After much hype, the new car of Russia's president is being shown off - it made a brief appearance during the inauguration when Vladimir Putin rode in it for several hundred meters. It'll be officially unveiled to the public in August at the Moscow Car Show. CGTN's Aljosa Milenkovic has more on the new pride of Russia.

Wherever the Russian president goes, attention follows. But these days, it's his new ride which is doing that. This is the YouTube video, filmed just days ago at one of the Kremlin gates with the president's new motorcade driving off. And there you'll see – the new AURUS limousine with its number 1 passenger, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin inside.

ALJOSA MILENKOVIC MOSCOW "It was right here behind me that the idea of Russian leaders riding in domestic cars was born almost a decade ago. According to various sources, it took not just years, but also up to 200 million US dollars to design and produce the new limo, which will represent the Russian Federation around the world."

This car is the top one from AURUS's line of exclusive vehicles. It will include SUVs, sedans, vans and motorcycles, with the idea to introduce them to serial production and sell them as one of the world's leading top of the range automobile brands.

DENIS MANTUROV RUSSIAN MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE "We all understand that the limousines would not be produced in their thousands, but in tens or hundreds of units. Sedans will be produced in the hundreds. SUVs will be the mass product, that's what our experience tells us. Those models are in high demand in Russia."

This is the man in charge of the vehicle hitting the market: long time Daimler Mercedes executive Gerhard Hilgert, now the CEO of AURUS. And he sees no problem in fighting well-positioned competition for AURUS's share of the cake.

GERHARD HILGERT CEO, AURUS LLC "That's not a problem you know. There is a simple rule in business: Competition keeps people fresh. So, we're coming in and don't want to take the total market. We just want to offer something new and then we'll see how people like luxury product with the Russian style coming from Russia. I think there is a segment in which is enough place for us on the market and we will be the new player. We'll see."

Although AURUS cars are seen here and there in Moscow, it still remains somewhat of a state secret. It hasn't been presented to the world officially and the media still has no access to it. But that doesn't stop the Russians from being proud of what they say is, by vast majority of its parts, developed and made in Russia. Because of that, a number of Russian automotive engineers who were working abroad had returned back home to work on this new line of cars.

With the President Putin as its impromptu promoter, AURUS already has gained much media attention, making its market entrance so much easier.

Just imagine how many people would love to drive the same car that Putin rides. Aljosa Milenkovic, CGTN, Moscow.