LADA

Lada Azimut: If it weren't for the war in Ukraine, this Russian SUV would have been available across Europe this year

Lada is trying to open a new chapter after years marked by sanctions and technological problems. The new Azimut brings a modern SUV look, richer equipment and the ambition to bring the Russian brand closer to the standards offered today by Dacia and similar European manufacturers.

Serial production of the Lada Azimut at AvtoVAZ's main plant in Tolyatti is set to begin in September, and the new model is expected to go on sale before the end of this year.

AvtoVAZ will be able to produce up to 70,000 of this crossover annually. This was announced by Sergei Chemezov, head of the state corporation Rostec (AvtoVAZ's largest shareholder), who expressed confidence that the new model will improve the image of the Russian automotive industry among consumers.

The Lada Azimut should cost less than 20 million rubles or around 20,000 euros in Russia, which is acceptable considering the vehicle's dimensions and equipment. The length is 4.42 m, the width is 1.84 m, the height is 1.61 m, and the wheelbase is 2.67 meters.

Due to the harsh winters, with heavy snow drifts, Russian cars usually have higher ground clearance than others. For sedans, it is an average of 17 cm, for Azimut it is almost 21 cm. 18-inch wheels are standard.

The quality of materials and manufacturing precision have been improved, and nanotechnologies have also been applied. The precision is on the order of 0.2 millimeters. The appearance is in line with current trends in the global automotive industry and is defined by diode light clusters and a general futuristic form.

The suspension is typical for the class of people's vehicles. The front has a McPherson suspension, the rear has a torsion beam. The Russian company Itelma supplies ABS and electronic stability control. Automatic braking and lane change control systems are also installed as standard.

In front, typical for this era, two screens with a diagonal of 10 inches are connected, both of which are made in Russia. As everyone knows, one is used to display the speedometer and tachometer, the other is a control and is touch-sensitive. Automatic air conditioning, a six-speaker audio system with voice commands are standard, and all devices are products of the Russian companies Zber and Navio. The list of additional equipment includes automatic dual-zone air conditioning, a panoramic roof, an automatic opening of the tailgate and cameras that record at an angle of 360 degrees.

Only gasoline and no electrification for now... At launch, the Azimut will only be offered with gasoline engines. Three options are planned: a 1.6 naturally aspirated engine with 120 hp, a 1.8 with 132 hp, and later, a 1.5 turbo with 150 hp. For the transmission, a six-speed manual gearbox, a CVT automatic, or a conventional automatic exclusively for the most powerful engine will be used.

The SUV uses an updated version of the Vesta platform, already in production since 2015 and revised in 2022. Ground clearance is 208 mm, sufficient to handle potholes and uneven surfaces without problems. The chassis has been revised in terms of rear suspension, and there are approximately 1,000 new or modified components compared to the original base.

The company's director Maksim Sokolov said that they chose atmospheric engines because maintenance is 50 percent cheaper than turbocharged engines. However, there is also a 1.5-liter turbo engine on offer, which develops 150 hp and 300 Nm, and in the basic model there is an atmospheric 1.6-liter engine that develops 122 hp and 154 Nm. The more powerful 1.8-liter version develops 132 hp and 178 Nm. All engines have four cylinders and are connected to a manual transmission with six gears.

Lada and Aurus are completely Russian products, unlike Moskvich and Volga. The Azimut model was designed by Nikiforov, Suslov, Suslayev and Glotov. The Russians have so far sold more than 200,000 Granta models annually on the local market, and with the Azimut they could eventually surpass those results.

Despite its off-road styling, the drive will initially be front-wheel drive only. Lada, however, speaks of "off-road capability" and an "all-terrain concept," leaving the door open for a future all-wheel drive version.

Autonews