A new Lada Azimut crossover built on the Lada Vesta platform premiered at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. This is the first completely new model of the brand in decades, developed in Russia without the participation of foreign partners.
The car aroused interest not only in the domestic, but also in the foreign press. In particular, in the United States, the crossover received notable attention from automobile reviewers. There noted the similarity of Azimut with the current version of Renault Duster, which can speak about the external borrowing of design solutions. However, it is emphasized that the development of the model was carried out for three years by the Russian engineering team.
American experts characterized the exterior of Azimut as unexpectedly modern for the Lada brand, comparing it with the level of European models. The interior, in their opinion, is practical, but lacks stylistic expressiveness. It is expected that the crossover will be focused on the domestic market, and in the U.S. and other countries its appearance in the near future is unlikely for objective reasons.
Serial production of Azimut is scheduled for 2026. The approximate cost will be from 2.5 to 3 million rubles. The model is seen as an important step of AvtoVAZ to strengthen its position in the segment of urban crossovers and demonstration of technological independence of the brand.
Recall that in May in the Russian Federation decreased sales of used cars. We will point out that frame SUVs from China are taking over the Russian market in 2025.