One of the strengths of any Vesta is the exterior. Outwardly, even I like Vesta. But the SW Cross version is practically a masterpiece. Mark this moment: I praise VAZ, but there is no sarcasm in my words. This rarely happens. But the station wagon looks really very dignified.
In the parking lot next to Vesta, there was another “barn”, the brand of which, unfortunately, I did not 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 a god kissed the designer in the eye. Here everything is in its place, all proportions are observed exactly. A rather big car, in principle, does not look bulky, but solid.
Initial cost of Lada Vesta SW Cross
1.6 l (106 hp), manual transmission
It is especially worth noting that the ground clearance of the SW Cross is quite decent - 203 mm (for example, it is only 190 mm), but West does not seem to be an SUV or even a crossover. The very case when it’s not scary to get close to the curb, and the UAZ doesn’t smell from the car. In general, a beautiful car came out. I looked carefully, and suddenly turned around ... And still good!
I don’t like it, however, that the lining on the arch on the left rear is crooked, but I hope this is not the merit of the factory, but the specialists of the official dealer who installed the locker. Well, it happens.
Give me fire!
Salon SW Cross is also different from what was in our editorial sedan. First, he became brighter. Yes, the very spark that I lacked in the sedan, there was a lot. This is especially noticeable on the dashboard, which bright orange backlight revived very significantly. The plastic panel inserts look cheap, like the bottom shelf of a supermarket with instant noodles, but go well with the inserts in the seat upholstery. Plastic inserts “carbon-like” diversify the interior a little more and amuse the eye (and at the same time the soul).
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The second thing that distinguishes the SW Cross interior is a full-fledged armrest. Albeit without adjustments, but well located and decent looking. Here is laughter with laughter, and for the owner of this particular car, a normal armrest was one of the factors that made him choose exactly the “raised” station wagon, and not the sedan, although now you have to queue for SW Cross, and dealers have “regular” Vestas in available in almost any version.
Not to mention the luggage compartment. Of course, the station wagon is designed to pile packages 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 up under the chirping of a bird. But in SW Cross you should not be afraid of this. If desired, something can be put in a small compartment, fenced with a 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 with a convenient shelving and lockers.
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Well, if we started looking at the car from the outside, let's open the hood. There is nothing new here, but pay attention to such a detail. We scolded our Vesta for the constantly dirty engine: everything flew under the hood from the road at once. Here everything is clean, even in spite of the weather that is not at all conducive to this. Either the seal was changed, or the slightly higher height from the road affected it, 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 cute car drives. But first, of course, let's get behind the wheel.
Sometimes a high seating position helps a lot. And someone just likes to sit higher. In this car, you can really climb to a decent height, and most importantly - do not rest against the roof with your head. There is enough space in the cabin, you can go and play the button accordion. And this is also a plus.
The minus begins as soon as you start to get under way. Yes, here again these three damned Russian letters are to blame - AMT, it is also an automated mechanical transmission, it is also colloquially a “robot”. You can probably get used to it too. Maybe he doesn't kick as much. I even think about its durability. But even when I die, I will only ask two questions. One is about the meaning of life (but this is not accurate), and the second is about how such a box could be made.
I can already see how the adherents of single-clutch "robots" are rolling their eyes now, who will recall both the efficiency and the low cost of a 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 for 5 million rubles for a odnushka outside the Moscow Ring Road. But it just so happened that every time you change to Vesta with AMT after a car with a normal automatic transmission, you want to cry. Or write critiques. So…
The first is the lack of a parking mode. Now in St. Petersburg, night frosts alternate with daytime thaws, and snow, by some miracle, still fell. And I would really not want to put the car on the handbrake at night after day trips so that the pads do not freeze. But there is also a pleasant moment: there are disc brakes on the back of the SW Cross. On a sedan, as everyone remembers, there are drums. So there is much less fear of running around the car with a kettle in the morning.
The second is the gearshift logic. Here it became a little better with unexpected reactions to pressing the gas pedal: the car starts predictably (but, of course, only when you press the gas pedal - if you just release the brake, it will stand still, well, or roll forward or backward, depending from the slope of the road). But already from the second transfer, some kind of confusion begins. What does this “robot” think about when it suddenly starts to select the right gears? Sings Grebenshchikov's songs to himself? Proves Fermat's Theorem? Trying to somehow process the ECU data? Don't know. But some of the changes are very unexpected. Although soft.
Reverse situation. We drive 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 drive under the permissive signal. Well, where's the second gear? And there is none. The motor can’t even spin up, we can’t pick up speed either. That's it, the brake: green is already flashing ... It's good that there is a manual mode. Here you can ride with it. Most likely, you can drive in automatic mode. But you have to get used to it, but you don't want to get used to it, you know.
Therefore, I will repeat the well-known, in general, truth: Vesta needs to be bought on the mechanics. Or cultivate driving skills that you won’t need on normal cars.
Here are the pendants - pleased. The behavior of the car, in my opinion, is noticeably different from the sedan. In principle, there were no complaints about the sedan either: I liked how Vesta kept the road. Even at those speeds that cost from five thousand to the deprivation of the right to drive the vehicle.
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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. At the same time, it cannot be said that the car has become tougher. No, it still assumes comfortable movement, you don’t have to close your eyes in front of every speed bump. But the feeling of her strong downfall is stronger here. Although on a cold car in motion in front something tapped on the bumps. No way ?
And one more reason to be happy: our car has decent wiper blades! This is the stuff of fantasy. We did not leave the city, and I cannot say how the wipers work at a speed of one hundred kilometers per hour. But in urban mode, they coped well with snow and water, which even more expensive brands cannot always boast of.
Based on the foregoing, I fully agree that the SW Cross looks quite harmonious on our roads. High ground clearance, good handling, visibility, landing - the station wagon has all this. And something even better than the sedan. But still…
Loyalty to tradition
Everything seems to be fine, but the protruding edge of the arch lining is a symbolic thing. A dealer that didn't work very well, forcing you to switch to another dealer - this is also very our way. The algorithm of AMT operation that has not been brought to mind is our everything, almost like Pushkin. But how wonderful it would be if you take and abandon these traditions, isn't it?
To tell the truth, I also wanted to add here not very pleasant tactile sensations from the plastic in the cabin and - more importantly - from the steering wheel, but I won’t. And the reason is clear: the materials of Vesta are approximately at the level of the materials of Solaris. They don't need to be good, they need to be not too expensive and competitive.
Okay, let's look at the price then. The most inexpensive version with a 1.6 liter engine (106 hp) and a five-speed manual will cost 755,900 rubles. The most expensive, with a 1.8 liter engine (122 hp) and AMT - at 847,900 rubles. Well, the same Solaris on the “handle” with a 1.6 liter engine starts from 754,900 rubles. And in the top configuration Elegance (with automatic transmission) it already costs 929,900 rubles ... And this is not a station wagon, and not a cross.
So I have to once again come to the conclusion that we have nothing cheaper. Well, is there any point in complaining about the unpleasant plastic? Probably not either. If not for these traditions...
Lada Vesta or Lada Vesta SW Cross?
It's time to quit: all this already bears little resemblance to healthy journalism and even less to work within the framework of the Labor Code. I dream of Vesta. Quite specific - the station wagon SW in the Cross version and in the maximum configuration. Exactly the same one that I first saw in the AvtoVAZ design studio back in May, and then drove it from Tolyatti to Izhevsk, but not in camouflage, but with a thermonuclear orange color. Four months of silence under the terms of the embargo - and these nightly meetings. However, I know how to stop everything, but this is what worries me much more than dreams.
W and three years since the appearance of the first concept car, I talked so much about Vesta that, according to the laws of the Zhiguli Mountains, I now have to answer for my words and get married. Although "must" is not quite the right word. I'm afraid I really want to buy Vesta.
As an adult, I understand the delicacy of such a situation, but you know what Stockholm Syndrome is, don't you? Three remarks to understand the scale of the disaster: I update the lada.ru website at least three times a day, I know the location and contacts of the four nearest Lada dealers, and I subscribe to those two messages a month that AvtoVAZ calls the customer newsletter. Almost every evening I torment the loan calculator, and in the morning I am glad that I have not yet collected a deposit, because I still do not have an answer whether to buy Vesta.
It is beautiful, but not cheap, it manages well, but it accelerates poorly, it is practical, but gluttonous. In a word, I'm confused. And when there is a mess in the head, the simplest thinker tricks come to the rescue. Last week I took a sheet of paper and drew it in half to write down everything on the left that makes me consider the acquisition of Vesta a good idea, and on the right - the other way around.
And this is what the most frightening part of this outline looks like.
Design Manifesto. Perhaps beauty will not save the whole world, but at least it will render AvtoVAZ a very, very serious service. Vesta station wagon is not just the most beautiful VAZ, it is a car that can return Lada to a society where buying a car satisfies desire, not need. I would even say that the Vesta SW is somewhat similar to the Mini, because I can already imagine a person who will choose it solely because of its appearance. Only to choose, of course, you need the Cross version, because Vesta has large wheels and wide plastic lining, consider her heels and bikini. No, the usual Vesta station wagon is also very good, but against the backdrop of a cross-country one ... It's like if you married a supermodel, but you only saw her in the kitchen when she was looking for aspirin on Saturday morning.
Dear drive. Another reason to choose the SW Cross is the new suspension settings. If the chassis of the base station wagon differs from the sedan’s only in rear springs extended by 9 mm, then the “cross” Vesta has its own set, in search of which the VAZ team went through 40 options for shock absorber settings paired with elongated springs. Surprisingly, as a result, Vesta with a cross-suspension suddenly became even more “asphalt”. At the VAZ training ground in Sosnovka, I constantly jumped from an ordinary station wagon to a cross-country one, and the difference between them was like between mineral water and champagne. That is, it’s just that Vesta is still appropriate in 99% of situations and will satisfy most driver needs, but Cross will also add a sense of celebration to this. The new suspension is denser, the reactions are faster and more accurate, with it Vesta rolls less and sways less. Such a Lada drives smoothly and expensively - and I did not see a serious compromise in this with smooth running and energy consumption. Yes, it accentuates waves and bumps more strongly, but I waved 700 km from Togliatti to Izhevsk on the Cross-universal, bypassing federal highways - and it was a pleasant trip.
The station wagon driving program was almost completely reduced to finding suspension settings for the Cross version, since the simple Vesta SW differs little from the sedan. "Cross" shock absorbers with an extended rod - Skopin's company SAAZ-Komplekt, and regular tires - Pirelli Cinturato P7. Excellent duet! Wheels of dimension 205/50 R17 are put on all Crosses, but a 15-inch stowaway serves as a spare. And it’s also worth remembering that beautiful wheels rarely help to drive fast, so Vesta SW Cross 1.6 with “mechanics” according to the passport spends 12.6 s on acceleration to “hundreds”, and SW Cross 1.8 with “robot” - endless 13.3 s !
Clearance. An extra 25 mm of ground clearance gives the universal Vesta Cross 203 mm under the bottom - Crete never dreamed of this, and Kaptur is only one millimeter higher, but from experience there is more confidence in Lada's passport clearance. It’s not that I’m going to knead off-road, but in light of the fact that we now have snow even in June, and well-maintained Moscow streets go under water after every downpour ... In a word, you should not miss the chance to distance yourself somewhat from these troubles.
Even the usual Vesta (178 mm, pictured on the right) has enough ground clearance to almost never worry about curbs when parking. Vesta SW Cross (left) is 25 mm higher. But you need to remember that the black lower lip of the front bumper is not a separate lining, but a single part along with foglight sockets, a license plate area and part of the wheel arch trim. But on the thresholds, on the rear arches and under the rear bumper - separate "unpainted" panels
Smart trunk. Strictly speaking, the Vesta Cross sedan will very soon receive the same suspension, wheels, body kit and clearance, and the station wagon is no different from it in terms of trunk volume under the shelf: the same 480 hp. But I like the organizer with niches, drawers and nets, which the VAZ built inside their "barn". As someone who's scooped wine out of the trunk twice and scrambled eggs and pickles once each, I'm very happy with all those pallets and rubber bands promising that scooter, camera and marinade can now travel around the neighborhood without fear.
The most "charged" Vesta. Of course, you need to take the 1.8 engine, because in a healthy body there must be a healthy mind, and 106 hp. Vesta's base engine, in my understanding, does not really fit this definition. Just like the "robot" AMT. Therefore, I have 122 forces with “mechanics”, and in this case it is French, JR5, which automatically insures against howls and “indigestion” of torque. The limit of 200 Nm with a margin covers the capabilities of the motor (170 Nm) - in contrast to the VAZ transmission, designed for 175 Nm. Such a power unit has already been tested on the Lada XRAY, but Vesta 1.8 with “mechanics” is a little heavier, so its passport indicators are more modest: 11.2 s to 100 km/h and a maximum of 180 km/h.
Salon Economy +. Vesta-universal is simply created for those who, like me, fit in the plane only in the seats at the emergency exit. Ergonomics, successful for a tall driver with a long steering column and a large range of seat adjustments, is also good because the ceiling above the second row is raised by 25 mm compared to the sedan one, so that Vesta will no longer embarrass representatives of "high society".
Kaizen in a VAZ style is a central box-armrest, updated instrument lighting, three-stage heated front seats, a microlift of the glove compartment lid and colored interior upholstery on the Cross versions in unison with the body color
Electronics - wholesale. Vesta SW Cross, even for the maximum 866 thousand rubles, is a relatively affordable way to purchase a heated windshield and rear seats, two USB ports, built-in navigation, a color touchscreen, climate control, a rain sensor, parking sensors and a rear view camera. A little later, AvtoVAZ also promises Apple CarPlay. For any classmates, such equipment will cost at least an extra hundred thousand rubles. At the same time, station wagons will be the first Westies with a front box between the seats, with a three-stage heated front seats, with a rear armrest, with a lockable gas tank hatch and an external trunk release button.
Ownership price. Even expensive Vesta promises significant savings on the cost of maintenance and insurance compared to foreign cars. Thanks to the relatively affordable service rates and cheap body parts that reduce Casco rates. The difference with Solaris and Rio for the year can be 10-20 thousand rubles in favor of Lada.
The indifference of the thieves. You can generally take a chance and refuse insurance in case of theft: according to traffic police statistics, in 2016 only four Vestas were stolen in Russia! Although Priors and Grants are traditionally at risk due to the high demand for used spare parts. Very soon Vesta will also roll back the warranty period, and the owners will be drawn to the showdown, but so far the new Ladas do not promise restless sleep to their owners.
Like the Russian team. The news is ours. I didn't think I'd ever fall for it, but it's silly to say that her background doesn't touch me. With Lada, everything is exactly like with the Russian team: it polarizes emotions. When nothing sticks, we grit our teeth and curse the day when we got involved in this mediocre performance, but if suddenly we are not ashamed of the result ... Vesta Cross is like bronze at Euro 2008 football, when I wanted to scream and run into the street. No illusions, this is not gold at all, but nothing brighter has happened in automotive Russia for a long time - and it’s not a fact that it will happen. That is why it seems to me that such a machine deserves a place under the window. What's more, I'm beginning to think that it's a professional duty of a car writer to buy a Vesta at least as a 2017 trophy. With a bronze tint in the color of "Mars".
This is how I reason every evening, and in the morning I remember that professional duty is still something else, and, say, a sommelier is not at all obliged to empty an uncorked bottle himself. Moreover, Vesta Cross is just one of those pleasures that does not guarantee the absence of a headache at all. And on this occasion, I have written the entire right side of the sheet.
Escaped beauty. I wanted to close my eyes every time I came across the freckled bumper of our editorial Vesta: during last year’s resource test, the paint peeled off it right at the sink, and, judging by today’s reviews of many newsmen, there is little in terms of the quality of the paintwork on plastic parts changed. Therefore, you need to prepare for the fact that "Mars" will quickly become covered with dark seas and craters that everyone can observe with the naked eye.
Illusion of power. The VAZ 1.8 motor is a skillful hoaxer: it easily makes all its superiority in power and torque disappear in just one stroke of the stopwatch hand. A little over 11 seconds to "hundreds"? The four-door Vesta 1.8 performed by Exclusive with the French "mechanics" and the "short" main pair (4.2), which participated, accelerated to 100 km / h in just 11.2 s - only 0.1 s faster than " mechanical" Vesta 1.6! And, having reached a maximum of 190 km / h, she was helpless against the “Koreans”, who are able to take the 200 mark. The Stuffed Cross-wagon on 17-inch wheels (plus 16 mm to the outer diameter of the tire) is unlikely to repeat this time. There is little torque at the bottom, the tops are dull, the gas pedal is damped. Add to this the not very high definition of the Logan box and the long-stroke clutch - and it turns out that the advantages of the most powerful Vesta come down to good traction at medium speeds, easy road accelerations in fourth and fifth gears up to 120 km / h and a maximum speed, which, according to our measured 12 km / h higher than Vesta 1.6.
High consumption. It is doubly insulting that the slow Vesta is gluttonous. I have to look at Igor Vladimirsky, who drives his Octavia 1.8 TSI around the city with an average consumption of 8.5 liters per hundred, as a Bolshevik at a manufacturer: Vesta Exclusive in the ARDC cycle showed a result of 10.2 liters per 100 km. And there is not a single prerequisite for the fact that the Cross-station wagon will be more economical.
Cheap sound. Unexpectedly good sound insulation (in the station wagon is almost quieter than in the sedan) threatens the audience with disappointment: most of the sounds that Vesta makes in motion do not match her expensive appearance. The roar of the motor is insipid, the turn signals click poorly, the horn snarls in the voice of a cold teenager. It is possible that over time, salon crickets with suspension creaks will also be added. In a word, it will not be easy to fall in love with Vesta with your ears.
Tolerance field. Each new Vesta, which participated in the Autoreview tests, slightly differed from the previous one in its driving character: the steering wheel was either full or empty, the handling was either exemplary or “arrogant”. The reason is the acute sensitivity of the Vestov chassis to the characteristics of the tires and to the tolerances in the settings of the electric power steering and the properties of the suspension joints. Vesta Cross was trained for a long time and carefully, but there is no certainty that each conveyor instance will go the same way as the finishing station wagon that I met in May.
Seasonal change. Not all winter tires are equally useful for Vesta, some can make her handling even dangerous. And it’s not at all a fact that the results for an ordinary Vesta can be extrapolated to a “seventeen-inch” station wagon with a cross-suspension. And besides, big wheels are a serious challenge for Vesta's trunk. I haven’t had time to check it yet, but I’m willing to bet that Lada won’t be able to take away a set of her own winter tires without transforming the interior. However, my station wagon Opel Insignia also does not cope with this task. Surcharge for "adult shoes" for Cross, compared to ordinary Vests, will be about 8,000 rubles per lap. A seasonal switch to 16-inch wheels will probably help save on tire fitting and save fashionable wheels, but you need to be prepared for an aesthetic compromise and a reduction in ground clearance.
Save money on belts. The spacious rear sofa will accommodate three adults without any problems, but I often need to put three children in the car, and Vesta is not well suited for this. There are only two Isofix mounts here (along the edges of the rear sofa), but they are not more important to me, but the width of the sofa to fit two boosters and one baby seat. Vesta, like many cars, does not allow this, so one child will have to be moved forward. An adult will not be able to sit in the vacated rear seat, but something else is much more unpleasant: AvtoVAZ saved on the length of the rear seat belts, which are barely enough to secure the Maxi-Cosi Tobi seat of the youngest son.
Cushions in front only. Vesta is the safest Russian car and the first with four airbags, but the efforts of the developers were focused on protecting the front riders. Therefore, the functions of the air curtains here are performed by high L-shaped side airbags, which also cover the upper part of the doorway. But there are no and never will be pillows for the rear passengers: it was decided not to use a full-scale curtain, since without active security systems it still would not help Vesta gain a high rating in European crash tests. Not the most reverent approach to a family car.
Winter half package. Even the most expensive Vesta SW Сross is deprived of steering wheel heating, tailgate servo drive and remote engine start. And if the fifth door servo and a warm steering wheel still appear in about a year, then everything is sadder with the launch: there are no such plans yet. In fact, in a situation where you need to quickly jump into the car in the morning and be at the school in five minutes, an ordinary starter button and a central lock that allow you to lock the car with a running engine and stove could actually save you from frost. This is how Opel Insignia often heats up, but Vesta has a key that is stupid to leave unattended in the ignition.
budget paradox. The orange Vesta SW Cross 1.8 MT that bothers me costs 834,900 rubles. An interesting price, but... Firstly, while remaining inexpensive in terms of maintenance compared to foreign cars, Vesta is still potentially the most expensive Lada (the experience of our resource test says that only XRAY will require the same amount of investment). Secondly, pledging almost 850 thousand rubles for the purchase (plus about 100 thousand for maintenance per year), it’s hard not to look towards Solaris and Rio, which can offer a full-fledged “automatic”. And thirdly, the same budget opens the way to the most unexpected options on the used car market, and our "resource" experience with Camry is another evidence of this. By the way, Vesta with "mechanics", according to the statistics of the Auto.ru service, loses an average of 16% of its value per year - that is, minus 200 thousand in the first two years. And parting with the 1.8 modification threatens to be especially difficult, since the market niche of these cars is only 5%, and its epicenter is certainly not within the Moscow Ring Road.
866 thousand rubles is the price of the most expensive Vesta SW Cross, taking into account the "robot" and metallic. And the simplest Vesta SW 1.6 (106 hp) in the Comfort version will cost 639,900 rubles. At the same time, the most affordable Cross with the same engine costs already 755900, because there are no Comfort versions in this case, only Luxe. Surcharge for the engine 1.8 (122 hp) at least 25 thousand, for the "robot" AMT - another 25 thousand, for metallic - from 12 thousand, and the most expensive color is not orange "Mars", but beige "Carthage" for 18 thousand . The richest Prestige equipment (only it has a heated rear sofa and a rear armrest) will require another 18 thousand, and it is available exclusively with the 1.8 engine. As a result, an ordinary station wagon costs 32-42 thousand rubles more than a sedan in similar trim levels, and the Cross version is another 43-53 thousand more expensive.
Or maybe it doesn't need to be sold? I myself said that Vesta is a trophy.
That's why I'm confused again. Ten pluses for ten minuses is not parity, it is a stalemate. However, just on the day when this issue of Autoreview appears on the shelves, I will go to Sochi to ride on fully serial station wagons and check my ideas. But even after that, nothing will rush me with an answer: the verdict will endure at least until the end of October, when station wagons go on sale.
Acceptance of orders for station wagons started on September 19, but Lada dealers started filling out applications and accepting deposits (usually 5,000 rubles) a month ago, and sales will begin at the end of October
The promised two years are waiting. Launching the serial production of the Lada Vesta sedan on September 25, 2015, the then head of AvtoVAZ, Bo Andersson, promised that the station wagon would be put on the conveyor exactly one year later - on September 25, 2016. But even less than a year passed ... and Andersson left, and bold commitments had to be revised.
Initially, it was assumed that they would be produced in Tolyatti - contrary to the fact that the sedan is made in Izhevsk. Later, this strange logistical concept was revised: station wagons would also be made at the Lada Izhevsk plant (former Izh-Avto). Body stamps arrived in Izhevsk only in winter, so the assembly line was prepared in a short time.
Serial production should begin in July. If there are no failures, this year a total of about nine thousand cars will be made - approximately equally in both modifications. They will go on sale in the fall.
From another test
Vesta SW - station wagon, atypical for AVTOVAZ. Starting with, "solid" from the Italian counterpart Fiat 124 Familiare, all Togliatti cargo-passenger vehicles were more like "cargo" than passenger ones. VAZ-2104 did not bring anything new to this concept, VAZ-2111 with its almost vertical rear door developed the cargo start, but elevated it to the absolute.
Next to these hard workers, the fragrant freshness of Vesta SW -. When Steve Mattin says that it is impossible to name the only author of the design, he is clearly being modest. Back in Sweden, he got his hand on hewing Volvo cargo-passenger “suitcases” and showed the world the swift Volvo V60. Do you also imagine Volvo when you look at the Vesta station wagon? This is not a reproach to Steve. Rather the opposite. This means that our car is tailored according to modern European patterns. Moreover, Vesta SW is more elegant than Volvo - at least for my taste. The roof line torn off from the rest of the body, the rear pillar shark fin turned against the course of the rear pillar, the elongated silhouette - a dynamic profile!
The body was licked for a long time in terms of aerodynamics, so a developed rear spoiler appeared, which hangs thickly over the tailgate. It calms airflow, reduces turbulence and minimizes rear window fouling.
Everything below the rear license plate is the same for the sedan and station wagon. The same bumpers, the same taillights, including their inner sections.
Therefore, the dimensions are similar. The length of the station wagon is 4410 mm (exactly like that). Wheelbase - 2635 mm. Width - 1764 mm (according to the body, excluding the width of the mirrors). Height on luggage rails - 1512 mm.
Limiting unification allowed to reduce development time and reduce the cost of the project. This will bring certain benefits in the future. If restyling is needed after some time, less time and money will be spent on it, which means that the buyer will win. It can also be assumed that spare parts will become a little more accessible - if not by price, then precisely by availability: it will not be necessary to keep separate parts for a sedan and station wagon in warehouses.
Who where?
In our photos, which we managed to take before the official premiere, there is only Vesta SW Cross. This is one of the first commercial vehicles. The basic station wagon is outwardly simpler, it is completely devoid of black decor and is called the Vesta SW. As you might guess, the abbreviation SW is from the English station wagon, station wagon.
What is the difference between SW and SW Cross? If you compare the metal body panels - nothing! At the same time, the cars are visually very different.
SW Cross almost exactly repeats the concept, which was shown at the Moscow SUV exhibition two years ago. It has two-tone bumpers that give it a more secure feel. The entire body is surrounded by black plastic lining. Twin tailpipes of the exhaust system bring a sporty touch to the look of the car.
SW Cross is only 4 mm longer than a regular station wagon - because of the black lining on the aggressive-looking bumpers. In addition, it is slightly higher (1532 mm). Finally, there are 17-inch wheels on the Cross - on the concept car they were an inch more, and on the usual Vesta SW station wagon they will be an inch less. Accordingly, the Cross has a slightly wider track. The larger wheels required a reconfiguration of the suspension.
All this does not really fit in with the rather conservative approaches that AvtoVAZ used to profess. Togliatti residents remained true only to the good old tradition of making cars for our bad roads. What am I talking about? About clearance!
Vesta SW has a clearance of 178 mm. This is already enough for our cities and villages. SW Cross is even cooler: 203 mm under the bottom! It is clear that the drive is only front. But if you put toothier tires on the SW Cross, it will be good. And if you screw it up (I'm sure there are craftsmen), the SW Cross will compete with other all-wheel drive crossovers. I hope the stabilization system will be completely switchable - so as not to interfere on the road.
And more about unification. Remember last year's Vesta Cross prototype sedan with the same plastic body kit? Since the sedan and station wagon are as unified as possible, it will not be difficult for the plant to launch the Cross sedan on the market. The only question is timing.
What is inside?
It makes no sense to kick the air under the rear bumper - there is no electric trunk on Vesta, this is the prerogative of cars of a higher class. Open with handles.
We were not allowed to photograph the inside of the first car, so use your imagination.
Since the rear bumper is borrowed from the sedan, the loading height was a little more than we would like.
Trunk volume? When this material was being prepared, there were no exact data yet. The Vesta sedan has a trunk capacity of 480 liters. It can be assumed that the station wagon trunk has approximately the same dimensions (under a removable curtain).
It may seem that a developed spoiler narrows the doorway, but this is not so: it is part of the door, so it rises with it - and a huge trunk opening appears, not very wide, but high.How much?
And now about the most important thing. When we prepared this article for publication, the prices were still in the formation stage. A few months ago, Nicolas Maure mentioned that the wagon would be a little more expensive than 800 thousand rubles.
Since the SW station wagon does not differ from the sedan in terms of technical stuffing (in our illustrations - a car with a 1.8 engine), I would venture to suggest that it will be sold for 620–800 thousand rubles, depending on the power unit and equipment level. The upper bar on the SW Cross can rise to 850 thousand rubles.
Let's see if my prediction comes true.
A few exciting new models, excellent sales numbers, carpet bombing of competitors' nerve cells - it's no exaggeration to say that AvtoVAZ is doing better now than at any time since the collapse of the USSR. But this success also has a downside: right now, people from Tolyatti are under tremendous pressure and close attention from almost every mature Russian. Even those who were not going to buy Lada at all. And this leaves the VAZ team practically no chance for a mistake. Only forward!
Remember how AvtoVAZ launched the first-born of a new wave - the Lada Vesta sedan. Slowly and carefully. No extra informational noise, no brochures with the appearance of the model “accidentally” published in the media. Vazovtsy themselves gave information to the extent that they considered necessary. And now Vesta is already in the top three best-selling cars in Russia! Without pretentious presentations with stunt tricks, "brand ambassadors" from among celebrities and other blue lights - solely due to their own talents.
And here is another new model. Even one and a half. This is Lada Vesta SW and its all-terrain version SW Cross. Didn't find the word "universal" in the previous sentence? Because AvtoVAZ actively avoids this term.
The reason is that when the question was discussed, what should be the second version of Vesta after the sedan, many options were considered. There was a hatchback, and a liftback, a coupe - and, of course, a station wagon. Which could turn out to be noticeably larger than the car, the keys to which were given to us. But it was this body, according to its creators, that embodied all the options that were initially studied.
The serial Vesta SW is something between a classic station wagon with a long rear overhang and a hatchback with a short stern. And this is good, because, frankly, there are few successful examples of turning sedans into hatchbacks. Remember at least the five-door Hyundai Solaris of the previous generation and the hatchback Chevrolet Cruze - a design disaster, not otherwise.
AvtoVAZ was helped to avoid such a failure by the right approach to choosing a body, and by the skillful hands with a bright head of chief designer Steve Mattin. And also - initially successful both in proportions and in filling the donor.
Lada Vesta SW is not even a completely redesigned sedan, but rather a copy of it with a redesigned roof in the rear and other springs in the rear suspension. The wheelbase here is the same as that of the four-door, the width and even the length are also unchanged. The clearance remained unchanged: from the bottom of the car to the surface of the planet, there is still 178 millimeters. Only the height has become different: the top point of the body is now 15 millimeters higher.
But to hell with her, with her height grown. After all, you are interested in the trunk, right? And the cargo compartment of Lada Vesta SW and SW Cross is their huge advantage over competitors. And not only because in the Russian market station wagons of this class died out like dinosaurs.
There is a set of nets for fixing loads. On the left is a decent-sized niche for any small things, and next to it is a container for a five-liter canister with a washer, which can be tightly tied to the wall with special straps. Directly opposite is a lockable pocket in which you can hide objects of very decent dimensions from foreign objects.
But that's not all. Vesta SW and SW Cross have a double luggage compartment floor. It is two-section, and on the second tier there are two very strong, but light organizers, divided into segments! All this, if necessary, is taken out and hidden in the garage - and the trunk becomes even larger. True, only in this state, without a raised floor and organizers, the same declared 480 liters of usable volume are obtained. Less with them.
But if you're thinking about getting upset over the previous offer, don't rush. Because the new modification of Vesta has one more cellar! There is a full-size spare tire and ... a third organizer. Looking at all this, it seems that one of the VAZ workers came to work in a Skoda, began to boast of Simply Clever chips, and the people responsible for the development of Vesta rolled up their sleeves and decided to make it even cooler. There would also be handles with which the backs of the rear seats can be folded straight out of the trunk, as in the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V ... Sorry, I was daydreaming.
By the release of station wagons on the market, the VAZ workers also treated those children's sores, the bouquet of which was once awarded to the sedan. For example, there was a fixed central armrest between the front seats, and not a limp piece of fabric and foam rubber. The gas tank hatch is now locked with a central lock, and on the trunk lid there is ... a trunk opening button! The sedan will also have all this - later.
But the sores were not all taken out. Interior trim materials are still infinitely far from ideal: the most extreme plastic on test cars is no, no, and it creaks, despite the ridiculous - less than a thousand kilometers - mileage. The multimedia system also leaves much to be desired. Graphics from 1996, frightening menu logic, icon and arrow sizes, as well as their unsuccessful rendering. And CityGuide navigation now and then offers strange clues and non-obvious routes.
The engine range, like plastic with multimedia, migrated from the sedan to the station wagon without changes: two petrol "fours" with a working volume of 1.6 and 1.8 liters, producing 106 and 122 horsepower, respectively. The news is different: the top-end engine is now combined on several versions at once with a mechanical five-speed gearbox - the same as on Lada Largus and Renault Sandero. On the sedan, before the advent of the latest Exclusive modification, all cars with 1.8 were equipped exclusively with monstrous "robots" of AvtoVAZ's own design.
I sincerely and honestly believed that only nuclear weapons and falling apart dumplings could be worse than this transmission. But at AvtoVAZ they say that they receive little negativity about the operation of the box from those 20 percent of Vesta buyers who have opted for masochism and this “robot”.
Nevertheless, I wanted to try out a pair consisting of a 1.8 engine and a French "mechanics" most of all. Especially on Vesta SW. Because in all other driving characteristics it is identical to the sedan: it also pleases with stability and clarity of reactions in corners, just as accurately and quickly follows a pleasantly loaded steering wheel, and the suspension just as confidently copes with almost all the misunderstandings that in this country for some reason often referred to as roads.
But the potential of the motor, which seemed to be hiding behind the shortcomings of the "robot", was not as impressive as we would like. The engine itself is highly unified with the 1.6 unit - except that it is equipped with an intake phase shifter and has a larger volume. There is the same block of cylinders, and the working volume has grown solely due to an increase in the piston stroke. But! It began to be developed when some potential owners of Vesta were still enthusiastically examining books in which there were more pictures than letters. Therefore, it is still not worth demanding feats from this unit.
According to the passport, traction far from the record 170 Nm comes only to 3700 rpm, and up to 2000 the engine frankly sleeps at all. Therefore, if at least some steep climb grows in front of you, you must approach the choice of gear and pedaling with all responsibility.
A little dipped in traction - and that's it. At least jump on the gas pedal, put a brick on it, ask for help to put the squeeze on the person in the passenger seat: Vesta will not accelerate anyway. Therefore, we poke a longish and not entirely clear gear lever one or even a couple of steps lower, and only after that we go further.
However, "Vesta" with 1.8 and mechanics still rides a hundred times better than the version with a robot. If only because it does not present surprises, like sudden shifts with even more sudden releases of the clutch. 10-20 kilometers - and you already more or less understand where the tachometer needle should be before the next maneuver. And having mastered it, you begin to figure out how to reduce the consumption of 92-octane gasoline, which on Sochi roads was in the range from 11 to 13 liters per hundred.
But you are probably more interested in something else - how does the most beautiful version of Cross ride?
Already in the database there are large by the standards of the class 17-inch wheels, 203 mm ground clearance and other springs and shock absorbers. It was possible to wait for anything, but the people from AvtoVAZ took the medical “do no harm” as a basis and did everything so that the driving character of Vesta did not deteriorate. And they succeeded!
Moreover, Lada Vesta SW Cross feels even more lively and interesting than the base sedan! Feedback on the steering wheel is more transparent, the chassis is still tenacious and collected, and the suspension, despite the additional load in the form of 17-inch wheels, still perfectly digests bumps and roadway defects of almost any scale.
Under these most beautiful two-color discs, there were joints of concrete slabs, and giant asphalt patches, and gravel, and large stones with sharp edges, and sewer manholes. And nothing! On trifles, peace and comfort reign in the car, and on defects more abruptly, the body even shudders, but without hard blows, unnecessary noise and frightening consequences.
Of course, the Vesta SW Cross is not without flaws. The 1.8 engine is still just as sluggish here, and the hard plastic on the door armrests will still rub against the elbows resting on them. But "Cross" skillfully knows how to hide all this behind an excellent design, high ground clearance, which some crossovers will envy, and an excellent chassis. And in Russia for this, as a rule, they ask for a million and a tail.
But rules are there to be broken, right? Therefore, prices for an ordinary station wagon start at a sane 639,900 rubles for a car with a 106-horsepower 1.6 and mechanics. For 25,000 rubles from above, the car will be equipped with a robot. Modification with a 1.8 engine - at least 697,900 rubles, and with 1.8 and two pedals - from 722,900 rubles.
The cross version is naturally more expensive. For the minimum configuration, they will take 755,900 rubles. It will be a car with 1.6 and mechanics, but with front and side airbags, an alarm system, an on-board computer, remote control of the central lock, power windows in a circle, climate control, heated front seats, light and rain sensors, electric drive and heated mirrors, cruise -control and 17-inch wheels.
The most expensive Lada Vesta SW Cross costs 847,900 rubles. That is, at AvtoVAZ they made a B-segment car, which did not even get into the top for 900,000 rubles. This is an achievement these days.
The interior architecture of the Vesta SW and SW Cross is the same as that of the sedan. But there are new decorative inserts (on the Cross version), which look much better and more organic than the sedan
There are also orange accents on the dashboard. It has become brighter, but I still want the shield to become simpler. Too many extra elements
Behind and the sedan was already spacious and this quality of the Lada Vesta has not gone away. But tall passengers in the back will be more comfortable
Second-row passengers benefit from heated seat cushions and a USB port for charging gadgets.
The trunk does not strike with a record volume, but pleases with the layout. True, a flat platform with folded backs will not work
The set of grids in Lada Vesta SW is very convenient
Vesta is still a very young model and the first AvtoVAZ car created within the brand's new philosophy. The potential for renewal and improvement is enormous. And something will be introduced next year: we were promised that new multimedia systems will soon appear on Ladakh. Most likely, with the already built-in Yandex services.
Lada Vesta SW and SW Cross, of course, are not a standard, and the same new Solaris has something to say. On the other hand, Vesta looks and drives like a good modern car. It is well-packed, offers serious ground clearance, a cool trunk, and it’s not scary to drive four of us for long distances: it’s quite quiet in the cabin, and on the second row, the SW has not only a lot of legroom for the rear passengers, but also for the heads – the height of the ceiling in the rear of the body has grown by 25 millimeters.
But the main thing is that thanks to Vesta SW and SW Cross, we now know for sure that there, in Togliatti, there are people who know how to make good cars. Cars that are not ashamed. Cars that, if you want to scold, are no longer out of desperation, but because there is confidence - AvtoVAZ knows exactly how to make them better. Pleasant and such an unusual feeling, isn't it?
Vesta SV Cross - Kia Rio X-line test of the two best-selling cars in the Russian Federation. Of course, it will be messy - both literally and figuratively: competitors will be cut on the asphalt, then they will go to knead heavy dirt.
Demand for station wagons is growing in Russia - in the first quarter of 2018, more than two times more cars with this body type were sold compared to the same period last year. And although the segment leader is still utilitarian (9249 units), a more modern and expensive one is on its heels: 8400 such cars were sold in three months.
More than half of the Vesta SW sold is in the Cross version with increased ground clearance (the overpayment for the version with increased cross-country ability in equivalent trim levels is 55-65 thousand rubles) and a 5-speed manual gearbox, just such a car in the maximum configuration with 1..
The answer to the domestic station wagon from competitors from Kia is the Rio X-Line.
Vesta SV Cross - Kia Rio X-line appeared on the market almost simultaneously, however, the Korean manufacturer has developed a cross-country version based on a more compact hatchback, offers 6-speed transmissions and smaller displacement power units.
For six months since the start of sales, the share of X-Line in the total number of Rio sold has been steadily growing: today, every fourth Rio in Russia is sold in the “Cross” version.
Another factor that played in favor of Rio X-Line as an opponent of Vesta SW Cross on the test, in addition to the popularity of both models in the Russian market, was the price - the difference in the cost of the basic versions of 2018 is only 1 thousand rubles!
Rio X-Line in the maximum equipment is offered only with a 6-automatic transmission and a 123-horsepower 1.6-liter engine: this is the car that the site has already opposed in the winter rendezvous, and today the Lada Vesta SW Cross will be tested.
Put Lada Vesta and Kia Rio side by side and you will find a lot in common. Close dimensions, motor power and, accordingly, prices. But how differently the companies approached the creation of cross versions. Vazovtsy drew a very spectacular station wagon body and raised the ground clearance to more than 200 millimeters. The Koreans approached the issue more simply and built a body more like a hatchback than a station wagon.
Compared to the Rio X-line sedan, it has become a little shorter. The ground clearance was increased by only 2 cm, so under the Kia Rio X-line is now only 170 mm - even less than the base Vesta. A plastic body kit is present, but with small wheels it looks less impressive than on Vesta SV Cross.
The Lada is adorned with the Mars signature color and a shark fin on the C-pillar. It turns out that even an inexpensive car can look cool. But the headlights would still add diode running lights, like the Rio X-line, and it will be quite beautiful.
Vesta SV Cross - Kia Rio X-line test at a traffic light.
It is always interesting to compare the dynamics of acceleration of machines of the same power - 0.2 liters of the advantage of the domestic VAZ-21179 engine over the Korean one is expressed in 19 N * m of torque, in addition, during brisk acceleration, the Lada manual transmission seems preferable to the Kia “automatic”. The Korean hatchback has its own trump cards: the Rio X-Line is almost 20 centimeters shorter than the station wagon and 150 kilograms lighter.
With equal power, the dynamics of the cars should be very similar. Vesta SV Cross has a larger supply of torque of 170 Nm versus 151 for the Kia Rio X-line and more efficient mechanics. The X-line is betting on a slightly lighter weight and a 6-speed automatic with shorter gears.
Lada 1.8 with mechanics accelerates to hundreds in 11.2 s, while Rio 1.6 AT is four tenths slower. However, several parallel launches gave a completely opposite result. Kia Rio X-line is consistently faster. Perhaps our Vesta SV Cross was unlucky with the engine settings, but no matter how we tried to start, changed cars and called up different ESP modes, in most attempts Lada remained behind.
For an optimal start, you need to clearly keep the engine speed in the region of the 3000th mark, turn off the stabilization system in advance and switch in time. In the first gear, the cut-off works even before 6000 rpm, while in the second and subsequent - about 6500 rpm. The Kia Rio X-line accelerates more stably, in each gear the engine spins up to 6500. Perhaps at the time of launch, the wider and larger wheels of Vesta have advantages in terms of grip, but as the speed increases, slipping disappears, but it becomes difficult for the motor to accelerate them.
The Rio X-Line automatic will not please with a racing character when starting from two pedals, but this is not required from a family car - predictable behavior and reliability in operation are more important. Nevertheless, the Rio X-Line did not leave Vesta SW Cross a chance in the head-to-head competition: both times, on the short straight line of our training ground, the Korean hatchback “brought” more body to the domestic station wagon.
The score is 0:1 in favor of X-line.
On rollers: test of electronic assistants
Both front-wheel drive cars passed the roller test, however ...
Overcoming our trademark obstacle proceeded in different ways: a smooth increase in traction on the Rio X-Line automatic, which coped with the task earlier and softer, against the harsh electronics on the Vesta SW Cross, which required a significant increase in engine speed. At first, we even feared that Vesta SV Cross would not move off the “slippery” platform at all, but after thinking carefully, Lada nevertheless left the rollers. According to our rules, we do not detect the time of rotation of the wheels on the rollers, moved out - well done. Here is a draw.
Score 1:2 in favor of X-line.
Driving through a tire
Ground clearance test - 20 cm tire. 203 mm clearance of Lada Vesta SW Cross, even taking into account engine protection, is preferable to 170 mm Kia Rio X-Line.
Vesta SV Cross passes the tire with a light touch. For Rio X-line, this task turned out to be a little feasible. With uniform movement, the Kia Rio X-line simply drags the tire forward, but if you try to start deliberately sharply, then thanks to the unloading of the front end, the wheel still managed to jump. But in any case, this does not count for the X-line.
Practice confirms the theory - the score goes to Vesta SW Cross.
Score 2:2
Vesta SV Cross — Kia Rio X-line handling test
A short, slow track with a dry, dusty surface will judge the competition in the handling test.
The specifics of the impromptu track revealed a feature of the electronics settings on the Vesta SW Cross: at the slightest suspicion of an emergency situation, the Lada strangles the engine, preventing it from skidding. A conservative chassis is a benefit for the consumer, but not the best assistant when driving for a while.
The Rio X-Line is also not deprived of electronic systems, but the ESP in Kia does not pull the driver unnecessarily. The handling of the Korean hatchback is not mischievous, but the chassis, transmission and stabilization system in the Rio are better synchronized. Bottom line - Kia Rio X-line is almost 2 seconds faster than Vesta SV Cross
Score 2:3 in favor of X-line
Interior
Comparing the interior of the Lada Vesta SW Cross with the Kia Rio X-Line, you pay tribute to the big step forward on the part of the designers of the domestic car.
Lada-Vesta-SW-Cross: Simple but comfortable seats with lateral support, beautiful, even stylish dashboard design. But you will recognize the smell of domestic plastic when you slightly open the door.
Against the background of a worthy implementation of complex technical solutions (the navigation system is well debugged), there are insulting punctures in small things - the radio tape recorder annoys with a multi-second delay when turned on, power windows with inaccurate framing risk unpleasantly injuring fingers, and the original markings and illumination of the speedometer scale are not convenient for all drivers.
In the Kia Rio X-line, simple lines and even inexpensive materials look great. The central screen is turned towards the driver and is well read even in sunny weather, which cannot be said about the Vesta screen.
A leather-wrapped steering wheel with the correct diameter, strict inserts, more comfortable seats - all this together makes you feel that the car is more expensive than it really is. Of course, this is true primarily for the top versions of the Rio X-line, but even they do not have a frightening price.
In contrast to the bright design of the Vesta SW, the interior of the Rio is conservative and restrained. However, there are no complaints about the quality of materials and performance, pleasant little things, but not available in Vesta SW for any money, please.
The Korean is slightly superior to the Lada in terms of the number of options, but they all require an additional payment. The Rio X-Line can have keyless entry to the cabin, a heated steering wheel, a cornering light function and leatherette trim.
The Korean car does not surpass the domestic one in terms of equipment, but is more attentive to details and customer-oriented. A point in favor of the Rio X-Line.
The score is 2:4 - the Korean is leading.
In the back seat
In terms of the length of the wheelbase, even despite the increase of 3 cm that occurred during the generational change, the Rio X-line is still inferior to the Vesta SV cross and this is especially felt in the back. In terms of the width of the sofa, competitors are close, but in terms of legroom, Vesta has a little, but wins. Thanks to the two-volume body, the roof does not lie on the heads, and in expensive versions, both cars boast a heated rear sofa.
But at the back, Vesta SW shows both the advantages of a larger wheelbase and care for passengers - the legs are more spacious than in a Korean car, there is both a USB connector and a 12V socket.
The Rio X-Line salon at the back is a little narrower and tighter than in Vesta, you can’t hide the lack of dimensions with a competent layout.
For rear passengers, a domestic car is more preferable - a score in favor of Lada.
The score is 3:4 - X-line leads.
Cubes in the trunk
The rear overhang of Vesta SV Cross is larger than that of the X-line, which means that the trunk is more spacious. In addition, it provides a useful organizer that allows you to get an almost flat floor when folding the rear seats.
The advantage of the Rio X-line is the lower loading height.
The trunk of Lada Vesta SW Cross is the pride of the station wagon. A well-thought-out, well-shaped compartment is predictably larger than the trunk of the Rio X-Line hatchback, both in terms of the declared characteristics and the results of measurements. The bar that separates the luggage from the passenger compartment, niches for small things, the organizer are made in a European way with high quality and are easy to use. It was possible to count 416 liters, not up to the factory, but very worthy.
For a hatchback, the Rio X-Line trunk is not bad: there are no protruding elements, a convenient opening, but according to the results of measurements, more than 324 liters could not be loaded.
The score is equalized 4:4
Don't hit your face in the dirt
Off-road we spent half the daylight hours. Oddly enough, the unrest associated with the Kia Rio X-line turned out to be less on wet, heavy ground. The Korean easily jumped over bumps, the machine switched at the right moment, and the electronics helpfully helped the driver, where it seemed that the car could dig in. Even over a deep moat, the X-line fluttered like a butterfly.
Weaknesses in the work of electronics, found in the test on platforms with rollers, also appeared in difficult areas, where Vesta SV Cross had a hard time.
On the video, you can see that after the mud tests, the X-line looks clean, which cannot be said about Vesta SV Cross.
According to our rules, it was necessary to drive a very difficult section with a moat and wet ground. Both cars did it. Above it was said about the different efforts in this work, but the fact of the passage here confirmed the combat draw.
The total score is 5:5.
Despite the similar price, Kia Rio X-Line and Lada Vesta CW Cross are aimed at different audiences. The Korean hatchback is a more urban car for a small family, with it the owner will worry less in winter and feel more confident on broken roads.
A domestic car is more suitable for a dacha located outside the city, it will not let you down in mudslides and is able to comfortably transport a large family on long trips. Rio has the opportunity to order a car with an honest automatic transmission, which is indispensable in the urban cycle; in turn, Vesta SW Cross has a significantly greater off-road potential.
Survival test, we are sure both cars will pass.
Producer pricing policy
Prices for Kia Rio X-Line start at 795 thousand rubles, but 2017 cars can be bought with significant discounts. The benefit, taking into account the special offers of dealers, can reach 180 thousand rubles, depending on the configuration. The most equipped Rio X-Line starts from 1.045 million.
The policy of the domestic Vesta SW Cross is more democratic: if the basic version costs almost the same 796 thousand, then the price ceiling is 892 thousand rubles, and the salons offer to save up to 180 thousand, accepting the conditions of the dealer.
The Lada Cross picked up the topic, we wrote about it, the video test turned out to be interesting, we post it in addition.
From the author of the blog site Peter Menshikh: I thank Igor Sirin (co-author and presenter on the video), Evgeny Mikhalkevich (cameraman, photographer), Roman Kharitonov (editor) for participating in the preparation of the material.
Video Vesta SV Cross - Kia Rio X-line test below, specifications at the end of the article.
