Aurus presidential cars and official fleets: an overview of Russia’s state mobility

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AurUs Presidential and Official Vehicles: A View Into Russia’s State Car Fleet

Vladimir Putin has been photographed entering a purpose-built Aurus Senate limousine in May 2018, just after assuming the presidency. Beyond the armored flagship, the Kremlin fleet includes two Senate sedans and an equal number of Arsenal minivans. The Aurus brand is used not only for the president but also on official missions by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Denis Manturov, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

In September 2020, Rustam Minnikhanov, the president of Tatarstan, arrived at his inauguration in a white unarmored Senate sedan. Two years later, an armored Senat limousine appeared in Tatarstan, finished in white enamel on the exterior, signaling a broader adoption of the armored configuration within regional administration fleets.

The Aurus line has become a conspicuous symbol of state mobility. Eyewitnesses captured the Senat limousine on the grounds of the Kazan Kremlin on the eve of a significant regional celebration marking the 1100th anniversary of Islam. Press materials from the Tatarstan president’s office show Minnikhanov meeting with Turkmenistan’s head of state, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, with an Aurus Senate visible in the scene.

In 2019, during the Caspian Economic Forum, Dmitry Medvedev presented a Luster White sedan to Turkmenistan’s leader, indicating a close look at the Aurus lineup during high-level diplomacy. Berdimuhamedov later told Putin that he was interested in acquiring a Senate from the first production wave. Whether Turkmenistan secured a purchase of Aurus vehicles remains uncertain at this time, but the interest underscored the model’s visibility in regional diplomacy and prestige circles.

The armor and performance of the Senate are notable. About a year ago the armored Senate cost roughly 100 million rubles, with VR10 ballistic protection capable of stopping a high-velocity 7.62 mm rifle round. The standard Senate, in comparison, carries a price around 24 million rubles. The armored limousine is longer by about a meter, measuring 6630 mm versus 5630 mm for the sedan, and its base is correspondingly extended. The armored Senate carries a weight of about 6.5 tons, far heavier than the 2.6 tons of the non-armored version.

All Aurus vehicles share a single modular platform. They use a hybrid powertrain that combines a 4.4-liter V8 gasoline engine, an electric motor, and a battery pack, delivering around 598 horsepower. The transmission is a nine-speed automatic unit developed by the Russian firm KATE. This architecture supports both standard and armored variants while maintaining a consistent design language across the lineup.

Production of Aurus vehicles for the Kremlin garage occurs in Moscow, at the facilities of FSUE NAMI. Civilian variants began to appear in May 2021 at the Sollers factory in Yelabuga, where Edition models were introduced for broader markets. The branding and engineering approach aim to balance political stature with modern automotive technology, reflecting a push for domestic expertise in high-end mobility.

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