It smells like Russia here: test drive Lada Vesta SW Cross

It smells like Russia here: test drive Lada Vesta SW Cross

I looked back to see...

One of the strong features of any Vesta is its exterior.
Outwardly, even I like Vesta. But the SW Cross version is practically a masterpiece. Note this point: I praise VAZ, but there is no sarcasm in my words. This rarely happens. But the station wagon really looks very decent. In the parking lot next to Vesta there was another “shed”, the brand of which, unfortunately, I didn’t even remember. But I noticed that I compared a foreign car with a VAZ, and I liked the VAZ more. Unlike many faceless carriers of potatoes, bags of flour and tomato seedlings, this station wagon is quite harmonious. And even its cross-version looks like the designer was kissed in the eye by God. Everything is in its place here, all proportions are observed exactly. The machine, which is quite large in principle, does not look bulky, but rather solid.

Initial cost of Lada Vesta SW Cross

1.6 l (106 hp), manual transmission

RUB 755,900

It is especially worth noting that the ground clearance of the SW Cross is quite decent - 203 mm ( for the Hyundai Creta , for example, it is only 190 mm), but the Vesta does not seem like an SUV or even a crossover. This is the same case when it’s not scary to approach the curb, and the car doesn’t smell like a UAZ. In general, the car came out beautiful. I looked attentively and suddenly turned around... And still good!

I don’t like, however, that the trim on the arch on the left rear is crooked, but I hope this is the merit not of the factory, but of the specialists from the official dealer who installed the locker. Well, it happens.

Give me some fire!

The interior of the SW Cross is also different from what was in our editorial sedan. Firstly, it became brighter. Yes, that same sparkle that I lacked in the sedan has become abundant here. This is especially noticeable on the dashboard, which is greatly enlivened by bright orange lighting. The plastic inserts on the dashboard look cheap, like the bottom shelf of a supermarket instant noodle, but match well with the inserts in the seat upholstery. Carbon-look plastic inserts further diversify the interior and please the eye (and at the same time the soul).

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The second thing that distinguishes the SW Cross interior is its full-fledged armrest. Albeit without adjustments, but well located and decent looking. It's laughable, but for the owner of this particular car, a normal armrest was one of the factors that forced him to choose a “raised” station wagon rather than a sedan, although nowadays you have to stand in line for the SW Cross, and “ordinary” Vestas are available from dealers in available in almost any design.

We can’t help but mention the luggage compartment. Of course, the station wagon is designed to heap bags from Auchan, skis, suitcases, a ficus in a pot, two spare wheels, a canary in a cage and a diesel generator through the back door. And then all this rumbles there mixed with the chirping of a bird. But in SW Cross there is no need to fear this. If desired, you can put some things in a small compartment fenced with mesh or in an organizer. If you need to transport something large, you can remove the rear shelf. In general, if this is a “barn”, then it will have a convenient shelving and cabinets.

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Well, if you’ve already started looking at the car from the outside, let’s open the hood. There is nothing new here, but pay attention to this detail. We scolded our Vesta for its constantly dirty engine: everything flew under the hood from the road at once. Everything is clean here, even though the weather is not at all conducive to this. Either the seal was changed, or the slightly higher height from the road had an effect, but so far the engine compartment looks new. And this is good.

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SW Cross and Russian road

Let's now see how this nice car drives. But first, of course, let's get behind the wheel.

Sometimes sitting high helps a lot. And some people just like to sit higher. In this car you can really climb to a decent height, and most importantly, do not rest your head on the roof. There is enough space in the cabin, you can drive and play the button accordion. And this is also a plus.

The disadvantage begins as soon as you start to move away. Yes, here again these three damned Russian letters are to blame - AMT, aka automated manual transmission, aka “robot” in common parlance. You can probably get used to it too. Maybe he doesn't kick that hard. I even admit the thought of its durability. But even when I die, I will ask just two questions. One is about the meaning of life (but this is not certain), and the second is how such a box could be made.

I can already see how the adherents of single-clutch “robots” are now rolling their eyes, remembering both the efficiency and low cost of the technical solution in comparison with a hydromechanical automatic machine. Self-hypnosis is such a thing, any arguments can be made. And you can get used to everything - even to a 20-year mortgage of 5 million rubles for a one-room apartment outside the Moscow Ring Road. But it just so happened that every time you change to a Vesta with AMT after a car with a normal automatic transmission, you want to cry. Or write critical articles. So…

The first is the lack of a parking mode. Now in St. Petersburg there are alternating night frosts with daytime thaws, and by some miracle the snow still fell. And I really wouldn’t want to put the car on the handbrake overnight after day trips, so that the pads don’t freeze. But there is also a nice thing: the SW Cross has disc brakes at the rear. The sedan, as everyone remembers, has drums. So there is much less fear of running around the car with a kettle in the morning.

The second is the gear shift logic. Here it got a little better with unexpected reactions to pressing the gas pedal: the car starts moving predictably (but, of course, only when you press the gas pedal - if you just release the brake, it will remain in place, well, or roll forward or backward, depending from the slope of the road). But already from the second gear some confusion begins. What is this “robot” thinking when it suddenly starts selecting the right gears? Sings Grebenshchikov's songs to himself? Proves Fermat's theorem? Is it trying to somehow process the ECU data? Don't know. But some switches are very unexpected. Although soft.

The opposite situation. We are driving in third gear at low speeds, ahead is an empty section to a traffic light, the timer of which is counting down the last seconds. We press on the gas to have time to pass under the permission signal. Well, where is the second gear? But she’s not there. The engine can’t even spin up, and we can’t even pick up speed. That's it, the brake: the green light is already blinking... It's good that there is a manual mode. You can travel with him. Most likely, you can drive in automatic mode. But you have to get used to it, and you know, you don’t want to get used to it.

Therefore, I will repeat a generally known truth: Vesta needs to be bought manually. Or develop driving skills that you won’t need in normal cars.

Here are the pendants - I was pleased. The behavior of the car, in my opinion, is noticeably different from the sedan. In principle, I had no complaints about the sedan either: I liked how Vesta handled the road. Even at those speeds that cost from five thousand to deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle.

SW Cross has become even more “collected”. After the test drive, I made inquiries: indeed, there are technical differences in the suspensions - there are completely different springs and shock absorbers. However, it cannot be said that the car has become tougher. No, it still involves comfortable movement, you don’t have to close your eyes in front of every speed bump. But the feeling of her being tightly knitted is stronger here. Although in a cold car while driving in front, something was tapping on the bumps. Did the “bones” rattle ?

And one more reason for joy: our car has decent windshield wiper blades! This is something out of fantasy. We didn’t leave the city, and I can’t say how the wipers work at speeds of up to a hundred kilometers per hour. But in urban mode, they coped well with snow and water, something that even more expensive brands cannot always boast of.

Based on all of the above, I completely agree that SW Cross looks quite harmonious on our roads. High ground clearance, good handling, visibility, landing - the station wagon has it all. And some things are even better than the sedan. But still…

Loyalty to traditions

Everything seems to be fine, but the protruding edge of the arch trim is a symbolic thing. A dealer who didn’t do a very good job, forcing him to switch to another dealer – that’s also very our thing. The AMT algorithm, which has never been brought to fruition, is our everything, almost like Pushkin. But how wonderful it would be if we just abandoned these traditions, wouldn’t it?

To tell the truth, I would also like to add here the not very pleasant tactile sensations from the plastic in the cabin and - what is much more important - from the steering wheel, but I won’t. And the reason is clear: Vesta’s materials are approximately at the level of Solaris’s materials. They don't need to be good, they need to be not too expensive and competitive.

Okay, then let's look at the price. The most inexpensive version with a 1.6 liter engine (106 hp) and a five-speed manual transmission will cost 755,900 rubles. The most expensive, with a 1.8 liter engine (122 hp) and AMT - 847,900 rubles. Well, the same Solaris on the “handle” with a 1.6 liter engine starts at 754,900 rubles. And in the top-end Elegance configuration (with automatic transmission) it already costs 929,900 rubles... And this is not a station wagon, nor a cross-country vehicle.

So I’m forced to once again come to the conclusion that we don’t have anything cheaper. Well, is there any point in complaining about unpleasant plastic then? Probably not either. If not for these traditions...

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Handling and off-road performance

Despite its fairly budget price, the 2021 Lada Vesta SW has very decent handling. Thus, the car is quite responsive to any movement of the steering wheel, thanks to the correct settings of the mechanism and the presence of an electric power steering. The station wagon takes turns confidently, and its possible drifts from the trajectory are predictable. Therefore, the driver will be able to slow down to the appropriate speed in advance. The only drawback is that when the car exits a turn, the steering wheel must be turned manually; the developers were unable to achieve full return action for it.

As for the off-road qualities of the car, you can’t count on the station wagon to “rock” in off-road conditions, of course. But overcoming obstacles such as speed bumps or bumps and holes on the road is something that Vesta SV can handle with a bang.

Prices for all LADA cars

Design

The design of the AvtoVAZ crossover station wagon is standard. The front part received a recognizable “X-face”, thanks to the installation of metal inserts between the headlights and the radiator grille. The only thing we can highlight is the windshield, which is quite large in size and is “overwhelmed” due to the slope of the front pillars. On the side, the body received the usual stampings on the wings and doors, as well as a heaped roof, thanks to which the model does not look bulky at all. The rear of the model stands out thanks to large rear lights and a trim installed at the bottom of the bumper. Along the entire perimeter of the body, the car is equipped with a plastic body kit that serves as protection.

The interior decoration is also quite classic for an AvtoVAZ model. The main distinguishing point of the interior design is the presence of orange decorative inserts on the front panel, door panels and car seats. The center console is equipped with a multimedia system display and an air conditioning unit, which is combined with a tunnel.

The steering wheel has audio system control buttons, and the model’s instrument panel is analog, divided into three wells with indicator sensors. The seats in the car are quite rigid, equipped with headrests and good lateral support, thanks to which passengers will be comfortable driving long distances.

Salon

The Vesta is as spacious as possible for a passenger car of this class. The main advantage compared to competitors is a normal back row. There is no roof that drops sharply on your head and there is as much space between the rows as you need. Thanks to this, Rituska sits comfortably behind her, crossing her legs. An important point, by the way.

Our front seat is always in this position, because rarely anyone sits there. But even in this situation, an adult can accommodate there (checked), but without amenities. The salon is dirty because it's not May outside =)

Amenities in the back row include a folding center armrest with cup holders, heated seats and a USB port for charging devices. Not bad for a budget station wagon of the BE class.

Small tea party with folded armrest

The heating is turned on, between them there is a USB for charging gadgets, and at the bottom there is an additional cigarette lighter, into which you can also later insert a USB port when Mashunya travels with gadgets.

The backs of the front seats are covered in leatherette, which is easy to clean. As any parent knows, this is the place that suffers the most from the feet of small passengers. Leatherette can be washed with a regular damp cloth. After a certain age, little dirty kids will be able to wash the chairs themselves =)

A good example

Uncomfortable front headrest

This problem affects the front passenger and driver. It lies in the fact that the headrests of the front seats have a very strange shape and are tilted forward. They can only be adjusted in height. Due to the tilt of the headrest, the passenger sits with his head tilted forward at all times. As a result, his neck quickly begins to hurt and discomfort appears.

On the forums the problem is solved in different ways. Some lift the headrests all the way up, some turn them over, and some even buy non-original ones from other cars. Rituska rarely drives in front, so we are not doing anything about this problem yet.

This concerns the driver to a lesser extent, because with the correct seating, the back should be relatively straight and the head should not lie on the headrest, but only slightly touch the back of the head.

Specifications

According to the stated technical characteristics of the Lada Vesta SV 2020 model year, it can be equipped with three engine options. They all differ in parameters, which must be taken into account during purchase:

1. Economical 1.6-liter engine and manual transmission. The maximum power of this power unit is 122 horsepower at 5900 rpm. Recommended fuel is A-92 gasoline. The maximum speed of this configuration reaches 182 km/h. Acceleration time from 0 to 100 km is 10.9 seconds. In the combined driving cycle, fuel consumption per 100 kilometers reaches 7.8 liters. Additionally, the modification is equipped with a 5MT transmission.
2. Standard 1.8-liter engine and manual transmission. The maximum power of this power unit is 106 horsepower at 5800 rpm. Recommended fuel is A-92 gasoline. The maximum speed of this configuration reaches 178 km/h. Acceleration time from 0 to 100 km is 12.4 seconds. In the combined driving cycle, fuel consumption per 100 kilometers reaches 7.3 liters. Additionally, the modification is equipped with a 5-speed transmission.
3. Classic 1.6-liter engine and automatic transmission. The maximum power of this power unit is 83 horsepower at 5500 rpm. Recommended fuel is A-92 gasoline. The maximum speed of the car in this configuration reaches 170 km/h. Acceleration time from 0 to 100 km is 12.2 seconds. In the combined driving cycle, fuel consumption per 100 kilometers reaches 7.4 liters. Additionally, the modification is equipped with an automatic transmission.

Gearbox leverAll internal combustion engines of different vehicle configurations provide smooth movement and confident acceleration. To achieve the proper level of comfort and exciting handling, the manufacturer has provided special chassis settings.

Looking to the future

Today it is clear that the new Lada station wagon will be almost completely identical to the sedan, at least up to the B-pillar. This is in appearance. For clarity, you can compare photos of both cars. Body dimensions, all main components and configurations will remain the same. It is not entirely clear whether the Vesta Cross will be an all-wheel drive vehicle.

In January 2022, AvtoVAZ management abandoned all-wheel drive for the station wagon. This was due to financial considerations. However, in 2022, manufacturers expect to return to the 4X4 version.

Most likely, all-wheel drive will be borrowed from the French or Japanese, because the Alliance continues to be AvtoVAZ’s main partner. So far, Lada Vesta Cross is being called a front-wheel drive SUV.

As for the power units, the station wagon will probably be equipped with the usual Vesta 1.6 liter engines with a power of 107 and 114 hp. With. For all-wheel drive, a 1.8 liter engine with a power of 123 hp will be used. With. The transmission will also remain the same. The five-speed manual transmission fits quite well with the presented engines. By the fall, it will be known for sure whether the LADA Vesta CROSS will receive an automatic transmission, which is represented at AvtoVAZ by the AMT robot.

The characteristics of the car will remain the same if AvtoVAZ does not acquire a new power unit by the time of release.

As for the price, the prices for the station wagon will change in relation to the Vesta sedan. If now the basic Classic package starts from 514 thousand rubles, and the maximum Luxe Multimedia package reaches 658 thousand rubles, then the new station wagon in the fall will cost more, about 100 thousand rubles.

According to the latest data, the LADA Vesta CROSS station wagon will be assembled at the Izhevsk Automobile Plant. In particular, equipment for the production of plastic body kits has already been installed and tested there. The first parts require careful checking and adjustment.

Prospects

The car in question, according to experts, may be of interest to the target audience for a number of reasons. Firstly, it has a rather attractive appearance, created using modern design approaches. Secondly, this is the modernization of systems and mechanisms, which led to an improvement in the dynamic and speed properties of this car. Thirdly, this is a fairly comfortable interior with good sound insulation, which is due to the use of modern high-quality materials, as well as new technologies.

The increase in popularity of the new car may also be due to the fact that the manufacturing company will make some changes to its design, as well as add certain technological options. Although the level of build quality of this car is quite high, improving a number of parameters in this direction will also have a positive effect on increasing sales volumes.