Moskvich Starts Assembly of Two New M-Line Crossovers, the M70 and M90

Summary: the Moscow car plant Moskvich began knock-down assembly of two models of its new M product line, the Moskvich M70 and Moskvich M90 crossovers, on December 16, 2025, Interfax reported from the model presentation at the company's dealer conference. The M line supplements the existing portfolio, the cars have passed certification under Russian standards, and the start of sales is scheduled for the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The launch

The plant started large-unit assembly of the two M-line models on December 16, 2025, and the announcement was made at the dealer conference where the models were presented. The new line does not replace the current range: it supplements it, adding two crossovers above and alongside the models already in production.

Engines and drivetrains

Moskvich M70: turbocharged engines of 1.5 litres and 2.0 litres.
Moskvich M90: a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine.
Both models: a conventional nine-speed automatic transmission.
Moskvich M90: all-wheel drive; the M70 launches front-wheel drive, with an all-wheel-drive version to follow.

The existing line-up stays in the portfolio

The current Moskvich range, built on models of China's JAC, remains in the brand's portfolio: the Moskvich 3 crossover in its various versions, which accounts for about 80% of the brand's sales volume in Russia, the Moskvich 3e electric car, the Moskvich 6 sedan and the seven-seat Moskvich 8 crossover. The M line is therefore an addition to a working range rather than a restart of it.

Partner, emblem and positioning

General director Elena Frolova (Елена Фролова) told the dealer conference that the auto industry has always been and will remain a global business, and that the development spiral of the Moskvich brand, like that of many of the strongest car companies, repeatedly passes through contact with partners: first Ford, then Renault, and now the current stage, about which she said that happiness and money love silence and that the company's cars will speak for it. She did not name the new partner whose technologies underlie the M line, but stressed that neither at the start of the journey nor now does Moskvich simply re-badge models.

Media had reported that the new technology partner of the Moscow plant is China's state-owned Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), with the MG HS crossover named as the prototype of the M70 and the MG RX9/QS as the prototype of the seven-seat M90. The models received their own M emblem, in which, by tradition, one can recognise a tooth of the Kremlin wall, and production of these cars started on the day of the presentation, said Sergei Kogogin (Сергей Когогин), general director of PAO KAMAZ, the technology partner of Moskvich, adding that for the project Moskvich chose the best and most optimal solutions to match the realities of the Russian market.

Certification, sales start and dealer network

The press service of Moskvich notes that the cars of the new line have passed certification and tests in accordance with Russian standards. The start of sales of the M models is scheduled for the end of the first quarter of 2026. The brand's dealer network currently counts 91 dealer centres in 60 Russian cities.

The launch lands in a difficult sales year for the brand: according to Avtostat, Moskvich sales in Russia fell 29% in January-November 2025, to 14.2 thousand units, with more than 80% of that volume accounted for by the Moskvich 3. The M line is the company's answer to that concentration, widening the range into higher segments before the 2026 selling season.