Esteo MX enters the Russian market: pre-orders open and full price list

The recommended retail price of the entry-level version of the young "local" brand's crossover is 3,990,000 roubles.

One of the joint projects between the Russian holding company "AGR" and the Chinese firm Defetoo has been the launch of a new brand on the Russian automotive market, which has been given the name Esteo. Under this banner, the manufacturer intends to sell models from a wide range of segments. Just recently, pre-orders opened for the rugged crossover with the V27 index, and now the brand's line-up has been joined by the urban mid-size SUV Esteo MX, which was first announced back in May.

Production of the SUV has been set up at the plant in Shushary (Saint Petersburg) owned by the "AGR" holding. Dealers of the brand in Russia have already begun collecting pre-orders for the crossover, and its prices are now known. The Esteo MX is offered in two trims – "Premium" and "Flagship". The recommended retail price of the entry-level version is 3,990,000 roubles, while the top-spec variant costs 4,290,000 roubles (prices are quoted without taking current discounts into account).

For those who need reminding, the "donor" for the Esteo MX is the Exeed MX crossover (a brand owned by Chery), which is essentially the pure-petrol version of the Exeed Sterra E05. In China, this SUV arrived in November 2025 with a series hybrid setup of the range-extender type, where the internal combustion engine is used only as a generator for the traction battery. Underpinning this model is the Exeed TXL SUV, which until very recently could also be bought in Russia, although it has now disappeared from the brand's official local website.

Under the bonnet of the all-wheel-drive Esteo MX crossover sits a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 197 bhp, with a maximum torque of 375 Nm. The engine works in conjunction with a conventional eight-speed automatic gearbox. The top speed of this SUV is 210 km/h, it takes 9.2 seconds to sprint from standstill to 100 km/h, and fuel consumption in the combined cycle is 9.2 litres per 100 km. Up front, the Esteo MX features MacPherson strut suspension, while at the rear there is a multi-link setup.

The overall length of the SUV is 4,775 mm, its width is 1,890 mm, its height is 1,725 mm, and the wheelbase measures 2,800 mm. Ground clearance is 200 mm. The boot capacity of the Esteo MX is 470 litres, which can be expanded to 1,456 litres with the rear seats folded down. The model is fitted with either 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels (depending on the version).

In front of the driver inside the cabin sits a two-spoke multifunction steering wheel with a flattened bottom rim, behind which is a virtual instrument cluster with a 12.3-inch diagonal. A touchscreen of the same size is positioned in front of the front passenger. In the centre of the dashboard is the infotainment system's touchscreen, which measures 15.6 inches diagonally. The model is also equipped with a wireless smartphone charging pad (50 W output) featuring reminder and cooling functions.

The Esteo MX comes with a range of safety systems, a suite of driver assistance features, a panoramic sunroof with electric operation and a blind, a ventilated storage box in the central armrest, front seats with a massage function, a built-in telematics system, and a Boya Melody sound system with a subwoofer and 14 or 21 speakers (depending on the version). The winter pack includes: heated door mirrors, heated windscreen, heated windscreen washer jets, heated steering wheel, heated seats for four occupants, as well as remote engine start and cabin pre-heating functions.