Review of Lada Vesta. (New Look 2021 + Video).

Lada Xray video here:

All text test drives of Lada Vesta are here

Video of the all-terrain station wagon Lada Vesta Cross 4x4 -

Comparison of Lada Vesta with competitors such as Hyundai Solaris, Volkswagen Polo, Renault Logan and Ravon Gentr. Test of the magazine "Behind the wheel"

Review of Vesta 2021 from Pavel Bludenov (AutoVesti), full version for Youtube. About excellent sound insulation, the sound of doors slamming, good handling, but a terrible “robot”, a noisy engine and an incomprehensible armrest.

Video review of the Lada Vesta from life tests, under which conditions equal to 5 years of operation of the car or 100 thousand kilometers are reproduced. The text version can be read here.

Lada Vesta in the “Big Test Drive” from Sergei Stillavin and Rustam Vakhidov. The test took place in Italy, where the presenters spent more than 24 hours behind the wheel of a Lada Vesta and during this time drove more than 500 km.

New Lada Vesta – video review “Big test drive”

At the presentation of the Lada Vesta model, which took place as part of the Moscow Motor Show, organized in, Sergey Stillavin and Rustam Vakhidov filmed a video of the car’s presentation.

In the video, they immediately noted that they arrived at the auto show on August 27, the press day when media representatives were invited there. However, even on this day, almost the entire parking lot was occupied, where exhibition workers left their cars.

They immediately went to the Lada Vesta stand, where they were just removing the awning from the car, after which the Lada Vesta was presented to journalists. The appeal stated that this model is one of the largest in class D, and also about its launch into series in 2015. They immediately noted the emergence of AvtoVAZ’s own style - features of the letter “X”, which are visible not only in the front end, but also on the side panels, especially the rear wings. Then they managed to get closer.

First, Stillavin and Vakhidov examined the profile of the model, once again noting the lines stamped in the sidewall, and also pointing out one point - the 30-centimeter podium on which the car stood slightly distorted the true picture of its perception. Moving to the rear, the journalists pointed to the new rear optics, in which Stillavin caught similarities with those on the new generation Nissan Qashqai.

In the front of Vesta, they again noted the X-shaped configuration of the front bumper in the radiator grille area. They also drew attention to the frankly “Asian” head optics of the car. Then we tried to look inside by lifting the camera and pointing it into the interior, before again pointing out the side features, as well as the 17-inch wheels installed on the concept. As for the interior, Stillavin and Vakhidov drew attention to the “Korean” design, very similar to that of the KIA Ceed.

Stillavin and Vakhidov at the presentation of Lada Vesta at the Moscow International Motor Show 2014

Video about Lada Vesta

This ended the story about the Lada Vesta sedan, and the reporters went to the stand where the Lada X-Ray was presented.

Behind the wheel

Suspension

The regular Vesta SW station wagon has a rear suspension exactly like a sedan, but the characteristics of the springs and shock absorbers have been slightly revised for higher loads.
Cross has different springs: thanks to them, the ground clearance is increased from 178 to 203 mm.
This is the first production Lada with suspension like Subaru!
There was not even a hint of a breakdown on any of the asphalt waves and holes that abound on the narrow mountain road to Solohaul (a famous rally stop!).

Engine and transmission

The combination of a 122-horsepower engine and a manual transmission is fire! There is always enough engine, although there are three passengers in the car besides me and some luggage.
The clutch does not require filigree footwork: you just release the pedal and go.
Only occasionally did a slight itch irritate me, but this, as the engineers assured me, was a consequence of the fact that the engine calibration had not yet been completed.

Control

The strength of the Cross is also that it handles perfectly - better than a sedan.
ESC is triggered later than on a sedan, allowing you to drive a little more actively and slide longer without the intervention of an electronic guard (due to the fact that ESC is triggered, among other things, by the steering angle sensor + low-profile tires).
Low-profile tires, with a stiffer sidewall, so when turning the steering wheel you deflect at smaller angles - the car changes course more readily and turns more actively into turns than on higher and softer tires.
Active drivers will like it - you can afford a little more than usual. Living machine!

Brakes

For ESP operation, disc brakes are preferable: they are faster, especially on rough roads.

Body

The torsional rigidity of the body (on an empty car) is sufficient. The rear right wheel is a couple of millimeters off the ground, but all the doors, including the trunk, open easily.

Link to test drive.

Cheap and spacious inside

The door opened easily, with half a touch of the handle, and slammed just as pleasantly and easily. The front passenger seat is spacious for my height (181 cm) - my knees don’t rest anywhere, the belt is height-adjustable and doesn’t rub my collarbone. There are three-stage heated seats and cup holders. The cup holders are shallow and inconvenient to use: on strong bumps, hot coffee can fly out and scald your knee.

The interior was not surprising. A lot of cheap, “mismatched” plastic, some “childish” multi-colored inserts on the panel and door cards, an instrument panel with orange scales “a la sport”, which distract from the digital values. The location of the buttons, the convenience and range of adjustment of the seat and steering wheel do not raise any questions. By the way, even the lumbar support is adjustable here, which is rare for this class.

The rear seats are comfortable. There is a decent margin in front of the knees, as well as above the head. The seats are molded for two, but since there is a middle headrest, three can ride, the amount of space in the waist and shoulders allows this. But it’s still more convenient for two. The couple is provided with heated seats and a center armrest with cup holders. There are also USB and 12-volt charging ports to choose from.

The trunk caused admiration - there is no other way to say it. It’s not like in the “economy”, in the C-class I don’t remember anyone having such a carefully thought-out luggage compartment. Volume - 480 liters, regular rectangular shape. On the right is a closed niche for small items. On the left are several compartments for small items and a mesh. There are a bunch of hooks, a 12-volt socket, two niches in the raised floor and a sliding shelf. Low bow to the engineers!

Also read: Which is better: Vesta or Polo

We accelerate and go

But a test drive of a Lada Vesta begins not with an inspection of the car, but with a ride in it. It is the ride that determines whether the car is really comfortable or whether it only seems so while it sits comfortably in the parking lot.

While the engine is idling, it is practically inaudible in the cabin, and this seems strange when you remember that the car is domestic. In addition, the first sounds appear at 3500 rpm, and at speeds exceeding 100 km/h, you can talk calmly without trying to shout over the car noise.

When taking the Lada Vesta car for a test drive, an interesting nuance emerged: the rated maximum speed is 178 km/h, and the speedometer showed more than 190 km/h! And this cannot be attributed to problems with the speedometer, since the GPS sensor showed that the speed was 186 km/h.

When driving a LADA with a robotic gearbox, after 160 km/h the hood opening sensor began to light up, while the hood itself remained safely closed. Testers believe that the hood was simply not installed quite accurately on a particular car, that is, this is not a defect of the brand, but simply an isolated error. This happens with pre-production cars. Moreover, nothing similar was found on another LADA Vesta - with a conventional manual transmission.

The Lada Vesta took a test drive in Italy, which is famous for its winding roads that are not particularly smooth. Steep descents and ascents are characteristic of Italian roads, especially in the mountainous regions of the country. Even on city streets there are an abundance of sharp turns, descents and ascents can compete with the mountains. But the Lada successfully passed all road tests, and the car passed even in the most unfavorable conditions at a fairly high speed. Testers claim that it’s all about the character of the car itself - they call it groovy! The car blends so well with the driver that it’s tempting to step on the gas. Moreover, imported electric power steering allows you to perform almost aerobatics, entering one turn after another. Also during the test, the neutral balance of the chassis was noted, and the Lada Vesta could go into a skid solely with the help of the handbrake. In addition, everything is under the control of the ESP stabilization system - it turns off only at low speeds, when skidding becomes almost impossible.

Interior

The interior space of the new Russian-made product can please true connoisseurs of domestic cars. The chairs are very comfortable, and they have a large number of different adjustments that are designed to ensure a comfortable stay for people. In addition, there are a number of useful elements:

steering column reach adjustment;
convenient buttons and levers for controlling vehicle functions;
the visibility of the situation is quite normal, but it is slightly obscured by the pillar located on the driver’s side;
mirrors are large and comfortable;
there is a lot of free space in the cabin;
quite roomy trunk, allowing you to transport a lot of different cargo;
original interior lighting, which is bright enough and does not have a harmful effect on vision;
The seats are heated quite quickly.

This is interesting: Test drive Kia Sorento Prime

The interior has its own highlight: bright orange inserts that make the interior space more attractive and original. If a potential buyer is a fan of muted colors, then he can choose the option with gray inserts.

For an additional fee, you can purchase a multimedia package, which includes the following elements:

multimedia system equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen display;
navigation system;
six functional speakers providing high-quality music sound in the cabin;
a high-resolution camera providing visibility into the rear of the vehicle;
wheel (steering) with many different functions;
Cruise control.

Review from a car enthusiast

This is a 2021 test drive with a review from novice blogger Alexey, who and his wife decided to test AvtoVAZ’s new product. Having filled out an application at the car dealership, they received at their disposal a brand new Vesta in the Comfort configuration with a 1.6 engine and a manual transmission. After spending about two hours on a visual inspection and a short trip, the couple identified some shortcomings of the car:

weak acceleration dynamics;
interior trim with cheap materials;
noisy engine operation;
flimsy sun visors.

The pluses included comfortable seats, modern exterior and interior design, and pleasant sound from the speaker system.

In his test drive, Alexey summarizes: the car is closer to foreign competitors, but is inferior to them in terms of build quality and finishing. The car enthusiast hopes that the Lada Vesta Sport, which was presented to the public in 2016, will be able to surpass a regular sedan in many respects.

Below is a video review comparing Vesta with its competitors:

Autonews

Engine

The new 1.8 liter engine is not very impressive on a mountain road. Vesta goes up strained, requiring a lower gear, or even two.

Transmission

Well adjusted clutch. Everything works without vibrations.
The gear ratios are also well chosen. The first two gears are well suited for city traffic, while the higher gears are good for highway driving and are economical. Vesta 1.8 drives confidently and accelerates well in the mid-speed zone, but is not distinguished by either powerful traction at the bottom or cheerful spin at high speeds.

Control

A dense, slightly synthetic steering wheel, insensitive at small turning angles, modest rolls and understandable reactions, thanks to which you want and can drive the car along the Sochi serpentines.

Suspension

Due to the redistribution of weight, the characteristics of the rear suspension have changed slightly (the rear springs of the station wagon have been increased by 9 mm), but this is not felt while driving.
If the standard station wagon handles unevenness and bumps, albeit noticeably, but without crossing the line of comfort, then the Cross’s setup is clearly more asphalt.
The Cross jumps over rocks without any suspension breakdowns. The standard SW is a little more comfortable in these conditions, but requires a little more careful choice of trajectory (since the ground clearance is lower).

Link to test drive.

Competitors

The Russian-made model in question has a number of competing cars that are popular among Russian motorists. Competitors include the following models:

These vehicles are characterized by good technical data and operational parameters. They have a fairly comfortable interior and a number of useful options. Despite all the advantages of these vehicles, the Lada Vesta Cross has a good chance of occupying its niche in a short period of time and winning over market share from its competitors.

Safety

The Russian-made car has not only passive but also active safety systems. Among the new systems are:

stabilization system;
effective airbags (not only for the driver, but also for the front passenger);
assistant when driving on a hill (especially effective for drivers with little driving experience);
other basic systems that are difficult to do without when driving in the city.

These safety systems help the car driver in difficult traffic situations to avoid serious accidents.

Exterior

If we consider the 2021 Lada Vesta Cross car, the new model of which is presented to Russian consumers, and its photo and price can be seen on our resource, then the exterior of the new product turned out to be quite attractive. The original side stampings on the doors give it a sporty look. The headlights go well with the radiator grille, as well as the bumper located in the front.

At the rear of the vehicle, the headlights also fit well with the bumper and tailgate. All these elements of the car’s appearance match well with each other and in color scheme.

Technical features

Buyers will be able to get several trim levels of this car, which is equipped with a 1.6 or 1.8 liter gasoline engine. The power of the first engine option is 106 hp, and the second - 122 hp. Together with the engine, this car is equipped with a gearbox (manual) or automatic (robotic). Despite the presence of off-road attributes, the car's drive is exclusively front-wheel drive.

Experts note that the main problem of this car is that it is not equipped with a modern automatic transmission that would have a smooth and understandable operating algorithm. It is clear that in the near future in 2018 the Lada Vesta Cross sedan will not have a functional automatic transmission, but it may be installed in a few years.

The car has excellent handling, which is due to a very precise steering wheel, well placed in the zero zone, and returning to its original position after the turn operation. In urban conditions, the steering wheel is not stiff, but when driving on the highway it becomes a little heavier.

The suspension of the new product is designed quite successfully, which allows it to overcome uneven road surfaces without any problems. As for the chassis, it is quite noisy. Although, if we compare with previous generations of this car, then certain improvements are observed.

AutoVesti (Pavel Bludenov)

pros

The suspension works great, the car is truly designed for Russian roads. Absorbs bumps well (better than Renault Kaptur).
Excellent handling, even on bad roads.

Minuses

Acceleration to 100 km/h is not impressive.
The new instrument panel is blind, nothing is visible on it.
AMT is not designed to be used.
Multimedia system (the sun glares a lot and slows down).
Below and above the engine behaves sadly.
In 5th gear up a small hill the car does not accelerate at all.

Overall, the Lada Vestra SW turned out quite well. SW Cross seemed worse than a regular station wagon.

Options for Lada Vesta Cross 2018 in a new body

The new car on the Russian market will be presented in several trim levels, depending on a number of parameters: additional options, materials used to equip the interior, as well as other factors. Even the basic package includes all the options necessary for comfortable driving. This is of great importance for those car enthusiasts who do not have the financial means to purchase an advanced model.

At Russian dealership centers, potential buyers will be able to purchase any equipment option for this car, depending on their preferences and financial capabilities.