The GAZ Volga Siber (russian: Волга Сайбер) is a four-door sedan manufactured by the

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

n firm GAZ, introduced at the 2007 Moscow International Automobile Salon and marketed in a single generation for model years 2008 to 2010. Manufactured under license from Chrysler, the Siber used the superseded

platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...

and tooling from the second generation

Chrysler Sebring The Chrysler Sebring ( ) is a line of mid-size automobiles that was sold from 1995 through 2010 by Chrysler. Three generations of convertibles, two generations of sedans, and two generations of coupes were produced. Although the coupe shared the ...

/ Dodge Stratus with slight design modifications executed by the British studio UltraMotive to its grille and headlights. Other modifications were limited to a stiffer suspension and higher ground clearance.«Русский Chrysler» обрел имя — GAZ Siber
В названии новой модели «ГАЗа» сохранится слово «Волга»
/ref> The Siber was introduced at the start of the Global Economic Crisis of 2008, and though annual production of 40,000 vehicles had been planned, sales were not as expected and 9,000 had been manufactured by the time the Siber was discontinued after model year 2010.

Trim levels

Two trim levels were available: Comfort (with 2.0 or 2.4 litre engines), and Lux (2.4 L engine only). The base level had the 2.0 litre, 141 hp engine,

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

, driver and passenger airbags, ABS, a traction control system, halogen headlamps,

power steering A power steering is a mechanical device equipped on a motor vehicle that helps drivers steer the vehicle by reducing steering effort needed to turn the steering wheel, making it easier for the vehicle to turn or maneuver at lower speeds. Hydra ...

, adjustable steering column, electrically adjustable driver's side seating, a six-speaker amplified audio system, heated folding side mirrors, self-dimming interior

rear-view mirror A rear-view mirror (or rearview mirror) is a flat mirror in automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see rearward through the vehicle's rear window (rear windshield). In cars, the rear-view mirror is usually affixed to ...

, and a single-use spare tire.Группа ГАЗ представила новый легковой автомобиль
/ref> The more expensive "Lux" trim level had the more powerful 2.4 L, 143 hp engine, a leather interior, an anti-theft system, and front fog lamps.

Production

Production of the GAZ Siber began with a pilot batch on 28 March 2008, with a steady production level reached by 25 July 2008. Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

visited the factory on the eve of volume production, along with dignitaries from the state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. 20,000 Sibers were planned for production in 2008, with 40,000 planned for 2009. Eventual yearly production was desired to reach the plant capacity of 100,000 vehicles per year. On 29 August 2008, GAZ began fleet sales of the Siber, to government employees and businesses including Russian bank

Sberbank PJSC Sberbank (russian: Сбербанк, initially a contraction of russian: сберегательный банк, translit=sberegatelnyy bank, lit=savings bank, link=no) is a Russian majority state-owned banking and financial services compa ...

. The assembly tooling was dismantled in Detroit and shipped to Russia, where it was reassembled. The transplanted GAZ plant assembly line approximated the layout of the former Chrysler plant, with assembly workers having completed a comprehensive professional training program abroad. Engineers from

Magna International Magna International Inc. is a Canadian parts manufacturer for automakers. It is one of the largest companies in Canada and was recognized on the 2020 ''Forbes'' Global 2000. The company is the largest automobile parts manufacturer in North Americ ...

assisted in transfer of the assembly line and employee training. The first vehicle type to be manufactured in the new plant was the Siber. At first, mostly imported parts were used in vehicle assembly; domestic components were used only when their quality was at least as good as their imported counterparts. Engines were purchased from Chrysler. Plans were to bring local parts production levels to 50%. Head- and tail-lamps, bumpers and some panel components were produced locally at the start of production. All other parts were imported; the engine and electronics were produced at the Complejo Industrial Ramos Arizpe industrial centre in Saltillo,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

, and other parts in the USA. Volga Siber rear Moscow autoshow 2008 26 08

Due to the economic crisis in 2008 and 2009, demand for ''Siber'' fell and production ended in November 2010. In total, about 9,000 cars were produced during the 2008–2010 production run. The production of the older

GAZ-31105 The GAZ-31105 Volga is an automobile manufactured by the Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod ( GAZ, Gorky Automobile Plant) from 2004 to 2009 as a generation of its Volga marque. GAZ-31105 was a second stage of the GAZ-3110's modernisation, though the de ...

ended in summer 2010. In 2010, the passenger car assemblies of the GAZ factory were purchased by Volkswagen Group Rus, who started producing the Skoda Octavia in the plant. Other models like the

Škoda Yeti The Škoda Yeti (codenamed ''Typ'' 5L)ETKA, accessed 27 January 2010 is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto and introduced at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, as the carmaker's first entry into the SUV market. ...

and

Volkswagen Jetta The Volkswagen Jetta () is a compact car/ small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen since 1979. Positioned to fill a sedan niche above the firm's Golf hatchback, it has been marketed over seven generations, variously as the Atl ...

also started getting produced.>

Safety

The car scored 7.2 points out of 16 in a frontal crash test conducted by the Russian ARCAP safety assessment program in 2008, and was awarded two stars out of four.

References

External links

Volga Siber owners community (Russian)

«Группа ГАЗ» объявляет о готовности производственной линии к выпуску нового легкового автомобиля Siber

Здравствуй, Volga, здравствуй, Siber!
(« За рулём» magazine)
Своими глазами: Volga Siber - настоящее, прошлое, будущее статья Авторевю
{{GAZ timeline 1960-present GAZ Volga Sedans ARCAP large family cars Cars of Russia Cars introduced in 2008 2010s cars