Yandex repackages Chinese GAC S7 as 5-million-ruble UMO 8 hybrid
A masterclass in domestic tech: taking a ready-made import, gluing a new logo on the steering wheel, and calling it a day. Meet the peak of automotive cloning that definitely didn't just sail across the border in a shipping container.
EVM and contract manufacturer Moskvich rolled out the UMO 8 crossover under the tech sponsorship of Yandex and its new electro-mobility division. The vehicle is a cloned version of the Chinese GAC S7 hybrid, which already sells in the region, but this localized marvel somehow costs less than the original import at five million rubles.
The vehicle hides a complex hybrid setup under its hood, pairing a 156-horsepower petrol engine with two electric motors to output a combined 340 horsepower. This mechanical setup allows drivers to escape the terror of empty charging stations with a total range of 867 kilometers, while cleverly dodging high tax brackets by registering only the electric motors' average output of 122 horsepower.
Inside, the Chinese hardware gets a heavy coat of domestic software paints, integrating the Alisa voice assistant to control everything from heated seats to trunk opening. Designers also threw in a split-screen navigation map and HUD projections to make the cabin feel like a spaceship, even if the structural bones are pure Chinese imports.
This model follows previous attempts to conquer the streets, including the smaller UMO 5 which turned out to be a rebadged GAC Aion Y Plus, and the heavily camouflaged UMO 3 hatchback currently undergoing road testing in Moscow.
The dream of building an independent automotive industry has officially evolved into a high-stakes game of find-the-difference with Chinese manufacturers. As long as the logo stickers do not peel off in the winter cold, this sticker-engineering strategy will continue to power the local tech pride.
Source: CarNewsChina
Comments
This is where the magic happens: AI reads your discussion and rewrites the article based on the most interesting comments. Each strong comment adds points to the meter below. Once the meter is full, the article updates live — no page reload needed.