China's Changan Fuels Resurgence of Russian Volga Cars

Volga cars have been revived by China's Changan

Volga, Russia's famed vehicle brand and a symbol of Soviet industrial pride, made a surprising comeback on May 23rd, unveiling three new models during an industrial exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

Historic Revival

Volga, previously a well-known brand from the Gorky Automobile Plant, was frequently utilized as official and taxi vehicles during the Soviet era. However, it went insolvent and eventually shuttered.

The Russo-Ukrainian crisis in 2022 prompted many multinational automakers to halt manufacturing and exports to Russia. This prompted the USSR to revive homegrown brands such as Volga and Moskvich, and Moscow factories quickly resumed large-scale passenger car manufacture.

Changan, The Catalyst

Interestingly, Volga's three new models are redesigned versions of China's Changan Automobile models. The updated lineup includes a sedan based on Changan's Raeton Plus and two SUVs derived on the Oushang X5 Plus and UNI-Z models, respectively.

The differences are slight, focusing mostly on bumper and grille styles, as well as the distinctive "GAZ" insignia from the Gorky Automobile Plant on the Volga automobiles.

Smooth Specs

Each of the new models is powered by Changan's JL473ZQ7 1.5-liter gasoline engine, which produces 188 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque. While the gearbox type is unknown, it will most likely be a 7-speed automatic transmission like the original Raeton Plus.

Chinese Cars in Russia

In April, Russia imported 57,812 new passenger vehicles, with 94% coming from China. According to Autostat, a Russian vehicle industry study group, the percentage of imported used Chinese cars increased to 3.3%, up from less than 1% in January. The majority of Russia's imported secondhand automobiles come from Japan (66%) and South Korea (13.4%).

With China's Changan Automobile playing a key role, the resurgence of the historic Russian brand Volga represents a significant shift in Russia's automotive scene.