After almost twenty years since production ceased, the leading automobile brand of the former state, Yugo, is once again in the spotlight. The project to revive this brand is led by a Serbian entrepreneur and university professor with a German address Aleksandar Bjelicwhich is also the owner of the rights to the brand name. After the initial design model was shown last year in Munich, new details of the strategy and technical specifications were officially revealed at the SEE Automotive conference in Belgrade.
A cheap hybrid
The main advantage of the new model, as announced, will be affordability. The Yugo was conceived and positioned as a vehicle that, with an announced price of around 12,000 euros, could take the title of one of the cheapest new cars on the European market. With its characteristics, the project aims to attract customers who are looking for an economical and modern solution for everyday driving.
According to the announcement, the new Yugo should use an advanced hybrid drive with range extender technology (range extender). At the same time, the internal combustion engine acts as a generator for the production of electricity, so due to this configuration, the car will not depend on the development of charging stations and public infrastructure, as it functions without any need for an external cable and classic charging on the electrical network (a concept used by some other manufacturers, such as Nissan).
Thanks to the described technological solution, the vehicle should have very high energy efficiency. According to the presented (very optimistic) data, the expected fuel consumption under ideal conditions should be at the level of only 2.2 liters per 100 kilometers, which would place this vehicle among the most economical vehicles in its class.
Design and development plans
In terms of external appearance, the car remains faithful to the visual solution of the study from 2025, whose design is signed by Darko Marcheta from Zrenjanin. It is a compact three-door hatchback model that, with its clear retro lines and sporty character, tries to keep the recognizable spirit of the original model, but in a modern version.
The next major phase in the development of the project is planned for 2027, when the first functional prototype ready to drive should be publicly demonstrated at the international exhibition Expo in Belgrade. The question of the exact location of the future serial production officially remains open for now, since the former facilities of the Zastava factory in Kragujevac are no longer available, as they are now owned by the Stellantis automobile concern.