AUTONEWS

The heavy sanctions imposed on Russia because of the war force its automotive industry to produce cars with technology from more than a decade ago

Russians know what it's like to live isolated from the rest of the world, at least if they're old enough to remember the Soviet era. At the moment, Russia is the most sanctioned country in the world, even more so than North Korea, and its economy has not fallen further because its government does not admit it, and softens the situation. AvtoVAZ is a good example of how things are going there.

The LADA brand was under Renault's control until the French had to strike off all assets in Russia in exchange for a ruble, handing the company over to the Kremlin-dependent Russian Automotive Scientific Research Center (NAMI). LADA is once again a state brand.

For weeks, changes were made to the LADA Granta Classic in order to be able to manufacture it again without those parts that made it a modern car. In this way, the Toliatti factory was able to get back up and running and offer the cheapest car in Russia, among other things due to the lack of competitors.

The Classic version was the cheapest of the Granta, now it's the only one. It is offered in three bodies: liftback, sedan and station wagon, with an old 90 hp petrol engine that does not exceed the Euro 3 emission standard. It is solace that it announces a consumption of 15.4 km/l and admits gasoline of 92 octane.

Billed as the 'anti-sanctions car', its prices start at 658,300 rubles, about 59,000 reais, getting a little cheaper than the preview version. The commercial offer includes a discount of 20,000 rubles (1,800 reais) for financing and delivery of a car at the exchange. It even has a three-year warranty.

The bad part is that it doesn't have airbags, ABS brakes, stability control and seat belt pretensioners. Nor does it have a sound system, although it has the pre-installation and four speakers. Of course there is no sophistication like GPS navigator or things like that. These components are not made in Russia.

The new Lada Granta Classic comes as standard with elements that were previously typical of higher versions, such as door moldings, door handles and mirror housings painted in the body color. Standard wheels are 14-inch steel with hubcaps, but 15-inch wheels are optional.

At least it comes with electric power steering, electric front windows, ISOFIX, daytime running lights, trip computer and central locking. It is advertised as an improved version in terms of comfort and design. By his side, even the Romanian Dacia Logan can be considered 'full equip'.

It is the response to a brutal crisis situation in Russia as a result of the sanctions. The country is trying to stimulate the supply chain and be self-sufficient with an injection of 30 billion rubles, around 2.7 billion reais. The Chinese joker didn't work, they don't want to export anything to the Russians that is subject to sanctions to avoid problems.

In addition to the Lada Granta Classic, we know that there is an intention to resurrect the Renault Duster with LADA emblems. This model was being manufactured in Moscow, at the factory that Renault lost, where they also want to manufacture Moskvicht models again, possibly with some basis from the Chinese manufacturer JAC.

During a good season, the Russian market will have a very scarce and basic offer. If we compare May sales with last year's, they plummeted 83.5% and car prices soared to absurd levels. Granta is easily able to remain number 1 in the Russian market, especially if there is no competition.

The Russian economy has been hit hard despite record revenues from the sale of oil and gas. Official inflation is 17.1%, the official projection of GDP decline is 7.8%, although independent analysts believe it will fall by 30%.