KALININGRAD, January 30. /TASS/. The Kaliningrad-based Avtotor automobile plant has started the assembly of the Chinese Kaiyi E5 sedan, which was first introduced to the Russian market, TASS reported from the launch ceremony.
According to the Russian company's press office, assembly work in Kaliningrad would begin with a welded and painted body and partial localization of components, with a shift to a full manufacturing cycle scheduled later on in the future.
Sales of new sedans in Russia are scheduled to begin in the Q1 of 2023, with three more models of the brand expected to hit the market by the end of 2023, according to the plant's press service. "The sales of the E5 model are set to begin in the first quarter of 2023. Three more versions of the brand are expected to appear on the Russian market before the end of 2023. The official distributor of Kaiyi in Russia has already started accepting dealer applications," the press service said.
According to the description of the vehicle model on the Kaiyi brand's official Russian website, the E5 is a C-class sedan and it made its debut on the global market at the close of 2021. The sedan has independent suspension on both the front and rear axles, as well as a 1.5-liter gasoline engine with 147 horsepower.
The Chinese car launched on the domestic market has been modified for Russian conditions, according to Andrey Tolstobrov, CEO of Kaliningrad Avtoindustria, which will make the localized car at the Avtotor plant. The vehicle has heated seats, mirrors, a windshield, and rear windows, as well as body anti-corrosion coating. The sedan will be available in two transmission options.
Avtotor was founded in 1994 in Kaliningrad, Russia’s westernmost exclave. The enterprise was the first in Russia to start producing cars of foreign brands. Production has been in progress since May 1997. Avtotor manufactures vehicles under the BMW, KIA, Hyundai brands.