An "elite" car was unveiled in Russia, but it turned out to be Chinese

The Senat 900 sedan was unveiled for the first time at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum; Russian authorities and the media are positioning it as a new domestic “executive-class” car. However, behind the flashy label lies a significant detail: the so-called pride of the Russian auto industry turned out to be a copy of the Chinese Hongqi H9, which has been in mass production in China since 2020. 

This was reported by the news outlet UNIAN, citing an article by Ilya Vedmedenko dated June 4, 2026.

The car’s technical specifications include a 3.0-liter engine with 326 horsepower, allowing it to accelerate to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds. Russian developers claim that the Senat 900 will feature an original interior design, improved sound insulation, and a fully Russified multimedia system. Moreover, there are plans to create an entire line of vehicles based on this platform in the future, with the first models expected to hit the roads as early as this summer.

The presentation of yet another “import substitution” product sparked a wave of outrage and sarcasm even among Russian social media users due to the blatant rebranding of Chinese badges and an unjustified price markup. The expected price of the Senat 900 will be around 12 million rubles (over $160,000), which is exactly twice as expensive as the original base Hongqi H9, which is freely sold on the Russian market for 5.8 million rubles. For that amount, buyers are essentially being offered only a modified grille and an updated logo, which calls into question the feasibility of such localization.

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