Ukraine’s KrASZ Launches Geely Assembly

VIENNA – OOO Kremenchugsky Avtosborochny Zavod (KrASZ), the Ukrainian assembler of OAO AvtoVAZ, Ssangyong Motor Co. Ltd. and First Auto Works Group Corp. (FAW) vehicles, begins assembly of Geely Group Co. Ltd. cars.

KrASZ assembles the Geely CK sedan from semi-knocked-down kits sourced from China. The car is powered by a 94-hp, 1.5L 4-cyl. gasoline engine and is base priced at $8,950 in the Ukraine.

Plans call for the assembly of about 2,000 CKs this year. KrASZ’s Kremenchug-based plant assembled 19,412 vehicles last year, including 17,373 Lada cars, 370 Ssangyong SUVs and 1,655 FAW commercial vehicles.

KrASZ’s General Manager Nikolay Chernysh says the auto maker plans to add assembly of two other Geely models by next year.

Geely is the second Chinese vehicle brand to be built in the Ukraine. ZAO ZAZ, the country’s largest car maker, launched assembly of Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. cars last fall.

KrASZ last December assembled two FAW C1 hatchbacks on a trial basis, but there is no official word on whether the company will begin production of FAW cars on a wider scale.