The Moskvich M90 crossover gives the Moscow car factory a chance for sustainable development. Automotive industry expert Andrey Trubin notes that the brand will not be able to compete with mass-market budget models and should focus on a more profitable segment.
After its revival in 2022, Moskvich established production at the former Renault Russia plant. Despite this, the company's capacity is limited: with a plan for 2025 of 40,000 cars per year, the output of MAZ Moskvich remains significantly lower than the scale of AvtoVAZ. The high cost of production in the capital makes cheap cars economically unprofitable.
The new M series is based on the technologies of the Chinese concern SAIC, whose cars have already proven high quality in global markets. The M70 and M90 crossovers feature a spacious interior, modern suspension, a 2-liter turbocharged engine, and a nine-speed automatic transmission. The flagship M90 offers a seven-seater interior and all-wheel drive. These characteristics allow the cars to compete with European brands and provide sufficient profitability for the factory.
According to the expert, low sales of budget Moskvich cars show that the company will not be able to break even by focusing on the mass market segment. High prices are not a luxury, but a necessity for the survival of the Moscow brand.
MAZ Moskvich also attracts third-party projects. For example, the plant will assemble Atom electric vehicles from JSC Kama and Yandex electric cars based on the Chinese GAC platform. This will allow the plant to load capacity and receive additional income.
Moskvich's strategy is clear: expensive and high-quality models of a new segment ensure the sustainable development of the plant, create a basis for further investment, and restore the brand's reputation as a competitive manufacturer.
