AvtoVAZ is betting on station wagons – Kommersant FM
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AvtoVAZ has launched its most expensive car on the Russian market. Sales of the Lada Vesta SW Sportline have begun in the country. This is a station wagon costing from 2.35 million rubles. A sedan of this brand went on sale in November 2023 and costs 175 thousand rubles. cheaper.
At the same time, the new car received a trunk with a volume of 825 liters, which is one and a half times more than its predecessor. It was equipped with a modified suspension with new shock absorbers, air conditioning, heated front seats, a heated windshield and rear parking sensors. And under the hood is a 1.6 liter engine with a capacity of 118 hp. With. What are the prospects for the new Vesta? And who will she compete with?
Auto expert Ivan Zenkevich believes that the new product from AvtoVAZ will find its buyer, however, mass demand for it should not be expected: “For the market this is a plus, because it provides a variety of configurations. The average person will be pleased to know that his car is different from the basic version. These are internal sensations – the ride is more fun, the steering is better. The cost would be lower and everything would be fine.
This model will not be a mass-produced car, primarily because of the price. When our buyer today chooses a domestic car, he does it out of despair, not out of desire. Well, or he really loves Russian things and, according to the good old tradition, he can repair any vehicle. This is an attempt to restore the popularity of a certain mythical Lada Largus station wagon, and that says it all – a car for a family man.”
For the new station wagon, AvtoVAZ has also provided a more expensive Black package. If the wheels, front bumper moldings, trunk lid and radiator grille trim are painted black, you will have to pay an additional 30 thousand rubles. In this case, the car, as in its original form, will have a five-speed manual transmission.
The Lada Vesta SW Sportline will occupy a certain niche in the market, but it will have to compete fiercely with cars from China, says Roman Zubko, editor-in-chief of Dvizhok magazine: “Given the current realities, at this price you can already look for some kind of budget Chinese crossover. Moreover, now they are talking about a tendency towards overstocking of warehouses, and the Chinese discounts can easily reach 400-450 thousand rubles.
We need to see who will be interested in a station wagon for the amount that AvtoVAZ has assigned. A station wagon is a car for some practical purposes, primarily a utility vehicle. Here we are talking about a car, albeit not a highly accelerated one, but with a more powerful engine than the standard one. Probably, we are talking about that category of customers who, when buying a VAZ car, are looking for some original accessories, a sportier exterior styling kit.
In general, there were few station wagons in our market, even when both Western and Japanese manufacturers were present.
So in this sense, AvtoVAZ is not so much following previous trends as opening new niches for itself.
As for what is on the market now, we are dominated by crossovers, mainly made in China. Therefore, perhaps the Tolyatti Automobile Plant wants to play on the lack of alternatives.”
AvtoVAZ President Maxim Sokolov, in turn, said that the concern will not raise prices for Lada cars in the near future. And in the future, according to him, cars will rise in price no more than the inflation rate. The Russian manufacturer also plans to launch a new brand in 2024. It will produce cars in the compact and mid-size segments. However, AvtoVAZ has not yet disclosed other details of the project.
Everything is clear with us – Telegram channel “Kommersant FM”.
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