Lada XRAY against competitors: asphalt and dirt

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Lada XRAY is a model released by Auto VAZ in 2015. It is considered the second revolutionary novelty of the domestic automobile industry. Parts for the car were adopted from such foreign cars as Nissan and Renault. The manufacturer positions the Lada as a compact crossover. For those wishing to purchase a Lada X Rey, characteristics, descriptions, reviews become an important factor in making a decision.

Main characteristics

Lada X-Ray is a compact front-wheel drive crossover, equipped with several options of gasoline engines, designed for comfortable driving in urban and rural conditions, including light off-road conditions. This brief description coincides with the characteristics of cars of this class from foreign manufacturers, which are also a combination of the appearance of an SUV with an inexpensive, reliable passenger car platform.

Crossovers are not equipped with means for movement on real off-road conditions - winches, differential locking devices, or a mechanism for engaging low gears. Crossovers have borrowed from off-road vehicles only increased ground clearance, larger door openings and higher seats; the maximum borrowing from SUVs can be all-wheel drive.

To prevent skepticism from critics of AvtoVAZ products, let’s take a look at a schematic list of the Lada XRay’s equipment with equipment from well-known Western manufacturers who supply components and assemblies to global automotive brands and therefore have been chosen by the Russian concern as partners.

Main suppliers of Lada X-Ray

The widespread use of universal components from foreign companies with a narrow specialization and experience in their production is a long-standing justified practice of many Western automakers, who prefer not to be distracted by the independent development of minor parts from scratch, but to purchase them ready-made from companies with a reliable reputation. AvtoVAZ followed the same path, ensuring the maximum increase in quality for its products.

Most of the characteristics of the car should be determined by its purpose - Crossover Utility Vehicle (off-road vehicle), so we will review the Lada XRay crossover precisely from the point of view of compliance with the declared class, starting with dimensions and geometry.

Dimensions Lada X Ray

The dimensions of the car do not contradict its membership in the crossover family, but they add to the class the definition of “compact” - a compact crossover.

For clarity, let’s summarize the dimensions and main dimensions of the Lada XRay into a table:

The listed characteristics are sufficient only for choosing the size of a garage for XRay, so we will continue to get acquainted with its technical data, but with adjustments for the configuration of the internal combustion engine, of which there can be three options:

1. VAZ-21129 - volume 1.6 liters, 16 valves, 106 hp, combined with a 5-speed manual transmission (5 manual transmission).
2. VAZ-21179 - volume 1.8 liters, 16 valves, 122 hp, in combination with a 5-speed robotic automatic transmission (AMT), since the fall of 2016, a 5-speed manual transmission package is available.
3. HR16DE – Nissan power unit with a volume of 1.6 liters, 16 valves, 110 hp, in combination with a 5-speed manual transmission, has been discontinued since June 2016, installed only on the anniversary versions of the Lada XRay 50 Anniversary and Lada Vesta 50 Anniversary, limited to 500 copies.

Anniversary version – Lada XRay 50 Anniversary

The specified list of characteristics is far from complete, but it already allows us to evaluate the potential of the Lada XRay.

Let's consider the main components of the crossover, taking into account the experience gained by car owners based on the results of an annual test drive of the car on Russian roads.

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Lifan X50.
The gray interior of the Lifan is made of hard plastic. There are questions regarding ergonomics. The heater control unit takes some getting used to: there are coaxial temperature and fan speed controls. And the build quality is not the best. There are no questions about the gear shift mechanism, and the gear ratios are chosen well. Lifan X50. The gray interior of the Lifan is made of hard plastic. There are questions regarding ergonomics. The heater control unit takes some getting used to: there are coaxial temperature and fan speed controls. And the build quality is not the best. There are no questions about the gear shift mechanism, and the gear ratios are chosen well.

Lifan X50

• The pseudo-off-road hatchback Lifan X50 has been on sale since the summer of 2015. Built on a common platform with the Lifan Celliya sedan. There is no all-wheel drive version.
• Engine: petrol 1.5 l (103 hp) - from 499,900 rubles. (excluding options).

Externally, the Lifan X50 is quite good, although there is a bit of plagiarism: you can feel the motifs of the Opel Mokka crossover in it. It's a pity, the dark gray color neutralizes the nuances of the body lines. The interior is also fifty shades of gray. Only the scarlet instrument cluster catches the eye. A beautiful wrapper does not guarantee a tasty filling. Ergonomics will appeal only to fans of the aforementioned sensational novel who prefer an original pastime. The leatherette-covered driver's seat is set high and does not have a microlift. The side support rollers are too close together and rest unpleasantly on the lower back: after half an hour, the back begs for mercy. For drivers over 170 cm tall, part of the view is blocked by the ceiling falling towards the windshield. The steering wheel has a good cross-section, but is trimmed with too slippery plastic, and the audio system control buttons are located almost on the rim—I accidentally pressed them a couple of times. Against this background, you forgive other strange decisions. For example, blind seat heating buttons at the end of the cushion or handwheels for adjusting temperature and airflow intensity sitting on a common axis.

Exterior Lada X Ray

The appearance of the Lada XRay is spectacular - the use of X-design elements in the body design both in the front part and on the sides had an impact. Moreover, on the sides of the car this technique is used using embossing technology, creating a volumetric contour of the desired profile on the surface of the doors and wings. The effectiveness of this solution also has a downside - the difficulty of restoring the embossing contour after damage and premature wear of the paintwork on the edges (scuffs) when using a body contact wash.

The angle of the windshield and hood emphasize the dynamism of the car; the size of the arches allows the installation of larger tires than the standard ones on 16-inch wheels. It is quite appropriate, and without reducing the dynamic characteristics of the crossover, to have wheels with a diameter of 17 inches, declaring the power of the engine, but the price will be increased fuel consumption.

The unexpected absence of roof rails is disappointing, making it impossible to install a modern streamlined roof rack on the roof - a desirable attribute of a car of this class. But they are already present on the concept - Lada XRay Cross, planned to roll off the AvtoVAZ assembly line in 2022 and is distinguished, in addition, by the presence of a protective sports body kit made of black matte plastic around the perimeter of the body and increased ground clearance.

Trunk

The volume of the luggage compartment of the Lada XRay is 361 liters - quite acceptable for a crossover, especially since the design provides for the transformation of the luggage compartment by folding the rear seat backs, after which the capacity of the compartment increases to 1207 liters.

The advantages of the trunk include:

• high position of the trunk lid when open – preventing head injuries;
• electric drive of the lock – ease of opening (waterproof key);
• soft finishing, including a cover that protects luggage and body from damage;
• 12 volt socket – possibility of connecting an electric pump;
• backlight on the left side - ease of use in the dark;
• fastening eyes in the raised floor and slings for securing luggage.

Not without its drawbacks:

• small opening of the trunk lid - a limitation when transporting large cargo;
• small distance between the fastening eyes - it is inconvenient to tie slings under oversized luggage;
• insufficient strength of the false floor - it bends with a significant weight of luggage, and after dismantling, if you are on the road, there is nowhere to put it.

In a nutshell, there are much more positive impressions of the trunk than complaints about it.

Renault

About the Renault Duster, it must be said that it is classified as a compact crossover and is assembled on the VO platform, like the Sandero Stepway. But the latter belongs to hatchbacks with high ground clearance, as it has a direct analogue - the Renault Sandero.

Related articles:

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x Rey Lada prices news for today

The platform is still the same, the body is the same as the standard Sandero. And already here it is necessary to boldly state that the X Rey, as such, do not call it, still belongs more to the raised hatchbacks. This applies to both capabilities and classification.

A single-wheel drive model without an off-road body kit with only a body make-up different from the Sandero cannot be classified in the same category as the Duster. Remaining a hatchback adapted to domestic roads today is also not bad.

Salon

The first impression of the interior is comfort and high quality finishes. The plastic of the dashboard, although hard to the touch, fits well, is secured and does not creak. The seat covers are well sewn, combined - made of high-quality fabric with leatherette inserts, the steering wheel is equipped with thickenings for a comfortable grip and is covered with an artificial leather cover.

The deflectors on the front panel are highlighted with chrome-plated contours, are located accessible and functional.

The combination of instruments on the board is compact and informative, despite the futuristic design.

The size of the display allows you to read information without the use of glasses, and the air conditioning control panel located just below is clear and simple.

The front seats have enough adjustment options to accommodate any height or body size comfortably.

The pedal compartment is spacious, and the location of the pedals is optimal - large shoes do not touch the neighboring ones when you press the pedal.

And now a little about the sad. The view from the cabin leaves much to be desired:

• the “window sill line” is located a bit high;
• the wide bases of the A-pillars create blind spots;
• the side exterior mirrors are small and therefore not very informative (since the fall of 2016, AvtoVAZ has increased their size);
• The tailgate window is located high and is rather small in size, although this is compensated by the presence of a rear view camera and a parking sensor system;
• The side windows quickly become covered with vertical scratches from opening and closing.

There is not enough space in front of the rear seats if tall passengers sit in front.

The engine compartment is well insulated, and the wheel arches transmit the impact of every pebble into the cabin when driving on crushed stone.

And yet, the interior of the Lada X Ray impresses with quality and functionality, which AvtoVAZ products lacked for a very long time.

Trunk

The volume of the standard trunk of the Lada XRay is 361 liters - a decent figure, but still not enough for a crossover. In addition, there are other complaints about the trunk.

The body opening for the trunk lid is small and, moreover, due to the design of the rear lights, it is narrowed in width in the upper half. This imposes restrictions when loading oversized luggage.

The dimensions of the trunk lid glass do not provide sufficient visibility from the rear panorama from the cabin, so the manufacturer equipped the car with a parking sensor system and a rear view camera.

The floor in the luggage compartment is two-layer, the top layer is a removable false floor with eyelets at the corners for securing luggage. The strength of the raised floor is not designed for the transportation of heavy objects - under the influence of a load concentrated on a small area, it bends, and the close arrangement of the fastening eyes creates inconvenience when tying slings to them.

Under the raised floor there is a second bottom covered with a sheet of cardboard with a fleecy fabric trim. The distance between the trunk floors is 10-12 cm over its entire area, and the purpose of this space is uncertain. In addition, the material of the second floor is not waterproof.

Suspension

The basis for the development of the Lada X-Ray was the B0 platform - with geometric, static and dynamic characteristics that meet the real conditions of Russia. The front suspension is independent, with a subframe, the rear suspension is a beam with a track increased by 37 mm compared to the B0 chassis.

The layout of the springs and shock absorbers is a new development; attention is drawn to the use of original Mubea springs at the rear with modified end coils. The suspension is equipped with Tenecco gas shock absorbers.

Despite the listed advantages, there is duality in the behavior of the Lada XRay, depending on the road profile. On smooth surfaces, the crossover is predictable and perfectly controllable, but on a road with defects, the shocks of the suspension are transmitted to the steering wheel, and you begin to doubt your complete control over the control, especially when you feel rolls in corners. The Lada X-Ray suspension is strong enough for the conditions of Russian roads, but not comfortable enough to make these conditions imperceptible.

Optics

A serious drawback of equipping the Lada XRay with optics is the lensless block headlights, although they are already divided into low and high beam.

The fog lights do not have a beveled reflector that allows illumination of the roadside, and are installed too deep in the bumper sockets - dirt and snow from the road accumulate in these sockets along the way, and weak fog lamps (not LED) aggravate the poor lighting situation.

Attempts to independently adjust these headlights do not improve the situation.

The red fog lamp, installed in the center of the lower part of the rear bumper, due to the aerodynamic features of the Lada X-Ray, is covered in a layer of snow from the road in winter, and the engine exhaust only aggravates the situation.

Transmission

In the “Main characteristics” section of the Lada X Ray review, it was already said that, depending on the engine, the car is equipped with a 5-speed manual gearbox from Renault or a 5-level robotic automatic transmission (AMT) of AvtoVAZ’s own development with the participation of German engineers.

There are no questions about the operation of the manual transmission during operation - the speeds are switched on clearly, are fixed well, and when overtaking on the highway there are no delays in the dynamics of the car during switching, there are no complaints about the operation of the manual transmission even when driving out of ruts or holes.

But not everyone likes the nuances of operating a robotic machine. The transmission electronics must adapt to the individual driving style of the consumer, but this does not happen immediately. A considerable mileage is required before the driver understands the AMT switching algorithm - a certain correspondence between the speed value and the engine speed. Until this moment, switching gears is accompanied by a loss of dynamics lasting about 2 seconds, which creates dangerous inconveniences when overtaking, and therefore, on the highway, drivers prefer to switch the AMT operation to mechanical mode, fortunately, this possibility is provided by the design.

The clutch on the Lada XRay is installed with a single disc, its drive on the AMT is electromechanical (on the manual transmission it is hydraulic). Equipping the VAZ-21179 engine, the most powerful internal combustion engine of AvtoVAZ, with a single-disc robot cannot be called successful - the gearbox settings to switch to a higher gear when the engine reaches 2 thousand revolutions cut off the power of 122 horsepower.

Equipment

A review of the Lada X Ray crossover would be incomplete without at least briefly touching on the level of its equipment, which will give a head start to many foreign cars similar in price range. Front airbags, ABS and ESP systems are already installed in the basic version. It would be appropriate to say that today the crossover is already equipped with a button to turn off the dynamic stability system (ESP), and when overcoming clay or snowy areas, the settings allow wheels to slip.

Look at the Xray Optima+Comfort package in the picture below:

As for the top version - XRay Prestige, it is equipped with a modern multimedia system (instead of a 2-din base radio) with controls located on the steering wheel, an excellent rear view camera, full climate control, a heated windshield, navigation and many other useful and pleasant options .