Informed sources told the Avtopotok telegaming channel that tests of four new Lada products are taking place at a test site in Sosnovka, Samara region. There are already details about Iskra and Aura, but the mentioned Chinese cars still remain a mystery. We can assume that one of them is the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, which, according to rumors, will be assembled at the former Nissan plant in St. Petersburg under the Lada brand. The second could be the Lada X-Cross 5 (aka FAW Bestune T77).
Most is known so far about the Lada Aura, which is an extended version of the Vesta NG. This is a sedan with a wheelbase increased by 25 centimeters and a more comfortable interior. The Aura prototype was first presented in the summer of this year: it does not have a fixed podium with cup holders and armrests in the second row, improved sound insulation and a retuned suspension. Under the hood of the prototype is a 1.8-liter VAZ engine, which is paired with a Chinese CVT. According to AvtoVAZ’s plans, small-scale production of the Aura will begin in 2025.
AvtoVAZ spoke about the development of a new budget family of Iskra cars in the middle of this year. It will include a sedan, station wagon and its cross-version, which will be based on the French global platform CMF-B LS – after Renault left Russia, AvtoVAZ retained the right to use this “trolley”. The Iskra will appear in 2025 and will be produced in parallel with the Granta for some time until it is completely replaced towards the end of the decade.
But there is no officially available information about the Chinese cars that AvtoVAZ can test. Rumors that the automaker’s partnership with FAW did not work out and the Lada X-Cross 5 project will be canceled remain rumors. There is no confirmation that the new Lada model will be Chery Tiggo 7 Pro.
New Russians: premieres of our automobile industry
