Russian GAZ Siber

[BrewSwillis]

Gallery: http://auto.lenta.ru/photo/2007/08/29/siber/06.htm

Today at the Interauto Show in Moscow GAZ Group presented its new car, the Siber (pronounced cyber).

Last April, GAZ Group acquired a platform from Chrysler. On this basis a new car was developed by British UltraMotive company.

Siber is fully adopted to Russian road conditions. Compared to its donor vehicle, it features stiffer suspension and higher ground clearance.

Basic specification of the car: 2.0-liter, 141 hp engine. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, two airbags, ABS, traction control, halogen headlights, hydraulic power steering, adjustable steering wheel, adjustable driver's seat, hi-fi system with six-speakers, electric mirrors etc. A basic Siber will cost around $18,000. In the future there will be 2.4 and 2.7-liter versions available. Also an automatic version will join later on.

Production of the Siber will be launched next March. In 2008 the plan is to produce 20,000 vehicles and 40,000 in 2009. Later on production volumes will depend on market requirements. Overall, the project capacity of the plant is 100,000 vehicles a year. The new plant utilizes advance welding and assembly process and also Haden-2 paintshop. Workers were trained at Chrysler and Magna Steyr factories.

Chrysler will assist in quality control, ensuring that Siber meets required quality.

The car will be sold through more than 70 Russian GAZ Group dealer centers. Sales, service and after-sales facilities were created from scratch for this project.

Another article: http://jalopnik.com/cars/moscow-auto-show/...show-294709.php

[FAPTurbo]

In the future there will be ... 2.7-liter versions available.

It used to be that during WWII, the Cold War, and even now, North America has always had a great chuckle at Russian 'technology' . But if we send them the 2.7L, they'll be laughing at us.

Edited August 29, 2007 by Captainbooyah

[Robert Hall]

Interesting...Siber appear to be modified Dodge Stratus.

[Flybrian]

Yup. Chrysler simply sold them the tooling.

[MyerShift]

[BrewSwillis]

That would be an interesting front clip to throw on an American Sebring/Stratus. That could freak some people out. Russia needs to get on that marketing.

[Cory Wolfe]

Haha... That's just funny.

[MyerShift]

If those front and rear clips were placed on a NA Sebring/Stratus along with the lamps, I guarantee that there would be thousands of Americans unable to tell what it really is.

And that's sad.

[Intrepidation]

I actually like the new headlight and tail light lens designs...they add some life to the car...the removal of the rub strips also gives it a more modern, clean look...now I have to wonder what they did with the interior...couldn't have made it any worse!

It's still a handsome car even after these years.

Edited August 30, 2007 by Dodgefan

[thegriffon]

This after GAZ developed their own new midsize sedans, only one of which made it to the showroom (and then only briefly). They do well selling commercial vans (in fact they bought Leyland-DAF Vans with their new Daewoo-designed Maxus), but other than that sell the old rwd Volga (now with the Chrysler 2.4 L) and Mahindra's Scorpio. Frequent SUV projects (they seem to resent the GAZ-69 being transferred to UAZ in the Soviet era) have resulted in well-finished prototypes but have also failed to materialize in the showroom.

[Sixty8panther]

Hilarious, looks better than a brand new Sebring.

[Hudson]

Hilarious, looks better than a brand new Sebring.

I was thinking the same thing. I'd rather drive this than the current Sebring.

[Sixty8panther]

Too bad they do not make Packards anymore, otherwise we'd

see a four year old Super-8 sedan rebadged as a Chaika.

[ToniCipriani]

Hilarious, looks better than a brand new Sebring.

It's just so wrong that I like this over the new Sebring we have.

[Flybrian]

Yeah, this has more class than the 'real' Sebring.

[Z-06]

Looking from front gives me a vibe of current Impala green house.

[Moon]

Wa,This car is so beautiful. I really hope i can have it one day.

[FAPTurbo]

Seeing as Moon thinks a production ChryCo vehicle from ten years ago is 'beautiful' , I'm willing to bet that Moon is a bot.