Russian carmaker Sollers launches production of Argo LCV at Ulyanovsk plant
MOSCOW. Sept 7 (Interfax) - Full-cycle production of Sollers Argo light trucks has begun at the Sollers Cargo plant, an Interfax correspondent said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov took part in the launch ceremony of the plant via teleconference from a pavilion at the Comtrans 2023 exhibition in Moscow. In Ulyanovsk, production was opened by the governor of the Ulyanovsk region, Alexei Russkikh, and the head of Sollers' board of directors, Adil Shirinov.
"Today we are launching full-cycle production of the Sollers Argo small-tonnage commercial vehicle, from body welding to the assembly and testing line, and using the single modernized painting complex at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant. We are expanding our capabilities at the UAZ industrial site," Shirinov said during the ceremony.
A key feature of the project will be its deep localization, Shirinov said. "It will reach at least 60% over the next year, including localization of the diesel engine, the gearbox, launched at the end of August together with the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region at the ZMZ site, interior and exterior parts, all stamping, frames and many other elements that will allow us to make the car as competitive as possible," the chairman of the board of directors of Sollers said.
The Sollers Cargo plant was created in less than a year inside the UAZ industrial site in accordance with the concept of forming a multi-brand center for the production of frame-based commercial vehicles in the UAZ industrial park.
"The Sollers Argo model has a great future, given the growth in short-haul traffic, especially in urban agglomerations. Therefore, there is no doubt that the company's plan to produce 10,000 of them in three years will be realized. And, accordingly, output at the company's Ulyanovsk site will increase 50%. This will also be facilitated by the continued restoration of the car market as a whole, including commercial vehicles," Manturov said.
The enterprise will provide the region with more than 350 jobs and 1 billion rubles of additional investment into the economy, Regional Governor Russkikh said.
The Argo is a compact truck for urban transportation with a number of modifications for cargo delivery tasks. Gross weight is available from 2.5 tonnes, load capacity is under 1 tonne and its Euro-5 class engine allow the truck to work in the centers of large cities. It is equipped with a 2.0-liter diesel 130 hp engine, and all the required active and passive safety systems, including airbags for the driver and passenger, ABS, ASR, and ESP systems.