Among all modelsAvtoVAZ“, presented on the Russian market, the most controversial reviews are received by Lada XRay 2022. This is partly due to the fact that this car is not a full-fledged crossover, but it cannot be called a hatchback either. And initially XRay was positioned as a full-fledged and inexpensive SUV. But subsequent sales results showed that this model did not attract the attention of a wide audience.
Apparently, partly for this reason, AvtoVAZ does not update XRay. At least the cross-hatch very rarely appears in the news compared to other products of the Volga Automobile Plant. But lately, XRay has been increasingly featured in media publications. So, AvtoVAZ recently shared information about what the cross-hatch will be like after the planned restyling.
It is reported that after the next upgrade, XRay will radically change. In fact, the new cross-hatch will be a simplified version of the Niva. In particular, sources close to AvtoVAZ say that XRay will not receive all-wheel drive. It is also expected that in a number of modifications the Russian model will retain the variator. The lack of all-wheel drive is largely due to the fact that XRay will soon move to the CMF-B-LS platform. In addition, AvtoVAZ does not plan to abandon the variator, which, combined with the aforementioned “cart”, closes the possibility of introducing such a transmission.
While the leadership of the Volga Automobile Plant is only planning what the new XRay will be like, independent designers have recreated its appearance in a series of renders (photo: quto.ru). The published images show that visually the Russian model will not change much. The cross-hatch acquired a slightly redesigned grille, along which the metal bar still lies. The head optics is divided into several segments with an upper LED strip of DRL. And the front bumper was replenished with extended side air intakes, because of which the cross-hatch began to look more aggressive.
The cabin of the future XRay is also likely to undergo changes. And here AvtoVAZ will make more significant improvements. In particular, XRay should get a virtual instrument panel, and an 8-inch multimedia screen will appear on the center console. Additionally, AvtoVAZ will improve the quality of finishing materials. But the XRay engine range will remain the same. This was previously stated by representatives of AvtoVAZ, who said that the company is not going to abandon the engines of its own design. Engineers only adapt them to the design of the new CMF-B-LS platform.
Also in mid-March, AvtoVAZ announced the third increase in the price of the entire model range in 2022. XRay added 106 thousand rubles in price. Now for this model they are asking for at least 1,106,900 rubles. The specified amount does not include additional options that dealers impose on customers. That is, XRay today can be purchased for 1.5 million rubles or more. Along with this, the cross-hatch maintenance procedure has risen in price. AvtoVAZ set the recommended prices for this service at the level of 2.7-3.3 thousand rubles, depending on the type of maintenance. And the last maintenance of XRay now costs 8.4 thousand rubles.
This message is interesting in the context of the recently published results of a study that identified all the significant shortcomings of the cross-hatch. According to the owners of XRay, the car is too expensive for its equipment. The cross-hatch is offered with low-quality interior trim and soundproofing. In addition, the car behaves uncertainly while driving on a rut, and the gearbox does not always change gears quickly.