Premiere show

Global automakers will present new products at the MIAS 2010 motor show

The Moscow International Automobile Salon (MIAS-2010) opens today in Moscow at the Crocus Expo exhibition center. The event will be held at Crocus for the third time, and, as usual, visitors will see world and European premieres, as well as new products from the domestic automobile industry.

An area equal to eight football fields will accommodate about 80 companies and more than 600 cars. New products will be presented by concerns from 12 countries (Great Britain, Germany, Iran, Italy, China, Korea, Russia, USA, Ukraine, France, Czech Republic, Japan). Eight world premieres will be shown (Ford Mondeo, Jaguar XJ Sentinel, Range Rover 11th model year, Freelander 2 11th model year, Mercedes-Benz CL-class, Porsche 911 GT2 RS, Renault Latitude, Toyota Highlander), seven European ( Ford Focus sedan, Infiniti QX, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Patrol, pre-production version of Ssang Yong New Actyon, Subaru WRX STI, Volkswagen Phaeton), 62 Russian, as well as 20 concept cars. The Moscow exhibition is classified in category A, which is assigned to only five international motor shows - in Detroit, Geneva, London, Paris and Frankfurt, and therefore the spectacle promises to be exciting.

In 2009, the global car market was on the brink of survival - due to declining demand, almost all car manufacturers cut production, personnel and costs. But already in the first half of this year the situation began to change. Over the course of six months, the European car market has been going up, and the Russian one is also gradually gaining positive dynamics, largely due to government support. According to the Association of European Businesses, sales of new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in the Russian Federation in the seven months of 2010 increased by 9% compared to the same period last year, to 963.688 thousand units, and this July compared to last year - by 48%, up to 173.171 thousand units.

It is expected that one of the main Russian premieres will be the seven-seater Lada R90 station wagon, built on the Renault B0 platform. The car is positioned as a family car; AvtoVAZ intends to launch its mass production in the spring of 2012. The company expects that the R90 will occupy the niche of high-capacity budget station wagons in the domestic market. At MIAS-2010, the Volzhsky Automobile Plant will show 11 cars, mostly already known to the general public, but with new options. In addition, as part of the auto show, the Russian concern intends to present a premiere - a complete set of a standard navigation system based on GLONASS, which will soon be installed on Lada Priora and Lada Kalina cars. AvtoVAZ reports that it will become the first manufacturer to begin mass introduction of GLONASS devices for cars. Previously, such navigation was provided only for emergency services and corporate systems. It is known that the devices that will be installed on the Kalina and Priora models will be able to work with both GLONASS and GPS. But the cost of the new option has not yet been announced.

Today and tomorrow the Moscow auto show is open to journalists and officials, and for the general public it will be open from August 27 to September 5.

Irina TSYRULEVA