Aurus Motors, the Russian heir to the ZIL
vehicles that transported Soviet leaders for decades, continues testing its
first-ever SUV, the Komendant, near the Arctic Circle in Sweden. Carscoops photographers caught the massive SUV undergoing some dynamic testing on a track
set up on a frozen lake. The driver was not holding back as
they pushed the Komendant to the limit on the slippery surface. There don’t seem to be any changes to the camouflage.
The Aurus
Komendant continues to feature a full-body wrap, production headlights and
provisional taillights. For some reason, however, the massive front grille has
been taken off this particular prototype. We’re guessing engineers did that to
revise the grille in order to improve engine cooling or rather keep the engine
warm in freezing temperatures. Speaking of the engine, the Aurus Komendant is
said to feature the same powertrain as the Senat sedan, since both models are
based on the same platform.
That’s a 4.4-liter hybridized V8 engine
that produces 590 HP and 880 Nm of torque in the luxury
saloon. One could expect a slight drop in performance over the Senat as the
Komendant is obviously less aerodynamic, though roughly the same size as the
sedan.
Aurus Motors is expected to launch the
Komendant SUV on the Russian market no sooner than 2022 – for regular
customers, that is. The automaker will build around 200 vehicles for state
authorities in 2020. In the meantime, the first Aurus model to become available
to the Russian public is the Senat, with retail sales scheduled to begin in
2021.
