First Sales Date for Russian Aurus Cars to General Public REVEALED

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The first sales of Russian Aurus luxury cars, which are part of the Kortezh project, through the dealership network will begin in 2020, a slight delay from the initially planned start in the second half of 2019, the Avilon company told Sputnik on Monday.

"We expect the first cars for clients in 2020," Vagif Bikulov, the operations director of the Avilon luxury cars division, said.

When asked about the reasons for the delay, Bikulov readdressed the question to the automobile maker.

Aurus Motors CEO Franz Gerhard Hilgert told Sputnik in March that the first Aurus cars would start being sold to the Russian general public in the third or fourth quarter of 2019.

The Kortezh project envisages the creation of luxury cars for top state officials. The cars are already used by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Federal Protective Service, which is charged with protecting high-ranking Russian officials. Retail prices for Aurus cars are expected to start at 10 million rubles ($152,000).