EKATERINBURG, July 8. /TASS/. Motorinvest has launched production of i-Space, its first hybrid car, with sales scheduled to begin next week, the company’s managing partner Andrey Reznikov told TASS.

"We have received approval for the vehicle type for local assembly. In fact, we are planning to start selling these cars as early as next week," he said.

The car will be presented in two versions. The company will initially launch sales of a more expensive version - its price, taking into account the special offer, will be about 2.9 mln rubles ($32,569). In the future, a simpler version will appear, costing about 2.8 mln rubles ($31,446).

The company expects to produce several thousand hybrid i-Space models this year, Reznikov said. "We are focusing primarily on large families, because the car is a seven-seater and allows significant savings in its operation," he added.

Motorinvest reported earlier that the car is powered by a hybrid power unit with an electric motor with a total power of 178 hp. The model is equipped with a traction battery with a capacity of 17.5 kW, charged by a 1.5-liter gasoline engine. The i-Space has a range of 1,150 km and a fuel consumption of 5.5 liters per 100 km.