We previously published information on the possible return of the Moskvich brand to the Russian market. Its revival is due to the fact that the alliance Renault—Nissan—Mitsubishi because of the pressure of the West can leave our country. But Russia, at least for the French company, is one of the main sales markets. Therefore, Renault will probably find a way to maintain its presence in our country. However, the company will not sell cars under its own brand, as this may entail certain sanctions from Western society. Renault is likely to put more effort into development lineup of AvtoVAZ. And one of the first cars that both companies can release in the near future will be a 7-seater Lada crossover.
There are several reasons why Renault and AvtoVAZ will focus on building just such a model. First of all, in Russia there is a high demand for 7-seater crossovers. Moreover, cars from completely different price categories are popular. And Renault cannot yet satisfy this demand with its own models. However, the alliance has several 7-seater crossovers. These include Mitsubishi Outlander i Nissan Pathfinder. One of these cars can become a prototype for the future 7-seater Lada crossover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPF17qLxuUUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPF17qLxuUU
It is more likely that the new Pathfinder will be taken as the basis for creating the Russian model. This is due to the fact that, firstly, the Japanese crossover has already been adapted to domestic conditions. Secondly, many competitors have already left Russia or will leave soon. And thirdly, due to exchange rate fluctuations and other reasons, Pathfinder is sold at a very high price, which negatively affects its popularity. But the model itself has characteristics that can make it one of the most popular cars in its class. Therefore, by increasing the localization of Pathfinder production, the French-Japanese alliance will be able to reduce its prices.
But the possible withdrawal of Renault and Nissan from Russia may confuse these plans. And the solution to the described problem will be the launch of Pathfinder production under the Lada brand. True, the Russian model will not be a complete copy of the Japanese one. Moreover, they will differ not only externally, but also constructively. By modifying the Pathfinder to create a 7-seater Lada crossover, the engineers thus minimize any similarities between the models and make the Russian novelty more affordable.
The first renders depicting the future car confirm the above assumptions. The new 7-seater crossover Lada is visually similar to the Pathfinder. But in detail, both cars differ from each other. The Russian crossover received a radiator grill with X-shaped metal strips that form its edging, branded for Lada models. The Russian novelty is complemented by original head optics, a bit reminiscent of the one installed on the Pathfinder. Although the similarity in this case is rather arbitrary. The head optics of the Lada crossover is also somewhat similar to the headlights. Kia Seltos.
The foregoing suggests that even if there are similarities with the prototype, AvtoVAZ will not completely copy Pathfinder. And this, in turn, will allow Renault and Nissan to fight off the pressure of Western society. A more pronounced similarity between the Russian and Japanese models can be traced from behind. But in this case, the design of the stern is more in line with modern design trends in the global industry, and is not an attempt to copy an existing configuration.
New Pathfinder
The length of the new crossover Lada is also likely to reach five meters. Width and height will be respectively 1978 and 1778 mm. In order to reduce the cost of production and dependence on foreign components, the Russian novelty may lose some of the options available today Pathfinder. In particular, this applies to acoustic glasses, a 12.3-inch touch screen (it can be replaced with an 8- or 9-inch one), Bose premium acoustics, Nappa leather, a projection display, and more.
However, Renault-Nissan will most likely hand over the entire technical part of the Pathfinder to AvtoVAZ. It is one of the important components of the Japanese crossover, which largely determines the demand for a car. In this regard, the Russian novelty will be the first product of the Lada brand, equipped with a 6-cylinder engine. Under the hood, a 3.5-liter “atmospheric” engine with a maximum output of 275 hp will be installed at the 7-seater crossover. It will be mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission. In addition, the new Lada crossover will be supplemented with intelligent all-wheel drive that supports 7 operating modes.
It will take a little time to create the Russian model. This is due to the reasons mentioned above, as well as the fact that Renault-Nissan needs to restore its presence in the Russian market in a short time. Therefore, the development of the 7-seater crossover Lada will be very active. In this regard, the appearance of the Russian novelty can be expected by next year.