Once upon a time, Tolyatti Ladas were very popular in the post-Soviet space. Many people dreamed of such a car. But time passes, and foreign cars have successfully replaced the products of the native automobile industry.
Foreign cars were more attractive in appearance, more convenient to use, more reliable, and so on. Plus, they've always been more fashionable. In general, our auto industry was inferior to imported ones in all respects. It has become more profitable to buy a used, but foreign car than a new domestic car. But now new Ladas have appeared on the assembly line, and the patriots of the domestic automotive industry have new hope.
The head of state himself began the test drive for the Lada Vesta car. Actually, as befits a leader interested in developing domestic production, and not in feeding foreign producers. Of course, such a test drive could not be unsuccessful. That is why many car enthusiasts simply did not believe the results. But then independent experts - journalists, potential buyers and simply motorsport fans - got down to business. And here the Lada Vesta test drive turned out to be much more interesting.
Content
- X-face outside
- Cheap and spacious inside
- Silence, like in a library
- Well, let's go!
- Impressions from the “Russian girl”
I have wanted to test Vesta for a long time, since the days of working at the Hyundai car dealership. Then many clients spoke flatteringly about it, comparing it with Solaris, but I didn’t believe it - it’s AvtoVAZ!
And finally we met. For the test I got a LADA Vesta SW in the maximum Luxe/Prestige configuration with a 1.6 engine with manual transmission. Not the most interesting option in terms of units, but the most popular.
Ride quality
Vesta is equipped with two types of engines and two gearboxes. And this affects driving performance.
The base unit on Vesta is considered to be a 1.6-liter unit with 106 hp. With. This engine “moved” to the sedan from other AvtoVAZ models. It has already proven itself well in terms of reliability and maintainability. At the same time, it has quite good dynamic performance, but this also depends on the box used.
A manual test drive with this engine shows very good dynamic performance. The car quickly picks up speed and accelerates confidently. In general, this pairing of engine and gearbox on Vesta shows itself in an excellent manner. The only drawback is the need to independently control the gearbox, although for many car enthusiasts who prefer to have more control over the car, “mechanics”, on the contrary, is an advantage. In addition, such a box is highly reliable and has a long service life.
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A test drive of the robot, which can also be equipped with Vesta with a 1.6 liter engine, showed slightly worse results in terms of dynamics. All the agility of the power plant is “eaten up” by the RCP. When driving in fully automatic mode and actively accelerating, the box is somewhat “stupid”, and switching is accompanied by quite noticeable “kicks”.
In manual mode, the robotic gearbox behaves a little better when accelerating, and then only due to driver intervention. But still, this box will not allow you to fully control your work.
A test drive of a Lada Vesta with a 1.8-liter engine and the same manual gearbox showed slightly better dynamic performance. Still, a more powerful motor has an effect. In addition, the box itself was “flashed” for this engine, which somewhat changed its behavior. The result was a decrease in the sensitivity of “kicks” when switching, and the box itself works more adequately.
This engine is not yet equipped with a manual transmission; we will test drive the Vesta 1.8 with a manual transmission separately, after a model with such technical equipment appears.
It is worth mentioning that Vesta is equipped with a considerable number of active safety systems, including ESP. This system is very useful and its presence on Vesta is a huge plus. The system works great when cornering and helps you start driving on loose snow without drifting or pulling the car. In general, the test drive of Vesta showed that this sedan is a domestic car that can “compete” with many foreign cars in its price category.
A video of a detailed test drive will tell you more about all the features of Vesta and its driving performance:
X-face outside
From the outside, the car looks quite modern, like an adult. The body panels fit perfectly: the gaps are minimal and even. The general X-shaped style can be seen everywhere: in the side stampings, in the front part, and in the rear headlights. The turn signals are built into the mirrors. There are neat aerodynamic roof rails on the roof, and the antenna is made in the form of a fin.
The only thing I didn’t like was the huge gas tank filler cap, which, judging by the sound of opening, was made of tin.
Also read: Which is better to take: a new LADA Vesta or a used Hyundai Solaris
Prices and options
Lada Vesta can be enjoyed in three trim levels - Classic, Comfort and Luxury.
1.6 MT Classic - price 555 thousand rubles.
The standard equipment of the Lada Vesta, meanwhile, includes many interesting things. The interior comes only with fabric upholstery, there are five headrests, the second row of seats can be solid or separate. Among the electronic equipment, it is worth noting the remote key, central locking system, automatic windows, temperature control of seats, mirrors and windshield. A total of 26 setup programs. The developers hint that the Lada Vesta Cross will be even better equipped.
The safety system is equipped with airbags for passengers, three-point seat belts, automatic door locking when driving and child protection, child seat mounts, an alarm, an immobilizer, a brake light on the rear window and the GLONASS system.
Also included are halogen headlights, special rear fog lights, an audio system with four speakers, a spare tire, and external lighting devices.
For comfortable and safe driving, there is a dynamic stabilization system, a hill assist system and an electro-hydraulic brake booster system for emergencies.
1.6 MT Comfort - price 607 thousand rubles.
In addition to the standard version, there is an extended trim for the front seats with an armrest, a ventilated glove compartment, rear parking sensors, air conditioning, radio, AUX, USB, MP3, and a hands-free device. Side mirrors and door handles match the color of the entire car.
1.6 MT Luxe — 670 thousand rubles.
In addition to the standard equipment, there are front fog lights, a light sensor, additional functions in the front seats, and a front armrest. There are power windows in the rear and airbags in the doors. For the driver's convenience, there is also a ventilated glove compartment, rear parking sensors, climate control, audio system control from the steering wheel, AUX, USB, SD card slot, MP3 support, hands free, lighting with door open sensor, rain sensor, windshield temperature maintenance , container for glasses.
You can also order additional packages from your dealer:
- Image package - price 23 thousand rubles. It includes automatic rear door windows, a spare tire, and windshield temperature control.
- Multimedia package - price 64 thousand rubles. It includes a light sensor, an audio system control unit on the steering wheel, cruise control, climate control, a multimedia system, six speakers instead of four, an SD card slot, a navigator, a monitor, a rearview camera, and lighting with a door sensor.
- Start package - price 15 thousand rubles. It includes a ventilated glove compartment and air conditioning.
- Start 6FD package - for 10 thousand rubles. less. The client receives a ventilated glove compartment and air conditioning, but there will be no rear fog lights, electric heating and electric side mirrors, as well as electric heated front seats.
- Optima package - price 9 thousand rubles. less. The client receives aluminum wheels instead of decorative caps, plus a heated windshield.
- Lime package - price 5 thousand rubles. The customer receives the car's Lime color, but without the rear fog lights.
These are the basic packages that most dealerships will offer you. There are many other original packages; availability and prices should be checked directly with dealers. By selecting additional packages, you can reduce the cost of the classic package and bring it almost to the state of the most expensive. Absolutely everything is adapted for the convenience of clients.
Cheap and spacious inside
The door opened easily, with half a touch of the handle, and slammed just as pleasantly and easily. The front passenger seat is spacious for my height (181 cm) - my knees don’t rest anywhere, the belt is height-adjustable and doesn’t rub my collarbone. There are three-stage heated seats and cup holders. The cup holders are shallow and inconvenient to use: on strong bumps, hot coffee can fly out and scald your knee.
The interior was not surprising. A lot of cheap, “mismatched” plastic, some “childish” multi-colored inserts on the panel and door cards, an instrument panel with orange scales “a la sport”, which distract from the digital values. The location of the buttons, the convenience and range of adjustment of the seat and steering wheel do not raise any questions. By the way, even the lumbar support is adjustable here, which is rare for this class.
The rear seats are comfortable. There is a decent margin in front of the knees, as well as above the head. The seats are molded for two, but since there is a middle headrest, three can ride, the amount of space in the waist and shoulders allows this. But it’s still more convenient for two. The couple is provided with heated seats and a center armrest with cup holders. There are also USB and 12-volt charging ports to choose from.
The trunk caused admiration - there is no other way to say it. It’s not like in the “economy”, in the C-class I don’t remember anyone having such a carefully thought-out luggage compartment. Volume - 480 liters, regular rectangular shape. On the right is a closed niche for small items. On the left are several compartments for small items and a mesh. There are a bunch of hooks, a 12-volt socket, two niches in the raised floor and a sliding shelf. Low bow to the engineers!
Also read: Which is better: Vesta or Polo
Car appearance
They worked on the appearance of the Lada Vesta for quite some time. In the final version, it acquired a more elongated shape than what is expected from domestic cars. This is not only a tribute to fashion, but also a significant improvement in the aerodynamics of the car. In particular, this was reflected in the elongated hood and sloping roof. The new Lada Vesta (station wagon and crossover) will have the same distinctive features; the designers decided to make this the highlight of the model.
Among the design features, one can highlight the letter X, which is clearly visible in the arrangement of parts on the front of the car and the sides. In the original version, X was supposed to go through the entire design solution. But they decided to abandon the reflection of the letter in smaller details for the sake of the lower cost of the car. For the same reason, they did not use LED running lights. Thus, the body of the Lada Vesta has retained its classic elegance.
With body colors, we also decided not to follow the beaten path - almost the entire spectrum is represented at the plant. You can also order some special colors. In general, Vesta’s appearance does not indicate in any way that it belongs to the Lada series in the usual sense.
Silence, like in a library
The first impression was very pleasant. What will it be like on the go? I start it up and am amazed - the engine is barely audible. I must say that Vesta’s sound insulation is generally very good (hello, Koreans!). Here, even the protection of the rear arches is piled, so the noise from the wheels and the road is almost inaudible.
It is better not to turn on the audio system only when listening to audiobooks. The sound quality leaves much to be desired, as does the quality of the touch display. The graphics are unclear, the response to clicks is slow, and you have to wait to turn on the camera...
Also read: Who is sportier: LADA Vesta Sport I or Skoda Rapid I turbo
Technical equipment - Control and safety
The technical equipment of the Lada Vesta also includes some features designed to make the driver’s life easier. The first time the two-second pause between turning on the ignition and starting the starter is a little scary, but this is done to prevent failures at the start. The gearbox is installed in a highly adapted version, mainly due to our roads. This can be seen by the slightly extended gear shift timing. But this function provides a more comfortable transition to the new mode.
Of course, Vesta is not as smooth as foreign cars. But it holds speed well, specially designed struts are configured for medium-hard shock absorption, and the chassis makes it as close as possible to foreign versions. The car unquestioningly obeys the slightest commands.
The Lada Vesta is equipped with a special system to assist with starting on an incline. Now you don’t have to be afraid that it will stall in this case; no problems are foreseen even when reversing. By the way, for this case, the manufacturers installed side and interior mirrors of increased area.
When equipped with an automatic transmission, there is a manual mode. Even when this mode is turned on, the “robot” will change gears at the right moment if the driver forgets to do it himself. In case of bad weather, there are some tricks - rain sensors, traction control and more.
Passenger safety was taken care of very carefully. The doors are automatically locked when the driver starts the car, and the rear doors are childproof. The layout of the airbags has been thought out - each passenger has his own, and side ones can also be ordered.
During the development period of the Lada Vesta, more than 150 virtual crash tests and several dozen real ones were carried out. We checked all the nuances, carried out side and frontal collisions in all modifications, and got the expected result. In the final crash test, the Comfort version was tested, which in terms of safety indicators is practically no different from other trim levels. The test was carried out by an oblique collision with a deformable object at a speed of 65 km/h. According to the results of the crash test, the Lada Vesta received 4 stars. It outperformed many popular models in terms of safety indicators and created the first precedent for a safe domestically produced car.
At the end of the test drive, you can sum up the results. Lada Vesta has improved technical characteristics, a comfortable interior, convenient controls, a well-thought-out panel, a full range of auxiliary systems, as well as high-quality safety protection.
Well, let's go!
Vesta almost didn’t notice the asphalt joints, but on the snow frozen in mounds it seemed a little harsh, however, no breakdowns were observed. The hard plastic began to rattle over bumps, although not as much as some competitors. It is better to press the brake smoothly and in advance; if you press the pedal a little harder, ABS will intervene, which is sometimes out of place, and the braking distance increases by a couple of meters.
I drive out onto a cleared road and am surprised at how composed the car behaves at high speed. In terms of handling, Vesta was reminiscent of younger VAGs. She reacted sharply to steering movements and only returned to zero reluctantly.
What it really lacked was dynamics. When overtaking, I wanted to go out and push. Perhaps the 1.8 drives better, but the 1.6 is definitely not for the highway, and the gearbox is tuned for the city. The gears are short, most likely to save fuel. Therefore, already at 60 you can safely stick in the fifth. The car pulls calmly, but changing gears is not very convenient. The travel of the gearshift lever, as well as the clutch pedal, is long.
You can drive over large uneven surfaces without fear of tearing off the bumper. The ground clearance here feels like a regular SUV - 178 mm, which Vesta does not pretend to achieve at all. For this purpose there is a raised version of Cross. But this is the only way our car could cope with a gravel road or crossing a curb.
Also read: Five facts for and against buying a Lada Vesta
Technical characteristics of Lada Vesta Sport
Dimensions4420x1774x1478 mmBase2635 mmCurb weight1322 kgFull mass1670 kgClearance147 mmTrunk volume480 lFuel tank volume55 lEnginepetrol, 4-cylinder, 17743, 145/6000 l. s./min-1,182/3600 Nm/min-1 Transmissionmanual, 5-speed, front-wheel driveTire size(front/rear)205/50R17Dynamics193 km/h; 9.6 s to 100 km/h Fuel consumption10.6/6.4/7.9 l per 100 km (city/highway/mixed)- Spectacular appearance, comfortable suspension, good handling.
- Dynamics, sound insulation, exhaust system tuning.
| Driving Handling and dynamics are better than those of the production model, but, of course, nothing extraordinary.
Salon A lot of sporty features were introduced into the interior, which is not in dissonance with the exterior.
Comfort The suspension is surprisingly comfortable, but the sound insulation and exhaust system still need work.
Safety The active one has been significantly improved due to an improved braking system.
Price It has not yet been specified, but it is unlikely to please those who set their sights on this car.
Average score 7,8 |
