12th Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Sochi
AVTOVAZ General Director Bo Andersson came to Sochi to participate in the 12th session of the Valdai Discussion Club, and at the same time to present to the head of state the car plant’s new product - the Lada Vesta sedan. He spoke about the model, after which Putin got behind the wheel of the new car and, together with Bo Andersson, arrived at the plenary meeting of the club. The president was quite pleased with the new car.
Putin is well acquainted with the products of the Tolyatti auto giant. In the summer of 2010, he drove a Lada Kalina as part of a work trip from Khabarovsk to Chita.
“An excellent car (Lada Vesta), very good, torquey, easy to drive. It switches easily and goes on its own when the load increases uphill. We were climbing the mountain, the climb is quite difficult, it’s very smooth,” TASS reports his words.
Vladimir Putin was asked to compare the Vesta with the Lada Kalina Sport, with which he is also familiar. President Fr.
Putin announced the possibility of redistributing gas reserves in Yamal
Shortly before the signing of this agreement, it became known that Mikhelson had resumed negotiations with Miller about the purchase of Tambay. According to Kommersant, the businessman asked for support for concluding this deal at a meeting with Putin in April. NOVATEK expects the government to make an early decision to attract resources from the Tambey group of fields to increase LNG production in the Arctic to 64 million tons by 2030, he told reporters on April 23.
In September, Mikhelson said that Tambey gas should be liquefied in Yamal, and not transported and processed in Ust-Luga, so it needs to be monetized “now.” “We predict this: 2030–2035, it will still be possible to sign long-term contracts [for the purchase of LNG]. Then the gas will not be in demand [due to the energy transition],” he said. According to the businessman, his proposals are supported by the government: “It seems to me, yes. Write it that way.”
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At the same time, NOVATEK has increased its geological exploration costs several times in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. “We have multiplied the costs of geological exploration work; we are carrying it out on the Gydan Peninsula,” said the head of the company, answering a question from RBC. According to him, it maintains plans to achieve production of 65-70 million tons of LNG per year by 2030.
“In accordance with the presidential decree on the Arctic development strategy, the target volume of LNG production should be 64 million tons by 2030. In pursuance of the relevant instructions of the president and government, NOVATEK sent its proposals on the use of the resource potential of the Yamal Peninsula to both the government and Gazprom,” the NOVATEK press service told RBC. They confirmed Solodov’s words - the company is ready to supply LNG in the required volume to Kamchatka while providing the additional resource base necessary for making investment decisions on new projects and achieving LNG production targets. Gazprom official Sergei Kupriyanov declined to comment.
“Plans for the further development of production, processing and transportation of hydrocarbons within the NSR (Northern Sea Route - RBC) are being developed,” the press service of the Ministry of Energy reported. RBC sent a request to the press service of the government of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
Why Kamchatka lacks gas
The two main gas fields of the Kamchatka Territory - Kshukskoye and Nizhne-Kvakchiskoye - produce about 420 million cubic meters. m of gas, and the planned volume of gas supplies to consumers in the region by 2015 was determined at 723 million cubic meters. m of gas per year.
The federal government was considering several options for gasification of the region. “Today it has been decided that Gazprom should be the gasification operator of Kamchatka. Since there is not enough mainland gas, they are currently calculating two options - to further explore the hydrocarbon potential of the Kamchatka Peninsula, including the shelf, or to bring LNG,” said the head of the Ministry of Eastern Development Alexey Chekunkov in an interview with RBC in September 2021.
He then noted that if the second option is chosen, it will be necessary to subsidize supplies, because regional and federal authorities cannot bring gas prices in the social sphere to the market price of LNG. But the head of the Ministry of Energy Nikolai Shulginov said in December that the issue of the source of gasification for Kamchatka has not yet been resolved. “The question remained at the same level - NOVATEK LNG or Gazprom gas. But there is no decision yet, including on subsidies [supply prices],” he emphasized.
Mikhelson proposed paying for LNG transshipment in dollars Business
Now the authorities are calculating technical solutions for gasifying the region with the help of LNG and a feasibility study so that the necessary funding is allocated at the government level, Solodov noted at the meeting with Putin. The total amount of support should be about 18 billion rubles.
NOVATEK is also building a large transshipment complex in Kamchatka, where liquefied gas will be transferred from ice-class gas carriers to conventional LNG tankers. “You know, Vladimir Vladimirovich, that the first project for transshipment of liquefied natural gas is already being implemented by NOVATEK. It can be seen here that Kamchatka is logically the most profitable cargo transshipment point in the east of the country,” the governor said. According to him, this complex will provide not only an economic effect, but also a serious social effect, since it will help replace the shortage of natural gas.
12th Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Sochi
There is a serpentine road leading to the venue for the Valdai Club session, so the speed there is limited to 30–50 km/h. “To be honest, I was driving a little faster,” he admitted.
The President also noted that he likes how dynamically AVTOVAZ is developing, as well as the localization rate - 70%.
He believes that the market will be happy to develop Vesta, because this model carries a lot of advantages, including prices for logistics and the fact that “the company does not incur additional costs associated with the need to store this product somewhere on additional sites.” products awaiting their arrival on the assembly line.”
The new LADA sedan was personally tested by the President of Russia. The Kremlin press service reports this.
A message on the website of the President of Russia states that the new AVTOVAZ product was presented to Vladimir Putin by the head of the company, Bo Andersson. The website also provides a transcript of the conversation between the President of Russia and journalists after the test drive of the LADA Vesta.
Question : Vladimir Vladimirovich, what is the verdict on the car?
Vladimir Putin : Not a sentence. Why the verdict? The verdict is formulated in court.
Question : So, acquittal?
Vladimir Putin : Is she on trial? An excellent car, very good, torquey, easy to drive. There is a manual transmission, here there is a mixed transmission, there is also an automatic transmission. Very good.
I like it. It switches easily and goes on its own when the load increases uphill. We were going uphill, the climb is quite difficult, quite difficult, so to speak, the incline is large, the gearbox switches itself and works well. It goes very smoothly.
Question : And in comparison with Kalina Sport?
Vladimir Putin : I haven’t driven a Kalina for a long time. “Kalina” is a good car, I must say, I really liked it when I drove it. This slightly larger one seems to me to be a stable and good car. It seems to me that this is still a slightly different class.
Question : How fast were you going?
Vladimir Putin : There is a serpentine road here, the limit all around is 30–50 kilometers per hour. To be honest, we drove a little faster.
Question : Are prejudices about domestic cars no longer relevant? And let me tell you right away: against the backdrop of the crisis, some foreign concerns are leaving the market. Is it a good opportunity to capture this market for domestic cars?
Vladimir Putin : Of course, very good.
The point is not the crisis, the point is the difference in exchange rates - the national currency, foreign currencies in relation to the ruble. These are absolute competitive advantages, which, of course, our manufacturers must use - not only to develop their own market, but also to advance externally.
We just talked with Mr. Andersson, they are already planning sales in those regions of the world, in those countries where the Lada is known - in Eastern Europe, in some countries of the Middle East, in Latin America. It seems to me that she will go, and go well.
Value for money, it seems to me, is an absolute, global competitive advantage. The quality, I am absolutely convinced, is at the level of world standards. And as Mr. Andersson said, localization is 70 percent: some of the components come from abroad, but, in general, this is not bad. In the global automobile industry, everything is now connected with cooperation, and Lada is following the same path. But 70 percent of localization in Russia is a very good indicator.
He just said that some parts associated with the body, with some other components, come, say, from the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, which, I know, has invested more than a billion euros or a billion dollars in advance in the development of its production, now I could be wrong, but, in any case, he has created an absolutely modern production and is entering world markets with his products. And the internal one will definitely master it, there are certain advantages in this, related not only to prices and logistics, but to the fact that the enterprise does not incur additional costs due to the need to store these products at some additional sites in anticipation of their arrival at conveyor, which reduces costs and therefore ultimately affects the price downwards.
Question : Some new support measures were probably also discussed, no?
Vladimir Putin : No, we didn’t talk about this just now. We talked about other cars of the Lada concern, about the Niva, I asked whether the concern plans to develop the Niva. I heard confirmation that yes, Niva will develop, and the company already has definite plans here.
We wish good luck to the enterprise as a whole and to the employees of the enterprise. I am sure that the workers themselves, the engineers who work there, are not only satisfied, but can rightfully feel a sense of pride in the new product. Congratulations to Russian car enthusiasts on the new Lada car.
Question : Vladimir Vladimirovich, do you have a lot of Lada and other domestic cars in your fleet?
Vladimir Putin : I have an old Volga, 21st, and a Niva.
Question : Say something about color.
Vladimir Putin : We didn’t choose by color, we chose by gearbox. This car has a mixed gearbox: it can operate in manual mode, or in automatic mode. I chose to see how both work. Works brilliantly.
Question : Did it start the first time?
Vladimir Putin : Well, of course!
Vladimir Putin and LADA Vesta
Review of the serial Lada Vesta
Lada Vesta is one of the most anticipated cars in Russia at the moment. On the day of the launch of production of the new product from LADA, September 25, 2015, the website of the Official Lada Vesta Club was viewed about 200,000 times. That day I was in Izhevsk and reported online from this event. After the ceremonial part, journalists were offered a ride in serial LADA Vesta and inspect them up close.
"Chocolate" side of Vesta
For review, we were offered mid-spec cars with manual transmissions and AMT, and a sedan. The engine, well known from previous Lada models, is a 106-horsepower 16-valve 1.6-liter engine, now meeting EURO-5 standards (received the VAZ-21129 index). The five-speed manual transmission is French from Ranault (the same is installed on the LADA Largus), as well as the AMT (automated manual transmission VAZ-21827), also known to domestic consumers for the LADA Granta, LADA Priora and LADA Kalina, but with modified settings. Two airbags, air conditioning, adjustable steering wheel in two positions, height adjustment of the driver's seat, ABS + ESP (with assistance to the driver when lifting), front power windows, heated two seats and push-button multimedia. Lada Vesta is the first car to have the ERA-GLONASS system installed as standard. The car itself will call for help in case of an accident, sending the coordinates of the incident to the rescue console.
System "ERA-GLONASS"
Anyone who has ever seen a LADA Vesta does not remain indifferent: the car attracts attention and is perfectly remembered. The main distinguishing feature of the LADA flagship is the letter “X” on the side. There are already active discussions on the Internet about the feasibility of using such complex elements: firstly, it increases the cost of car production, secondly, difficulties may arise with repairing parts, and, finally, forum participants complain about the inconvenience of washing a car. Expressive appearance more than compensates for all these dissatisfaction.
The new corporate design style of LADA from Steven Mattin is clearly readable
Lada Vesta is perhaps the most beautiful of all existing AVTOVAZ cars at the moment. This is, of course, my personal opinion, but pay attention to the details. The appearance of the car is thought out to the smallest detail. LADA Vesta looks much more expensive than its real price (presumably from 495,000 rubles).
The interior of the Lada Vesta is also unlike anything AVTOVAZ has done before. It feels like all the elements have been worked out both in terms of design and manufacturing. The plastic used is hard, although it appears soft in appearance (previously it was called “soft bow”). The steering column switches are of a new type; control of the head light and side lights is located on the left. I really liked the way the trim cards were made on the doors, front and back. Together they form an "X" in design. The upholstery of the seats and the rear sofa are decorated with the same symbols. In general, this attention to detail and this kind of “tricks” is the new DNA of LADA design, and it’s great!
The panel is assembled carefully, without gaps. Looks good despite the hard plastic used.
When you sit in the driver's seat, the first thing that comes to mind is comfort! Indeed, in addition to the seat lift, there was pronounced lateral support and steering wheel adjustment not only in height, but also in reach. These are the tools that make it possible for the driver to sit comfortably and not get tired on the road. The second thing you need to pay attention to is the new steering wheel. It is made of some new kind of soft plastic that is very pleasant to hold in your hands, and another one that does not slip at all. Third, this is a modern instrument panel with white backlighting. Easy to read and looks very cool!
The interior itself is quite spacious; three adults can comfortably fit in the back, with plenty of legroom. The only problem is the space above your head; tall passengers will find it uncomfortable here (my height of 182 cm allowed me to avoid hitting the top of my head against the ceiling). And one more important observation: the new LADA Vesta does not smell of plastic!
Vesta’s head optics are not lensed, but this does not lose their functionality and beauty.
But enough about the appearance, it's time to check the car in motion. Let me remind you that I tested a car with a 106-horsepower engine with a manual transmission. Before getting behind the wheel, I took a ride with the driver in the back seat, where I could feel like a passenger. I immediately notice the silence in the cabin; the sound insulation of the LADA Vesta is at a good level. The car drives smoothly, practically floating along the road, but there is no feeling of vertical sway, like the LADA Largus. The gearbox does not howl when you release the gas, the noise from the engine begins to penetrate into the cabin at revolutions above 3500. I liked the Lada Vesta as a passenger, but it’s time to try the new product as a driver.
The driver's seat has a number of adjustments. To lean back, you no longer need to turn the adjustment wheel for a long time and tediously; now you just need to pull the lever.
I leave the parking lot, the steering wheel fits perfectly in my hand, it’s nice to hold it. The EUR is tuned wonderfully, there is no feeling of biting during light turns, the zero zone is clearly visible, and the car reacts sharply to every side movement. Out of habit, I drive through the first few maneuvers somewhat nervously. The pedal assembly is well designed, the distance between the accelerator, brake and clutch is sufficient so as not to touch even in winter shoes. The pedals themselves are light, so your legs shouldn’t get tired on long trips.
The acceleration dynamics were not impressive. The car accelerates evenly, but no special pickup is felt. Fellow journalists have already taken measurements; acceleration to 100 km/h was 12.6 seconds. It is clear that you should not expect qualitatively new behavior from a well-known engine (even with new settings), but the general spirit of the car requires a more dynamic character. We are waiting for a more powerful 1.8-liter engine, it should show all the capabilities of the Lada Vesta.
The turn signal indicators have been moved to the side mirror housings
Without any doubt, the strength of the LADA Vesta is its handling. If you are put in this car, having previously taped the nameplate on the steering wheel, it will be difficult to immediately believe that the Lada drives like that. Vesta reacts sharply to the slightest movement of the steering wheel, and roll is minimal when cornering. Excellent chassis settings, correct technological solutions and correctly selected components make Vesta the most driver-friendly car from the entire LADA model range. In addition, the car absorbs bumps without rattling or hitting the body. What is needed for Russian roads.
The gearshift knob fits comfortably in the hand
The Lada Vesta slows down quite effectively, but there is no sense of any reserve. The car responds to the brake pedal predictably. I liked how the ABS system was set up; it comes into operation exactly when you expect it. And here’s another new feature for LADA - during emergency braking, the emergency lights will turn on by itself.
LADA Vesta is entering the segment of more expensive cars, where there are already recognized leaders, and most importantly, quality standards have been adopted and consumer characteristics have been defined. Direct competitors include: Volkswagen Polo Sedan, Kia Rio, Hyundai Solaris, Renault Logan. And the main question is not whether Vesta can fight them in the indicators stated above, of course she can. The question is different: what will be the price of LADA Vesta, how much will OSAGO and CASCO policies cost, how expensive will it be to service and repair the new product from AVTOVAZ.
At the start of production, six colors were developed: Lime, Angkor, Krypton, Pluto, Carnelian, Platinum.
To summarize... LADA Vesta is a huge step forward both for AVTOVAZ and for the entire mechanical engineering industry in Russia. Of course, this is a product with new consumer characteristics that have been expected from LADA for a long time. This is a car that you can enjoy on the road while driving and in the parking lot just admiring it. Surely there will be those who will begin to criticize Vesta, but it will be difficult to do this objectively. All that remains is to wait for the start of sales, which is scheduled for November 25, 2015, and find out the cost of LADA Vesta.
12th Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Sochi
- On October 13, during the visit of the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov and the head of AVTOVAZ Bo Andersson to Argun, Ramzan Kadyrov did not rule out the possibility that the enterprise would eventually master the production of Lada Vesta.
- Prices for the new product have not yet been determined, but the approximate range is already known - from 495 thousand to 600 thousand rubles for a car in the initial configuration.
- On September 25, at the production site of JSC AVTOVAZ in Izhevsk, mass production of the new Lada Vesta began.
Vladimir Putin took a ride in a Lada Vesta
