Today at AVTOVAZ, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, the mass production of Vesta NG sedans and station wagons was launched. How does this car differ from the Izhevsk Vesta, what engines does it have, will it have an automatic transmission and how much will it be sold for? We answer all questions.
Production in Togliatti
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I climbed the car that came off the assembly line up and down. By and large, Vesta Togliatti is practically no different from Vesta Izhevsk – both externally and in interior.
If you remember, about 1,000 new generation cars were assembled in Izhevsk last year, which can still be found at dealers at crazy prices – in Moscow they are sold for 2.5 million, in the regions not much cheaper.
So, a huge amount of equipment was dragged from Izhevsk to Togliatti. In particular, about 500 pieces of welding equipment, more than 6,000 pieces of equipment and fixtures for body painting, as well as equipment for press production, the production of plastic products and assembly.
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And Vesta is assembled on the so-called B line – where Renault Sandero, Logan and Largus cars were previously assembled. This is the most modern thread of the VAZ conveyor.
In total, 3,600 people are employed in the assembly of Vesta. In the near future they should reach the rate of 30 vehicles per hour, and within a year raise it to 40 vehicles per hour. It is easy to calculate that with a two-shift operation, AVTOVAZ should make about 100,000 such vehicles this year.
Already, Vesta NG is being produced in three body styles – sedan, station wagon SW and station wagon SW Cross.
What engine?
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So far, only one – VAZ-11182, 8-valve, 90 hp. The one that is now put on simplified Grants and that was put on Largus while it was being produced.
Of course, 90 forces for Vesta is not so much. But not everyone knows that this motor was originally included in the Vesta range. We just lived better – and this engine was not installed on Vesta. Now the time has come.
At AVTOVAZ, a 16-valve engine with a capacity of 106 hp is also being assembled on an experimental basis. It should be put into mass production by May.
Will the weak 90-horsepower engine go away from now on? The market will decide everything: if they take, then they will produce. Do not expect other motors in the foreseeable future.
Will there be an AKP?
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There is only one gearbox so far – this is a VAZ five-speed mechanics.
AVTOVAZ is working with Chinese partners – and at the beginning of next year Vestas with CVTs should appear on the market. At first – imported. But, in my opinion, it would be ideal to organize their licensed production in Russia with the gradual replacement of imported components with domestic ones.
Has the package been cut down?
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Initially, Vesta will be with ABS and two airbags. This is the basic equipment. If Grant could do without ABS, then Vesta’s platform does not have a “bezbees” solution – therefore, the VAZ simply had no other choice.
ABS, of course, from a Chinese partner. And so far – without a stabilization system, which they promise to introduce before the end of the year.
All cars have LED lights. The only place where I found incandescent bulbs is the turn signals in the taillights.
What else has been improved?
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The interior is clearly more interesting than on the pre-styling Vesta, but not all ideas have been implemented yet.
The front panel of the cabin has finally become soft – it looks better and is more pleasant to the touch. There are soft inserts on the doors. The steering wheel is the same, but there are more buttons on it, and the logic of their control is more thoughtful.
The instrument panel is new, but so far — switch. A fashionable digital panel will be introduced towards the end of the year. I saw it live – believe me, it is very beautiful, with the ability to change the configuration and with the ability to display a map of the navigation system on it.
Later, there will also be a large vertical tablet navigation system, which you probably saw on spy pictures on the Internet. In the meantime, the standard 7-inch Lada N-Joy system.
Expert opinion
Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Behind the wheel”:
– The first Vests assembled in Togliatti are already being sent to dealers. Sales will begin in about a month, so prices have not yet been announced.
According to my estimates, Vesta NG at an average level of equipment will be sold for 1.5 million rubles. In this price range – from a million to two – now there are practically no new cars, only second-hand ones. Therefore, we can say that the price is the market price.
Although I want, of course, cheaper.
