LADA at MIAS-2016: 6 NEW CONCEPTS and NEW VESTA MODIFICATIONS
At the international Moscow motor show "MIAS-2016" LADA presents a unique exposition. The LADA stand became the largest in the entire history of the brand - 2 thousand square meters. m., it presents the largest number of exhibits - 19, of which the largest number of concepts - 6. The exhibition shows potential directions for the development of the LADA model range, new versions of popular production cars, as well as current production and sports modifications.
Conceptual LADA XCODE Concept
LADA XCODE Concept is a car that demonstrates the possible development of the LADA model range and a new design concept based on the X-style. XCODE Concept is made within the framework of design DNA, which has already been successfully implemented in production vehicles Vesta and XRAY.
The car concept provides for a number of promising solutions, incl. the use of a turbo engine and all-wheel drive transmission, as well as the LADA Connect telematics platform, which allows you to control car systems using a smartphone, and in the future use cloud services from the car.
Conceptual Cross
LADA Vesta Cross Concept Sedan
A sedan as a crossover is a conceptual solution that is unique not only for the Russian, but also for the global automotive market. The growing demand for cross-versions, combined with the traditional Russian commitment to status sedans, can give rise to the development of a truly original car. The LADA Vesta Cross Concept sedan is equipped with a special body kit that protects the body enamel on light off-road conditions. The vehicle concept provides for increased ground clearance and larger wheels, which increases the off-road potential of the LADA Vesta sedan.
LADA XRAY Cross Concept
The LADA XRAY Cross Concept differs from its production prototype in its all-terrain body kit. These are door sills, arch extensions, bumper covers. A similar body kit that protects the body enamel on light off-road conditions is used today on the serial Kalina and Largus in the Cross modification.
LADA Vesta SW Cross Concept
Concept station wagon, shown for the first time in 2015. This is an example of the development of the LADA Vesta project and the interpretation of the new X-shaped LADA style in the format of an all-terrain station wagon. The dynamic silhouette of the LADA Vesta SW Cross Concept is combined with increased ground clearance and a developed body kit made of unpainted plastic. Together with the stamped X-style elements on the sidewalls, the off-road linings give the car a sporty, muscular and proportional appearance. It is noteworthy that the concept station wagon uses rear lights that are unified with the sedan.
Conceptual Sport
LADA Vesta Sport Concept
LADA Vesta Sport Concept demonstrates the rich potential of the best-selling sedan. The body and interior of the concept are made in racing style. The car is equipped with a suspension with racing settings - the experience of participation of LADA teams in world-class competitions is used, incl. in the WTCC Touring Car Championship. Let us remind you that in June 2016, the LADA Sport Rosneft factory team made a winning double at the home stage in Russia.
LADA XRAY Sport Concept
The concept car illustrates the possible development of the line of production LADAs with souped-up engines and racing style. The LADA XRAY SPORT Concept engine is based on a serial 1.8-liter engine, which is currently installed on the LADA XRAY. Refinement and retuning of the engine can increase its power from the standard 122 hp. up to 145-150 hp The car's suspension was lowered and received sport settings.
The LADA Vesta Sport Concept and LADA XRAY Sport Concept were created within the framework of a unified strategy for sports versions of LADA - similarly modified Kalina Sport and Granta Sport are currently being produced.
New modifications of serial LADAs
LADA Vesta CNG Taxi
A promising modification of the LADA Vesta, which allows the use of two types of fuel: compressed natural gas (methane) and gasoline. Operating on compressed natural gas allows you to reduce fuel costs by more than 3 times. This is very important for corporate transport and taxi fleets - that is why the LADA Vesta CNG is made in a taxi version. Methane is more environmentally friendly and less explosive than propane and gasoline. In addition, running on natural gas increases the service life of the engine.
LADA Vesta Signature
An extended sedan designed to perform executive functions. The main feature of the car is an additional 20 cm of space for rear row passengers. Instead of a rear sofa, there are two comfortable armchairs with an armrest between them. LADA Vesta Signature is a car that is created in accordance with the individual requirements of the customer. At the request of the future owner, the car can be equipped with a multimedia system with high performance; Interior trim is also made to order.
LADA Vesta 1.8 AMT Exclusive
A modification that is being prepared for production today. Its difference is a new power unit (a similar one is installed on the LADA XRAY). 1.8-liter LADA engine with 122 hp. equipped with an electronic variable valve timing (VVT) system. The car is equipped with both a manual transmission and an automated manual transmission (AMT) - a joint development of LADA and the German company ZF. AMT is calibrated to adapt to individual driving style.
The new Exclusive modification is complemented by such options as leather upholstery of seats, steering wheel, interior lighting in the passenger and driver’s feet, chrome moldings on the doors, etc.
LADA 4×4 Pick-up "Hunter"
Pickup truck based on LADA 4×4 with a modernized chassis and additional equipment for hunting. The car demonstrates the potential of tuning LADA 4x4 upon special order.
The serial model range is represented by Vesta and XRAY models, AND ALSO by cars of the Kalina and Largus families. These cars can not only be viewed at the LADA stand, but also tested at the site next to the exhibition pavilion. It is worth noting that some cars are made in promising configurations. For example, the LADA Vesta with a manual transmission and a 1.8-liter engine is presented, and the XRAY crossover received cruise control and an ESC shutdown function.
In addition, the LADA sports line is demonstrated at MIAS - the Vesta sedan, which takes part in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), and the small-scale Kalina Sport, Granta Sport and Kalina NFR. The LADA 4x4 family is represented by two small-scale versions - the Marsh swamp vehicle and the five-door LADA 4x4 Urban, which went on sale this year.
Let us remind you that the car show will last from August 24 to September 4 and takes place at the Crocus Expo IEC. The LADA stand is located in hall No. 14.
The first Lada Cross 2022 crossover has been presented: is this what the SUV from AvtoVAZ will look like?
They have been talking about the fact that AvtoVAZ will release the first crossover for a long time, because the Lada X-Ray in the current generation cannot be called a full-fledged SUV. AvtoVAZ representatives claim that the new crossover should join the LADA lineup in the next few years. This will happen when the transition of current AvtoVAZ models to the new CMF-B platform is completed. Representatives of the domestic company themselves do not disclose details about the new product. The only thing that is known is that the model will be classified in the budget segment.
Most likely, the Russian new product will be another compact SUV. In other words, at the moment it is too early to expect that AvtoVAZ will put into production a full-fledged 7-seater crossover. Despite the above, the body of the Lada Cross 2022 can be assessed now. A domestic designer published a series of rendering images online. In his opinion, the new Lada will be based on the Vision 4x4 model, which was presented as a concept. It is noteworthy that there is already a corresponding video on the Russian new product on our Youtube channel Naavtotrasse.ru.
Considering the above, we can make the assumption that the new cross will retain the characteristic X-shaped stampings on the side parts of the body. A number of experts have suggested that AvtoVAZ will soon abandon this style of car design. This is supported by the suspension of the activities of the design department of the Volzhsky Automobile Plant, as well as the departure of Steve Mattino, who developed the design of modern Lada models. The presented cross borrowed the characteristic head optics from the Vision 4×4, where the LED strips form the letter X.
The new product also borrows from the concept a massive radiator grille along the perimeter of which there is a stylish metal edging. Despite significant similarities in appearance, the new model has a number of differences from the concept. So the new product will be able to boast of powerful metal protection attached directly under the air intake. The roofline of the SUV will receive a more pronounced curve, which will give the car a sporty look. At the rear of the crossover there will be optics characteristic of the model range. The trunk lid itself is similar in style to the one installed on the X-Ray.
The technical part of the new Russian crossover raises questions. This is due to the fact that AvtoVAZ has not yet decided what type of engines the latest Lada models will be equipped with. A few months ago, sources close to the Volzhsky plant reported that Renault Clio was being tested at the production facilities. These same sources made it clear that French engines will be adapted for Russian cars in the future. In other words, the future new product may receive a 1.0-liter turbo engine with 100 horsepower, or a 1.3-liter internal combustion engine with 150 horsepower. It is also possible that AvtoVAZ will equip its new product with a turbodiesel.
Lada 4×4 Vision concept
We are talking about a 1.5-liter turbodiesel with an output of 85 horsepower. More expensive versions will boost this setup to 115 hp. As for the hybrid engine that is installed on the Clio, its appearance in the new Lada model is unlikely. Another development of events is also possible. Some time ago, the media reported that AvtoVAZ could adapt the current engine line to the CMF-B platform. If this happens, the new domestic crossover will be equipped with 1.6 and 1.8 liter engines with output of 106 and 122 hp, respectively. It is also possible that the Russian model will receive a 113-horsepower 1.6-liter engine from Nissan. Author: Oleg Mokrov
Serial crossover Lada XCODE – all the details
Recently, AVTOVAZ has accustomed us to the fact that it presents concept cars for a reason. Yes, the first concept car of the new era, shown in 2012 Lada Xray, did not become a production car - the real X-Ray, as we know, looks different - but it clearly set a new corporate style that Lada will follow in the near future . XCODE is the second stage in the evolution of this style. But more importantly, it looks much closer to a production car than the first concept.
Take a closer look, in XCODE there really is not a single deliberately “conceptual” element, which were present in Xray-2012 (just remember its interior), and almost everything, with minor exceptions, looks as if it does not require adaptation to mass production at all. Moreover, the “Concepts” section has appeared on the official AVTOVAZ website, where all six concept cars shown at MIAS 2016 are present, and X-Code is given first place in the list.
According to the tradition that occurs with other manufacturers, cars from the “Concepts” section very often migrate over time to the main model range. In addition to the X-Code, in this section Lada has cars that are sure to become serial - sports and “cross” modifications of Vesta and Xray.
Actually, most of the doubts were dispelled by Nicolas More, who at the end of August 2016 told the press that the Lada XCODE would appear in the series in five years or even a little earlier, and in the lineup it would take a place between the Kalina Cross SUV and the just introduced Xray Cross. The latter, by the way, before the appearance of the X-Code, is entrusted with the task of competing with cars in the fast-growing segment - Hyundai Creta and Renault Kaptur. A little later, in September, this idea was developed by Harold Grübel, voicing a forecast: in the next few years, up to 50% of the market could be occupied by crossovers and SUVs, SUVs and SUVs. So Lada XCODE definitely has a future.
Among the technical solutions announced are all-wheel drive and a turbo engine, . There is still no clarity about the 4x4 system for new Lada cars - either it will be a transmission borrowed from Renault-Nissan, or developed in-house by AVTOVAZ. But both the Xray Cross and the serial version of XCODE will definitely have all-wheel drive.
An interesting situation with the turbo engine: as you know, AVTOVAZ has developments on a 1.4-liter gasoline turbo engine, and moreover, it is also part of an experimental hybrid power plant that was tested on the Lada Granta. It is likely that one of the versions of the serial Lada XCODE will turn out to be a rechargeable hybrid capable of driving on pure electric power.
The most important question at the moment is the platform of the future crossover. AVTOVAZ claims that the project is at the stage of studying consumer interest, the platform has not yet been determined, and because of this, even the exact dimensions of the future car are unknown. But this is hardly entirely true, given the announced timing of the model’s appearance on the assembly line. At a minimum, there are definitely a number of options. Let's try to understand which ones exactly.
The first option is a borrowed version of the new CMF platform from the Renault-Nissan alliance. The concept of this platform (or rather, architecture) divides the entire car into five zones - the power plant, the front of the chassis, the rear, the cockpit (interior) and electrical/electronics. For each such zone there is a certain set of suitable solutions. According to the status of these solutions, the platform is divided into three subtypes - CMF-A, CMF-B and CMF-CD. For the first time, Nicolas More indirectly hinted at the use of CMF when he spoke about a compact car for Russia, like the Indian Kwid - let us remind you that the Kwid is based on CMF-A. More precisely, the president of AVTOVAZ pointed to the new architecture of the Alliance already in the context of a conversation about Lada XCODE, saying that instead of the previous borrowed B0 platform, the Lada brand will gradually switch to CMF-B.
By the way, the second generation Nissan Juke and Renault Duster crossovers, which will hit the market in 2017, are based on this platform. The CMF platform option on the new Lada crossover is possible because it meets the principle of “lean engineering” proclaimed by Carlos Ghosn with the launch of the Renault Kwid and the CMF platform.
The second option is to use AVTOVAZ’s own resources. In September, Gruebel came out with an interesting phrase: “Over the next five years, we will combine the Granta/Kalina and Vesta platforms.” What is behind this is still unclear (according to one version, XCODE will receive the Kalina body frame, but with the front part of the Vesta platform “implanted” into it), but this is fully consistent with the policy of reducing the number of platforms - Lada now has four of them, not counting the borrowed one B0, it is planned to leave two or three. This is, in essence, the same “lean engineering” - not developing a new platform, wasting engineering resources on it, but using combinations and upgrades of what already exists. Which, oddly enough, is very reminiscent of the modular approach used in the CMF architecture.
Is it possible that in reality we will see some kind of combination of these approaches - for example, could individual parts of the Lada B (Vesta) platform be included in the CMF “constructor” set? This would correspond to the principles outlined above, and would also be fully consistent with the course towards the maximum possible localization taken by Nicolas Mohr and already being implemented by Harald Grübel. However, for now such assumptions look too fantastic.
By the way, the name XCODE itself is still quite fantastic and speculative: it is not at all a fact that the car will be called that way in the series. Let us remind you that back in June 2016, AVTOVAZ registered the name “Xray X”, and what is hidden behind it is currently unclear - maybe an all-wheel drive version of the Xray Cross, or perhaps just the production version of XCODE.
But it is known for sure that the new crossover will feature the Lada Connect system, which combines the car’s multimedia system and a smartphone, linking together information, navigation and entertainment services, as well as driver assistance systems: automatic emergency braking, automatic parking, active cruise control and even remote control of the car.
Finally, it should be noted that Harold Gruebel identifies three technologies that the Lada brand will develop in the coming years: new engines, all-wheel drive systems and... automatic transmissions. According to him, the AMT transmission developed and already used on Lada cars will undergo improvements, and in addition, a certain version of the classic “automatic” may appear, localized in the Volga region.
The prerequisites for this already exist: as you know, the Tolyatti FEZ is already producing the Jatco automatic transmission switching mechanism, which is installed on Granta, Kalina and a couple of Datsun models, also assembled on the VAZ assembly line, and in the future the localization of “automatic machines” will become more , and, as it became known to the Kolesa.ru website that we are not only talking about casting plastic components.
So, belonging to the most popular segment in the future, a new (whatever) platform, a successfully developed “X-style”, a hybrid power plant with a gasoline turbo engine and the ability to drive on pure electric power, all-wheel drive, automatic transmission, aggregation of vehicle systems with a smartphone and the latest active driver assistance systems... Sounds good, so we are waiting for you, serial XCODE!
