What Exactly Is The Aurus Senat, The Car Vladimir Putin Recently Gifted Kim Jong Un?

The two heads of state were seen enjoying driving the Senat during Putin’s visit to North Korea

The official car for a head of state is ideally built by a carmaker established in the same country. For Russian president Vladimir Putin, the car in question is the Aurus Senat Limousine, with additional armour of course. It seems he has found a fan for the Senat in another head of state – Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader Of North Korea. In his recent visit to Pyongyang (North Korea), Putin gifted an Aurus Senat to his diplomatic buddy and both went for a drive too, taking turns behind the wheel. In fact, this is the second Senat gifted by the Russian President to Kim this year: the first one, delivered in early 2024, was in the same extended limousine avatar as used by Putin, that has a longer wheelbase and more space. While Kim Jong Un is reportedly an enthusiast of luxury cars, let’s see what makes the Aurus Senat worthy of being a gift for a world leader:

What Is Aurus?

In case you’ve never heard of the car brand called Aurus until today, it’s totally understandable as long as you’re not a resident of Russia. The brand was established following Putin's directive to create a Russian luxury presidential vehicle. Aurus’ first product was the Senat luxury sedan, which started production in 2018 and is available in three forms: the standard Senat (as seen driven by Vladimir and Kim), Senat Long, and Senat Limousine (as used by Putin and now Jong Un as well).

Let’s take a closer look at the Senat itself.

Senat Exterior Design

The Senat has picked up the nickname of the “Russian Rolls-Royce,” but this statement can be seen as both a compliment and a comparison. Its bold grille seems to take inspiration from the older Rolls-Royce Phantom, with vertical chrome slats and a prominent Aurus badge. The LED headlamps are a mix of sleek and circular shapes with integrated DRLs. The lower front bumper includes large air intakes.

In profile, the Senat’s has a bold and pronounced presence with tinted (and bulletproof) windows with a chrome strip along the bottom edge and around the windows. Large, robust-looking alloy wheels enhance its elegance as a state vehicle.

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The Senat’s rear is just as elegant and uncluttered as the front, with tiered LED taillamps in a design similar to what was seen on Bentleys. 

Senat Interior & Features

The true luxury nature of the Aurus Senat is immediately seen in the cabin. Even in the regular length avatar that was recently being driven by Vladimir and Kim, it has plush leather upholstery for comfort, along with wooden inlays around the cabin. The dashboard features an integrated housing for the digital instrument cluster and central infotainment touchscreen, with the climate control console being the least premium-looking element.

In the rear, you get lounge seats for a total seating capacity of four. These seats are separated by a fixed console with climate controls and fold out tables, and entertainment screens mounted to the back of the front seats. Every seat is power-adjustable, with the rear seats likely offering a massage function as well.

In the Limousine version that is the official car for Putin, you even get the option and space for rearward facing seats. These seats are likely for security staff or political aides as these are not as comfortable. It still gets a rear screen for infotainment and controls, while the ambient lighting package elevates the cabin experience.

Aurus has not clearly stated the full list of features offered with the Senat, but it certainly covers the basics you’d expect from a luxury offering. The cabin colour schemes are customisable, and in both forms, you get a privacy screen that can isolate the rear passengers from the front of the cabin.

Aurus Senat Performance

As a car fit for heads of state, the Aurus Senat has to pack enough performance to be able to move swiftly, especially in high-risk scenarios. Well, that’s exactly what it has with a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol-hybrid powertrain making up to 598 PS and 880 Nm. The output is distributed to all four wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission. Combined, Aurus claims a 0-100 kmph sprint time of 6 seconds for the regular Senat, which explains some of the reason behind the smiles behind Vladimir and Kim when they were driving it.

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Safety

Given that the Aurus Senat was built as an armoured luxury sedan from the start, its safety net goes beyond the usual kit of airbags, ADAS and seat belts with pretensioners. It is safest in the Limousine form, it has VR10-level ballistic protection rating, 20-inch bullet-proof wheels, fire and explosion-proof fuel tank, fire extinguishing and air filtration systems, external communication system, and emergency exit.

Did Kim Jong Un Like It?

When Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted the first Aurus Senat to Kim Jong Un, the official state media for the Democratic People’s Republic Of Korea (North Korea) stated that their supreme leader had liked it. This latest video of them driving it also shows that they both enjoy the Senat in its regular size as well. Although luxury vehicle imports to North Korea are officially banned by the UN, Kim Jong Un is reported to own a fleet of luxury cars including Mercedes-Maybach sedan, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Lexus SUVs, and now a pair of Aurus Senats.

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