MOSCOW — Avtoframos, a joint venture between French automaker Renault and the Moscow city government, has launched pre-production assembly of the Renault Sandero hatchback, which will replace the Renault Logan sedan.
The two models share the same basic platform, but the Sandero is more up to date in terms of styling, features and performance.
Full-scale production of the Sandero at the Avtoframos plant here will officially start in February 2010, with the first deliveries to begin in early spring. The plant has been upgraded at a cost of $150 million, with capacity boosted to 160,000 cars a year according to Russian media reports.
The new car will be equipped with 1.4- and 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engines, ranging in output from 75 to 102 horsepower. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard. The company does not have plans to produce diesel-engine cars due to extremely low demand for diesel, and poor fuel quality in Russia.
The Sandero will range in price from $10,100-$13,700, depending on options, which is slightly higher than its predecessor.
Inside Line says: In addition to the Sandero, Avtoframos is planning to launch production of the Renault Duster, a crossover based on the Logan/Sandero concept, in 2011. — Evgeniy Vorotnikov, Correspondent
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