin said the car would have an anti-lock braking system (ABS), one of the features that Russia's Avtovaz has been forced to remove from Lada models because of the Western trade sanctions imposed in response to Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine.

Renault sold its majority stake in Avtovaz in May to the Russian state for reportedly just one rouble, but with a six-year option to buy it back. It sold its plant, now renamed the Moscow Automobile Factory Moskvich, for another rouble.