On August 28, 2026, Vladimir Putin visited the Nizhny Novgorod automotive cluster, where the president inspected the new Volga cars and took a ride in it. The head of state was shown various models: the K50 and K40 crossovers and the S50 business sedan. He also inspected the car assembly line. In addition to the plant’s employees, the president was accompanied by Maxim Oreshkin, deputy head of the presidential administration; Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Industry and Trade; Igor Komarov, presidential envoy to the Volga Federal District; and Gleb Nikitin, governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region.

The creation of Volga is a key project for the development of the Nizhny Novgorod automotive cluster. As part of the localization of vehicles in the region, new component production facilities are being established: stamping of body parts, production of engines, transmissions, and plastic parts for the exterior and interior of the car, the cluster’s press service reports.

The first new Volga cars appeared in December 2025, and serial production began in April 2026. Sales of the car began in June 2026. The price of the K40 crossover starts at 2.85 million rubles, the K50 starts at 4.35 million rubles, and the S50 sedan starts at 3 million rubles. The Volga was produced by JSC “Production of Passenger Cars”.

Putin drove a Volga K50 crossover to the building of the engine plant, which is located on the territory of the automotive cluster. Production there began in 2025. The plant produces lightweight diesel engines for various vehicles. The volume of investments in the enterprise amounts to 14 billion rubles, including preferential loans from the Industrial Development Fund in the amount of 8.7 billion rubles..

In Nizhny Novgorod, the president also held a meeting with engineers from the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ). The president was told about the modular platform, which provides the possibility of implementing various vehicle layout schemes. For example, you can vary the roof height, add cargo and passenger bodies, create models with all‑wheel, front‑wheel, or rear‑wheel drive, and install any type of power plant — gasoline, diesel, gas, hydrogen, electric, or hybrid, the GAZ press service reported.

Prior to that, Putin spoke at the plenary session of the “Strong Ideas for a New Era” forum in Nizhny Novgorod. The event is timed to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the ASI.