Putin takes the wheel of a new Volga at the Nizhny Novgorod plant

During a visit to Nizhny Novgorod, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally got behind the wheel of a new Volga-brand SUV and drove it around the plant's grounds, between the production buildings. A female employee of the plant rode alongside him.

Before the drive, Putin also signed his autograph on one of the cars coming off the line and toured the production facility itself, which is now housed at the site of a former Volkswagen assembly plant.

Flagship of a revived brand

The K50 is the flagship model of the revived Volga brand — one of the most recognisable names from the Soviet auto industry. According to industry experts, the car is built on a Chinese automotive platform, meaning it is effectively a Russian version of a design originally developed in China.

In addition to touring the car plant, Putin also visited Nizhny Novgorod's new Volga Arena sports complex and met with the region's governor, Gleb Nikitin.

Source: novinky.cz