Judging cynically - only in terms of money - the station wagon puts the Cross on its shoulder blades with an advantage of 116 thousand. The "off-road" option is not cheaper than 755,900 rubles, while the SW is available for 639,900 - only 32,000 more expensive than a sedan of the same filling. But there is a nuance: "Cross" is not yet released in available trim levels, the price list starts immediately with the highest performance Luxe. And SW begins with Comfort, where there are no side airbags, foglights, a double boot floor, heated windshield, light and rain sensors, climate control ... On the other hand, a person hardened by Zhiguli will safely classify all these things as excesses. And for a comfortable life in "Comfort", even against the background of foreign cars, there is a lot: a pair of pillows, a stabilization system with ABS and traction control, steering wheel tilt and reach, central locking with folding key, heated seats, power windows in a circle, air conditioning, music and even cruise control. Therefore, the first point is sent to the more affordable, but not poor SW.
Vesta SW
Vesta SW Cross
At the launch of the sedan, AVTOVAZ gave the right to the first night of sales of Vesta to the best dealers. In the case of station wagons, this practice was abandoned. Pre-order will be issued in any company showroom, "live" cars are expected by the end of OctoberTrunk: 3: 2
The difference in billing persists as the cargo compartments are completely identical. But for the trunks, both Vestas get two points. Barely restrained himself not to add three. After all, the domestic auto industry has never done anything like this. Finally, we started thinking about people! Even Skoda will envy such a competent organization of space with its Simply Clever solutions. Both Ladas are full of hooks, nets, an outlet, lighting, a secret compartment in the wall on the right, a tray for rags and other trifles. And most importantly - Russian know-how: a special pocket for a five-liter bottle of water or a canister with a washer. They are proposed to be placed in a convenient niche on the port side and fixed with an elastic strap. Even if you put eggs in the trunk: with such a fixation, nothing will fly and break against the walls. There is only one problem - there is not enough space. The unification of the floor with the sedan did not allow squeezing more than 480 liters from the station wagon (like in a four-door). And this is taking into account the "two-story" underground: an organizer around the 15-inch spare wheel and removable trays above it. Even in the five-door "Vest" there is no hatch for long cars, and the backrest of the back sofa, divided in a ratio of 40:60, does not know how to fold into the horizon.
The fifth door is opened with a button; in the future, a servo drive should also be installed. The maximum volume with the seats folded is 825 litersPassage: 3: 3
Vesta SW not puzoterka: 178 mm under steel protection power unit- a normal option for Russia. And Cross is even more versatile. He has as much as 203 mm under a flat belly. Vazovtsy did not embellish, the body was really lifted to new heights - an impartial tape measure confirmed. For comparison, popular crossovers like Kia sportage, Volkswagen tiguan or Ford Kuga real ground clearance about 180 mm. But the Cross will not have all-wheel drive yet. And coupled with road tires Pirelli cinturato P7 205/60 R17 (for SW - Matador Elite 3 195/55 R16) these are the main limitations on flotation. But as long as there is enough grip and geometry, the Cross crawls forward. What we saw for ourselves when the clumsy standard navigation led us to a very rough dirt road, where, as a colleague recalled, an SUV was recently tested Mitsubishi pajero Sport. Raised "Vesta" slid down the slope, jumped over the boulders, took a mud ford and stumbled only on a damp rise, pitted with ruts. On the way back, Cross had to be slightly pushed up the hill, but most importantly, we got out. The off-road exam is passed, get a point in the piggy bank.
With the exception of front bumper plastic "Cross" body kit, natural, unpainted. The drive-in angles are about 1.5 degrees greater than the regular SW, despite the elongated overhangs. From electronic assistants - imitation of interwheel locking and an assistant start on the rise
Engines: 2: 2
Perhaps motors are the most weakness new station wagons, we fine both cars by one point. We don't know how the SW and Cross behave with the base 1.6-liter 106-horsepower VAZ-21129 "four" - they were not brought for a test drive, but the Vestas with the flagship engine, to put it mildly, did not please. The new VAZ-21179 unit seems to have a solid volume - 1.8 liters, and a decent power - 122 hp, the torque due to the phase shifter at the inlet is quite good - 170 N ∙ m. But at the very least, all this works only on the plain. And when we went deeper into the mountains from the Sochi coast, the Vesta became completely sluggish: the engine was empty at the bottom, it was sad at the top, the middle was so-so - no matter how fast you keep up, sometimes the car, not just to accelerate on the slopes, did not want to, it demanded to switch to the gear down ... It is doubly stressful to crawl along the lane - you have to play with the clutch. As a result - consumption under 12-13 liters of 92nd gasoline. Below 9 liters, the onboard computer has never shown at all for the entire time. But the station wagons are only 50-70 kg heavier than the sedan ... By the way, according to VAZ logic, SW is a Sport Wagon. Sounds like a wicked irony. Well, at least the 1.8 engine no longer suffers from detonation, other childhood illnesses also seem to have been cured, but in the morning the cold engine still upset a couple of times with unexpected traction failures.
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The Vesta station wagon is a quiet car. The tires, the engine, the wind are heard about the same, the noise does not press on the ears. And the "crickets" in the hard plastic of the interior do not squeal even on the primer. I would like to believe that the details will not loosen over time and the front suspension will not knock, as on the sedans of the first releasesGearboxes: 2: 2
The main "transmission" trouble of the five-door "West" is the lack of a normal automatic box... True, VAZ employees swear that buyers have learned how to handle the obstinate robot AMT (2182) and do not express any complaints about it. But it seems to us that only those people who have never driven a car with a good automatic transmission say so. The skills of the five-speed robot "Lada" are best illustrated by the acceleration figures to "hundreds": automated station wagons 1.8 take an indecently long time for this - 12.9-13.3 s, while with mechanics the numbers are much more optimistic - 10.9- 11.2 sec. Manual gearboxes, by the way, are different: Vestam 1.6 is equipped with a domestic transmission 2180, and modifications from 1.8 are equipped with a French JR5. And we liked it: it switches quite clearly, easily, does not buzz or howl. But in general, there is nothing to accrue points here, the score in the battle remains the same.
Vesta SW
Vesta SW Cross
An armrest with a box appeared between the front seats (useful, but it interferes with fastening and shifting gears), the seat heating is now three-stage, the glove compartment lid with a microlift, and the windshield heating is turned on with a separate button. These things are coming to the sedan soon.Controllability: 2: 3
For the SW wagon, engineers have identified special rear springs in order to adapt the chassis to a different stiffness and weight of the five-door body. Therefore, the behavior on the road, this version resembles a sedan. It lays just as tightly, with excitement it turns into a turn under the gas discharge and pleases with a lively response to the steering wheel turns. Never before have Russian station wagons driven so "tasty". But the high Cross turned out to be even more interesting! VAZ employees chose a difficult, but correct way to increase the ground clearance - they completely replaced the springs and shock absorbers, expanded the track by 14 mm, spending a lot of time fine-tuning the driving performance. As a result, the “off-road” version did not become more rollable, retained an acceptable smoothness on low-profile 17-inch wheels, and even won in handling: the “Cross” has a cleaner steering wheel, richer effort on it, the car is more stable on an arc in a turn. Only the edging of the instrument dials was painted red in vain - the numbers are hard to read. But still Cross deservedly takes the lead in points. A small note: on the serpentine stilettos, the front tires of the Cross were rubbing against the support cups of the suspension springs. We hope this is a single problem in our car, as well as the decorative engine cover that came off the mounts ...
Several interesting new models, excellent sales figures, carpet bombing of the nerve cells of competitors - it would not be an exaggeration to say that AvtoVAZ is doing better now than it has ever been since the collapse of the USSR. But this success has a downside: people from Togliatti right now are under colossal pressure and close attention of almost every sexually mature Russian. Even those who were not going to buy a Lada at all. And this leaves VAZ employees practically no chance for a mistake. Only forward!
Remember how AvtoVAZ launched the first child of a new wave - a sedan Lada Vesta... Slowly and carefully. No unnecessary information noise, no "accidentally" published in the media brochures with appearance models. The VAZ employees themselves provided information to the extent that they considered necessary. And now "Vesta" is already in the top three of the best-selling cars in Russia! Without pretentious presentations with stunt tricks, "brand ambassadors" from among celebrities and other blue lights - solely at the expense of their own talents.
And here's another new model. Even one and a half. These are Lada Vesta SW and its off-road version SW Cross. Didn't find the word "wagon" in the previous sentence? Because AvtoVAZ actively avoids this term.
The reason is that when the question of what should be the second after the sedan version of "Vesta" was discussed, many options were considered. There was a hatchback, a liftback, a coupe - and, of course, a station wagon. Which could have turned out to be noticeably larger than the car, the keys to which were given to us. But it was this body, in the opinion of its creators, that embodied all the options that were initially studied.
The serial Vesta SW is a cross 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 converting sedans into hatchbacks. Remember at least a five-door Hyundai solaris previous generation and hatchback Chevrolet cruze- a design disaster, not otherwise.
To avoid such a failure, AvtoVAZ was helped by the correct approach to the choice of the body, and the skillful hands with the bright head of the chief designer Steve Mattin. And also - initially a successful donor both in proportions and in content.
Lada Vesta SW is not even a thoroughly redesigned sedan, but rather a copy of it with a redesigned roof at the rear of the body and other springs in rear suspension... The wheelbase here is the same as that of the four-door, the width and even the length are also unchanged. The ground clearance also remained unchanged: from the lowest point of the car to the surface of the planet there is still 178 millimeters. Only the height has become another: the top point of the body is now 15 millimeters higher.
But to hell with her, with the increased height. 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 on Russian market generalists of this class became extinct like dinosaurs.
There is a set of nets for securing 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 - a lockable pocket in which you can hide from foreign objects of a very decent size.
But that's not all. The 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 lightweight organizers, divided into segments! All this, if necessary, is removed 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. With them - less.
But if you think you’re upset about a previous sentence, take your time. Because the new Vesta modification 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 employees came to work at the 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 dreaming.
For the release of station wagons on the market, the VAZ employees also treated those children's ailments, the bouquet of which was once awarded to the sedan. For example, there was a fixed center armrest between the front seats, and not a limp piece of fabric and foam. The fuel filler flap is now centrally locked, and on the trunk lid there is… a button to open the trunk! The sedan will have all this too - later.
But not all of the sores were removed. The trim materials in the cabin are still infinitely far from ideal: the most modern plastic on test cars, no, no, and it creaks, despite the ridiculous - less than a thousand kilometers - mileage. The multimedia system also leaves a lot to be desired. Graphics from 1996, frightening logic of the menu, sizes of icons and arrows, as well as their poor drawing. And navigation "CityGuide" every now and then offers strange tips 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 with a mechanical five-stage at once - the same as on Lada Largus and Renault Sandero. On the sedan, before the appearance of the new Exclusive modification, all cars with 1.8 were equipped with exclusively monstrous "robots" of AvtoVAZ's own design.
I quite sincerely and honestly believed that only nuclear weapons and crumbling dumplings could be worse than this transmission. But at AvtoVAZ they say that they receive little negative feedback on the operation of the box from those 20 percent of Vesta buyers who have made a choice in favor of 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 a sedan: it also pleases with stability and clarity of reactions in corners, just as accurately and nimbly follows a pleasantly loaded steering wheel, and the suspension just as confidently copes with almost all the misunderstandings that for some reason in this country 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 strongly unified with the 1.6 unit - except that it is equipped with a phase shifter at the inlet and has a larger volume. Here is the same block of cylinders, and the working volume has grown exclusively due to the increase in the piston stroke. But! They began to develop it when some potential owners of Vesta were still enthusiastically considering books in which there were more pictures than letters. Therefore, it is still not worth demanding feats from this unit.
According to the passport, far from the record 170 Nm of thrust comes only to 3700 rpm, and up to 2000 the engine is completely asleep. Therefore, if at least some steep climb rises in front of you, you must approach the choice of gear and pedaling with all responsibility.
Sagged a little on the thrust - that's all. At least jump on the gas pedal, put a brick on it, ask for help to put the squeeze on the person on passenger seat: "Vesta" will not accelerate anyway. Therefore, we poke the longish and not quite 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, such as sudden shifts with even more sudden clutch openings. 10-20 kilometers - and already more or less you understand where the tachometer needle should be before the next maneuver. And once you get used to it, you begin to figure out how to reduce the consumption of 92 gasoline, which on Sochi roads was kept 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 the Cross drive?
Already in the base there are 17-inch wheels, large by the standards of the class, 203-mm ground clearance and other springs and shock absorbers. One could expect 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” would not deteriorate. And succeed in this!
Moreover, Lada Vesta SW Cross feels even livelier and more interesting than the base sedan! The 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 defects in the roadway of almost any scale.
These beautiful two-tone discs covered the joints of concrete slabs, giant asphalt patches, gravel, large stones with sharp edges, and sewer manholes. And nothing! On the little things in the car, peace and comfort reign, and on defects abruptly the body 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 sluggish here, and the hard plastic on the door armrests will still rub the elbows resting on them. But "Cross" masterfully 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, as a rule, they ask a million and a half for this.
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, of course, more expensive. For the minimum configuration, they will take 755,900 rubles. It will be a car with 1.6 and mechanics, but already with front and side airbags, alarm, 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, AvtoVAZ made a B-segment car, which did not even make it to the top for 900,000 rubles. In our time, this is an achievement.
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
Orange accents are also on dashboard... It has become brighter, but still want the shield to become simpler. Too many unnecessary design elements
The back and the sedan were already spacious and this quality of Lada Vesta has not gone anywhere. But tall passengers in the back will be more comfortable
For passengers in the second row - heated seat cushions and a USB port for charging gadgets
The trunk does not amaze with a record volume, but pleases with the layout. True, a flat platform with folded backs will not work
The set of nets for Lada Vesta SW is very convenient
Vesta is still a very young model and the first car of AvtoVAZ, created within the framework of the new philosophy of the brand. The potential for renewal and improvement is enormous. And they will introduce something already next year: we were promised that new multimedia systems will soon appear on the Ladakh. Most likely, with already built-in Yandex services.
Lada Vesta SW and SW Cross, of course, are not a standard, and the new Solaris has something to say here. On the other hand, Vesta looks and handles like a good modern car. She is well packaged, offers serious ground clearance, a coolly arranged trunk, and it's not scary to drive four of us for long distances: the cabin is quite quiet, and in the second row, the SW not only has a lot of legroom for rear passengers, but also for heads - the ceiling height 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 can do nice cars... Cars for which you are not ashamed. Cars that, if you want to scold, are no longer out of despair, but because there is confidence - AvtoVAZ knows exactly how to make them better. Nice and strange feeling, isn't it?
Disputes regarding the safety of domestic cars do not subside, and supporters of both the first and second points of view persistently prove their case, which became even more noticeable after the new products from AvtoVAZ - Lada Vesta and Iks Rey - entered the market.
However, after the new off-road version of the Lada Vesta Cross station wagon went into the series, disputes flared up with renewed vigor. And this means that it is necessary to analyze as carefully as possible not only the results of the crash tests of the station wagon Lada Vesta Cross, but also the conditions in which the tests and evaluation were carried out.
Pre-serial tests
As you know, even before the start of serial production, comprehensive tests were carried out, which took place in May 2017. One of the testing stages was found by an analyst from a reputable publication Autoreview.
Below are the features of the car body structure.
On that day, the crash test of the Lada Vesta Cross SW implied a side impact with a ram, weighing 900 kg with a crumpled tip, at a speed of 50 km / h. At the same time, the car in the maximum configuration, "armed" with 4 airbags at once, acted as a "test subject".
Side impact
The results did not make the designers of AvtoVAZ blush with shame. Vice versa! The car showed a decent result. The threshold took over a significant share of the energy on impact, the side airbags worked as expected, and only the driver's glass was broken - the rear window remained intact.
According to information from AvtoVAZ reports, it became clear that the sensors mounted on the dummy did not detect excessive loads, and the HIC (head injury) standard showed an excellent result of 21.8 units.
Condition of the dummy after impact
However, an expert from Auto Review noticed one interesting fact- AvtoVAZ did not test the cross-version of the station wagon with a loaded trunk, although such a test suggests itself. The same applies to security complexes, which would reliably fix the overall load, which is located above the window line.
The plant commented on its decision, explaining it by the purpose of the machine itself. According to company representatives, the crash test of the Lada Vesta Cross station wagon was not carried out in such conditions, since this is only a lifestyle model with increased cross-country ability, and not a vehicle for transporting cargo.
No less interesting is the decision of the plant to refuse to equip the car with rear side airbags - even in the top versions there are only front ones. In this case, the reason was that the presence of such airbags by itself (without the corresponding active safety systems) would not in any way affect the final assessment during tests according to EU criteria. Although many are sure that buyers of top-end configurations would agree to overpay a little for additional protection for the rear passengers.
Rear side airbags at the station wagon LADA Vesta Cross not even in the top
Tests of the serial version
After the start of sales, crash tests were carried out on the station wagon Lada Vesta Cross, already a production model. First, let's consider a frontal impact, which was carried out by the forces directly from Autoreview using their ARCAP method. And then we will evaluate the results of the side impact carried out at AvtoVAZ.
The need for repeated tests of the full cycle, in comparison with a conventional station wagon, is due to the increased ground clearance and the increased mass of the Cross.
Frontal strike
By the way, the journalists themselves noted that the choice of this particular model was predetermined by the readers, who gave many votes for this option - more than for Renault Kaptur, Hyundai Creta and Toyota Camry together. As a result, the car was purchased and destroyed for 797,900 rubles. Frontal impact on a deformable floor at a speed of 64 km / h.
Before the test, experts immediately noted big wheels, because on the Cross station wagon there are 17-inch wheels in the top, versus 15-inch wheels on the sedan. In addition, mass measurements were carried out, and it turned out that the car is 148 kg heavier than the sedan - 1298 kg versus 1150 kg, respectively. Therefore, it must absorb 13% more energy (kinetic).
Naturally, specialists from AvtoVAZ were invited to the crash test of the LADA Vesta Cross station wagon.
Structurally, the Cross version is identical to a simple station wagon. However, compared to the sedan, there are changes:
- Additional amplifier in the A-pillars - This amplifier extends to the center of the doorway.
- Strengthened thresholds.
It is worth noting that the ERA-GLONASS service worked perfectly, and after the impact, the operator immediately contacted the car.
As for the impact results, at first glance, the car withstood it just fine! The front pillar remained in place (apparently, the presence of an additional amplifier affected). In addition, the spar on the left side worked superbly - it folded, absorbing most of the impact energy, while on the sedan this power element simply bent. In addition, part of the energy fell on the cast wheel, which cracked from the impact.
The driver's door opened with minimal effort, the airbags worked effectively, which can also be recorded as an asset of the car.
The driver's door opened easily
- The head and neck are all within the normal range. Only the driver's head turned when the car rebounded, but this does not threaten his health.
- Chest - there are no complaints about the belt, since the force of squeezing the ribs is completely normal and even weaker than on the sedan. It is very important that upon impact, the steering wheel is moved 30 mm away from the driver.
- Knees - the right knee hit the dashboard slightly, while the left did not touch the plastic at all.
- Feet - Despite the slight displacement of the pedal assembly, nothing dangerous happened.
Consequently, at first glance, the crash test of the LADA Vesta Cross station wagon with a frontal impact was at the highest level and the car deserves the highest mark. However, everything is not so smooth ...
The fact is that in Europe a much more progressive assessment methodology is used and if you apply it, the results will not be so rosy. The Euro NCAP test also evaluates the "structural integrity of the passenger compartment".
If you remove the decorative plastic that covers the sills and fenders, metal creases on the rear and front sills will become noticeable. The situation with the front sill is especially important, because just this zone in 2016 was modified and strengthened by the plant - thickened metal was used.
The floors and floor insulation were also removed from the station wagon. In this situation, the picture is the same - the floor is torn and crumpled, which is defined as "destruction of legroom" and means the removal of one point in the assessment. Moreover, the welding survived - gaps appeared around the points. Therefore, AvtoVAZ should pay attention to the quality of the sheet metal supplied to the plant.
The situation with the driver's legs also became more complicated. The floor heaved up and put an excessive load on the shins - according to the results, the score is not “excellent” or even “good”, but only “satisfactory”.
All this significantly lowered the rating in the category “Protection of the lower part of the legs” - according to the results of the crash test of the station wagon Lada Vesta Cross, out of the maximum 4 points, the car scored only 1.7 points.
The deformation of the threshold also removed 1 point from the final mark, because according to the Euro NCAP system, this is regarded as “violation of the stability of the doorway”.
In addition, due to the break in the threshold, AvtoVAZ lost the opportunity to apply the protocol "On the security of the front panel." During the tests, the dummy slightly hit the left knee on the plastic of the steering column. This is not dangerous at all, but it is aggravated by the fact that there are metal components under the plastic. As a result, one more point was removed from the assessment.
This could have been avoided were it not for the damage to the threshold, which provoked a violation of the "structural integrity of the passenger compartment of the cabin." Under this condition, AvtoVAZ was unable to ensure the safety of the structure, and a knee fine was imposed.
The final score is 11.7 points out of a possible 16, and only 3 stars.
Factory reaction
This result greatly puzzled AvtoVAZ engineers. As a result, the auto company bought out the broken copy and examined it thoroughly. At first there were suspicions of a marriage during assembly, but this version was not confirmed.
Everything became clear after carrying out computer modeling, when the data obtained were compared with tests that were carried out directly at AvtoVAZ and then gave much best result... The reason is ballast.
Any car is prepared for a crash test according to a specific algorithm. It means:
- Front seats - 88 kg each (mannequins);
- Rear sofa - 32 kg (ballast);
- Trunk - 36 kg (weight of the equipment required for testing);
- Gas tank - 90% full (water is used).
During tests at AvtoVAZ, 2 child seats with Isofix attachment and a pair of child dummies were used as ballast for the back sofa. But in Autoreview, they used ordinary metal ingots screwed to the floor, weighing 20 kg each. This approach is allowed by the Euro NCAP criteria, provided that it does not affect the result. And it is worth noting that during other tests (Vesta sedan, Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai Solaris), the ballast was used the same (blanks on the floor) and it did not affect the final grade in any way.
Best of all, this fact proves that all the tests were attended by representatives of the company that produced the car (Hyundai, Volkswagen, AvtoVAZ) and there were no complaints.
After the creation of the mathematical model, it became clear that 2 metal ingots, each weighing 20 kg, increase the load on the reinforcements and welds by 20%, as a result of which the floor deforms.
When this fact surfaced, AvtoVAZ conducted 2 more similar tests with metal ingots near the back sofa and the result was exactly the same as that of Autoreview. During the third test, there were baby dummies on the back sofa. As a result, the crash test of the station wagon Lada Vesta Cross went as well as possible - the belts worked in the required mode, there were no folds on the floor, metal breaks or welding.
If we consider this situation, then out of the maximum possible 16 points, Vesta received not 11.7, but 14.9 points!
As for AvtoVAZ, its designers have already carried out calculations and figured out how to make the Cross station wagon stronger in order to avoid floor breaks.
Side impact
In this case, the situation echoes the one that developed after the tests with a frontal impact. The final result varies depending on the assessment criteria.
This time everything happened in the passive safety laboratory of AvtoVAZ. For the test, we took the Cross station wagon in the top-end configuration. A side impact involves a collision with a trolley weighing 950 kg, equipped with a collapsible barrier, at a speed of 50 km / h. The blow itself falls into the center of the car.
All the details of the tests are demonstrated in the video.
The side cushion in the car is sewn into the back of the seat. On impact, it opens, blocking part of the window opening, and protects not only the body, but also the head.
After accelerating the cart on the catapult and hitting, after 27 seconds. the operator ERA-GLONASS contacted the car, once again demonstrating efficiency. Like most modern models, the center of gravity of the machine is shifted forward, which is why, after impact, it was partially turned aft. The glass in the driver's door shattered, while the rear window remained intact, as did the rear-view mirror.
After the impact, damage analysis begins, the state of the interior is assessed, the effort required to open the doors is recorded, etc. Only after all this is the analysis of the state of the dummy carried out.
It is worth noting that immediately after the impact, Andrei Matveev, who holds the post of chief engineer of the entire Vesta Universal project, entered the site. He said that this is already the 10th out of 12 planned tests and he is pleased with the results. The side cushion was deployed at the set time.
During the development of the project, the designers strengthened the threshold, since the car has an increased ground clearance, which means that the blow will fall exactly on the threshold. Therefore, it was necessary to reduce the influence of the threshold on the offset of the B-pillar.
Regarding the likelihood of crash tests of the Lada Vesta Cross station wagon with a full trunk - loaded to the ceiling or with heavy luggage - they are not planned yet. But all the technical solutions aimed at increasing the strength of the seats, implemented in the sedan, are also in the station wagon.
It would seem that everything went as well as possible - the doors opened easily, the fuel remained in the tank, the dummy was not fixed serious damage and took it out without the use of tools, no dangerous parts got into the salon, the battery remained intact. All criteria for injuries are several times lower than the permissible values!
But this is only if we evaluate the crash test and its results according to the standards "Rules No. 95" in force in Russia. These criteria were developed in the early 80s of the twentieth century, and in 1997 they were adopted by Euro NCAP. However, 2008 and the end of 2015 were marked by major adjustments to these standards.
At first, the EU tightened the assessment criteria, and later changed the weight of the cart. AvtoVAZ uses a trolley weighing 950 kg, but there are almost no cars of this weight on the roads, because even a basic version of Lada Granta weighs over 1000 kg.
Even if we consider the new Euro NCAP criteria with the same bogie weight of 950 kg, the driver's head is safe, but the ribs and pelvis are already at the border of the probability of injury - 5% for the ribs and 20% for the pelvis.
But the main thing is that at the beginning of 2016, the weight of the bogie used in Euro NCAP increased from 950 kg to 1300 kg, while maintaining the same evaluation criteria.
EURONCAP rules are stricter
Naturally, with such standards, the crash test result of the station wagon Lada Vesta Cross would not be so impressive, but not a failure either, of course.
However, AvtoVAZ is not to blame for this. It's all about the laws passed by the government.
Sport Wagon with the Cross attachment went to winter test drive Lada Club. To test its viability in Russia, the editors arranged for the LADA station wagon an off-road sprint and shake up the townspeople in the stone jungle.
Access to the "body" of Crossa
We have already carried out a short summer test drive of this version of LADA Vesta. But at that time, due to the high demand for this car, the editors were not able to get acquainted in detail with all the nuances of the novelty. The second chance was given to us after the new year, when a lot of snow fell and the car changed its tires for the winter version. Unlike the test versions of the LADA XRAY tested by us, the new Vesta Cross was shod in studded tires. This was especially important, since it is in this version that Russian consumers often operate cars in most of Russia.
Sport Wagon off-road we got a two week test drive and decided to give him a serious test. The test was divided into two stages: a test in city halls and an off-road test. There were no questions about the expediency of holding the first block. What cannot be said about the second part, given that for the usual front wheel drive car it doesn't make logical sense. However, we had to personally experience the absurdity of the situation through our own experience. No, well, why are we worse than home-grown bloggers who go after SUVs and shout that the car is not going, as it should be for an all-wheel drive "tank".
Is toughness a sign of success?
When you manage to get behind the wheel of both Vesta SW and SW Cross cars, the first thing that your fifth point will feel is a more "collected" suspension. The tightened "all-terrain" version of the station wagon seems to be always in tension. Its behavior can be perfectly compared to the moment when a predator from the feline family tensed its muscles and in a moment will make a dash towards its prey. The constant "combat" readiness of the car inspires the command - you must be the first! Vesta Cross is ready to storm the speed bumps, too abruptly rearrange in the "rings" and jump from lane to lane with high precision. The commands from the steering wheel are ideally transmitted to the wheels of the car and, being in the pilot's seat, you can plan in detail any trajectory of movement.
On the one hand, this is good, but on the other hand, it is bad. This setting of the most sensational station wagon provokes to arrange a "race" around the city. Coupled with a more powerful 1.8-liter engine (122 hp), this sprint turns out to be very effective even on a not run-in unit. In terms of comfort, the Cross-suspension does not have the best effect on a comfortable transfer around the city. The first person to point this out to you will be your passengers.
If a trip to local attractions for the crew on an ordinary LADA Vesta SW seems like a nice ride on a ferry, then the same route on the Cross will be perceived as an extreme ride on a speed boat. To go to extremes and say that it is good or bad, we consider it absurd. Each driver chooses a car for his style. We should be glad that AVTOVAZ gives consumers a choice that it can make without resorting to the help of a tuning studio and independent intervention in the design of the car.
A prefix with meaning
To the surprise of the entire Lada Club team, the new Vesta proved to be excellent on light off-road. Now we can officially declare that Cross attachment completely justifies itself. On rough terrain, all the advantages of a more all-terrain version of the station wagon are revealed. The ground clearance increased to 203 mm allows you not to think about high obstacles on the way of the car. The car easily passes stones and ice blocks between its wheels. A plastic body kit in a circle perfectly protects the body from chips and scratches, taking all the blows on itself. And the suspension in this mode has no equal at all. Gradually picking up speed, you wonder, and when the car starts to scour the road and the connection between the driver and the road will be cut off. But the ginger predator refuses to relax and again and again clings to ice and snow, even in sharp turns... And although we are not fans of low-profile rubber in Russian realities, in this version, such a performance is quite justified.
We passed long sections passing from snow to ground and never worried that at the border of the road surface the wheels were dismantled. The only thing we regretted was the 60 km / h limiter for the disabled ESP (Electronic Stability Program) stability system. It was possible to deceive the system only in second gear, when, by twisting the engine as much as possible, it was possible to gain 80 km / h. Contrary to the general opinion that the car has a hard spin on the R17 wheels, we believe that there was no power shortage. On the snowy surface, sometimes there was even a slight overabundance Horse power under the hood.
When again one of the wheels broke into axle boxes, the electronic assistant TCS (Traction Control System) came to the rescue. His work caused us extremely positive emotions. Even at high speeds, it distributes the load in time by transferring the moment from one wheel to another.
What is better for Russian realities LADA Vesta SW or SW Cross? Here only the future driver will be able to choose for himself. A station wagon in a plastic body kit looks more impressive and has a high ground clearance. But its suspension is not suitable for every consumer.
Regular SW has more comfortable characteristics, but loses in ground clearance and aggressive style. In any case, before buying a car, we recommend that you definitely ride both versions and make your choice.
Journalists and bloggers closely followed the fate of this project. Almost every week there was news that the station wagons were photographed during tests in Togliatti, Izhevsk, etc. Then videos began to appear in which cars were captured in camouflage tape and without. In general, the interest in Vesta SW and SW Cross was colossal.
If before the exterior of AvtoVAZ models did not make any claims except perhaps the lazy one, then with the release of the Vesta sedan, the number of critical arrows addressed to the Russian auto giant diminished. Designer Steve Mattin succeeded in the seemingly impossible - to get the sophisticated audience to admit that the new Lada cars have a unique appearance.
Yes, the Vesta sedan turned out to be really cute, but the station wagons are perhaps the most beautiful cars that ever came out under the Lada brand. Lada Vesta SW Cross was especially successful. The car got a spoiler, roof rails, a twin exhaust pipe, 17-inch alloy wheels, plastic pads. If the car is ordered in the color "Mars" - then the off-road station wagon will look very, very cool.
SW Cross is 4 mm longer than a regular station wagon and higher (1532 mm instead of 1512 mm). In addition, due to the 17-inch wheels, it has a slightly wider track. The Vesta SW has a ground clearance of 178 mm. But in the off-road version, this figure is brought to an impressive 203 mm! Yes, only available front-wheel drive, but the "cross" Vesta is not afraid to drive off the asphalt (which we will talk about a little later).
The interior of the Vesta SW is made in the style of a sedan. But SW Cross will delight you with the black glossy decor used on the front panel and door handles. The instrument panel scales have acquired a bright orange edging, orange inserts are present on the seats and on the door handles.
At the rear, passengers now have a center armrest with two cup holders. It is a pity that there is a plastic wall behind the armrest - a hatch for transporting long items would not be superfluous. There is also heating rear seats, 12-volt socket and USB-socket for charging gadgets.
Another plus - there is now an acceptable margin of space above the heads of the rear passengers - an additional 25 mm eliminates the feeling of a "overhanging roof". And it's convenient to sit down - the doorway is here bigger size than the sedan. And here are the pockets in back doors, Unfortunately no.
The fifth door is opened by pressing the button located under the license plate visor. Volume luggage compartment is 480 liters. Under the double floor there is a 95-liter niche equipped with an organizer consisting of two plastic containers.
To delimit the space, the floor panels can be placed vertically - there are grooves for this. In general, with the help of these panels, you can easily configure the trunk at your discretion. If you fold down the rear sofa, you get a load compartment of 825 liters. True, the floor will not be even.
I liked the large number of hooks (as many as 4) - now, after a trip to the store, grocery bags will not fly through the trunk. On the right - a box-secret for tools, on the left - a pocket for "anti-freeze". Plus a set of three load securing nets, several lights and a 12-volt socket.
The attention to detail is what really captivates. AvtoVAZ employees have thoroughly worked on the layout of the trunk (namely, for the sake of it, people buy such cars). Here you can easily place both overall things and any small things, shoving them into different niches.
During the test, we were able to try both a regular station wagon and a "cross-country" version. But the cars were only with 1.8 liter engines (122 hp) and mechanical box gear. Cars with "robot" AMT, as well as with 1.6 liter engines (106 hp), did not come to the test. Which, however, is quite understandable - MT and the most powerful Vesta engine are best suited for the mountains.
To "hundreds" Lada Vesta SW accelerates in 10.9 seconds. The numbers do not boggle the imagination, but on the track, the car is clearly not among the outsiders. After 90 km / h, the station wagon confidently picks up speed - overtaking slugs will not cause a migraine attack.
Considering that this car is primarily designed for a client who, no doubt, will buy a car for the trunk, a 1.8-liter engine paired with "mechanics" is the best option... When fully loaded, the station wagon will be tighter than its counterpart with a 1.6-liter unit.
Like the sedan, the Vesta SW responds well to steering movements - the car clearly goes where you need it. And there is no feeling that you are in a "barn". On the serpentines, no strong rolls were found - the car stands firmly on the road.
Another plus is the suspension. She not only perfectly "swallows" irregularities, but also allows you not to notice the pits. By the way, our test car was shod with 16-inch high-profile wheels. Class B + cars have noise insulation problems. However, this is definitely not station wagon Lada... Rear fender liners prevent noise from the arches from entering the passenger compartment.
After Vesta SW we got what many went to Sochi for - SW Cross. The main technical changes of the car from a conventional station wagon are new shock absorbers and springs of increased rigidity.
In addition, AvtoVAZ employees have worked on setting the driving properties and the stability system. It would seem that a large ground clearance should worsen the car's handling on asphalt, but in the case of the "cross" Vesta this is not the case.
The car reacts even faster and more sharply to steering turns, it sways even less. Even with the low profile 205/50 R17 tires, the SW Cross suspension proved to be impenetrable.
After leaving the road, we go to the mountains. The "off-road" Vesta climbs a rather steep climb confidently. Large stones mixed with earth are not an obstacle for the station wagon.
Yes, in one place we had to storm the hill three times, but in the end we managed to achieve our goal. In general, SW Cross coped with all the tasks that we set. Although, of course, we did not have time to thoroughly test the car outside the asphalt. And you need to understand that for heavy off-road "cross" Vesta frankly is not intended, so you should not expect miracles.
The most important thing is that the new AvtoVAZ models have no competitors in our market. Vesta SW in the minimum configuration will cost 639,900 rubles, top-end Vesta SW Cross costs 847,900 rubles.
With such prices for a station wagon and an all-terrain station wagon in a very narrow segment, no one will be able to compete with Lada. Yes, someone will remember Kia Cee’d SW and Ford Focus, but both models cost significantly more (from 900 thousand rubles) than the cars of the Russian auto giant.
Maybe you should take a crossover? Renault Duster, although sold from 639 thousand rubles, will have nothing in this configuration. For a very similarly equipped Duster (front-wheel drive car with mechanics and a 1.6-liter engine), you will have to pay 900 thousand rubles, and the all-wheel drive version with an “automatic” will cost more than a million.
Is there some more Hyundai creta... But already in the basic version, this crossover is more expensive than the Lada Vesta SW Cross. A Korean costs from 800 thousand rubles.
We will definitely take new lada Vesta for a more detailed test drive is already in Moscow, but it is already clear that AvtoVAZ has made very beautiful cars that are in no way inferior to foreign cars
