Above all… loud
The Russian car buyer goes for brash, brawny automotive bling… money-no-object, ostentatious luxury essential. Some car buyers. But the marque holding a twenty-five percent share of the Russian market and the most popular of all from Moscow to Vladivostok is Lada. The Kalina and the Priora are the best selling models of all. In Germany, of course, the picture is very different. Although almost 1,400 new registrations were noted for 2011 through the month of August the Priora is hardly mentioned since 1,229 Ladas purchased here were the trusty off-road Niva model. Since Dacia has conquered the low price sector in it has been hard for Lada to compete with its compact sedan and estate models.
The Priora estate… officially the Avtovaz Lada 2171 16V… is 4.34 metres long, 1,68 metres wide and costs just 9,990 Euros. There is sufficient room in the car with the boot taking 444 litres of load. The tailgate can be opened using a button in the cockpit or conventionally with the car key. The central locking operated with such a noise that it can probably be heard as far away as Moscow… it is however a standard equipment feature. With an LPG auto gas system onboard there is still enough stowage space since the tank is located in the spare wheel compartment.
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- The cockpit is a hard plastic wasteland and gives the Lada a cheap look.
Bucking the trend
The cockpit is a hard plastic wasteland and gives the Lada a cheap look. One of the cranks which should wind down a back window is extremely stiff and the gear shift lever seems like a provisional prototype. Naked screws confront the driver on the dashboard. The trim on the central console seems to be made of a rubbery material and is for some reason given a wood imitating paint job. However nothing inside shakes or rattles and the interior is certainly of a higher standard than in the Niva. Adjusting the seating position is tricky, calling for muscular intervention to make sure it is firmly engaged… otherwise there can be a sudden ‘click’ while under way as the seat drops lower. For many owners their Lada is simply a reasonably priced auto to get them where they need to go but the marque can also be seen as a statement. Anyone wishing to proclaim his hate for the rich can do no better than to take the wheel of this car. It guarantees disparaging glances from frosty Cayenne-driving soccer mums in the supermarket parking lot or impatient Audi drivers on the autobahn, all of which will fail to discourage the driver of a Lada. This Russian vehicle is in every sense a utilitarian object.
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- There is fun to be had with a Lada on account of its motorization. The 1.6 litre four-pot fulfills the Euro-5 emissions norm and with 98 horsepower (72 kW) and 145 Nm of torque has adequate push. After all, the Priora estate weighs in at only 1,178 kilos, considerably less than a VW Golf.
High speed experience
However it must be said that there is fun to be had with a Lada on account of its motorization. The 1.6 litre four-pot fulfills the Euro-5 emissions norm and with 98 horsepower (72 kW) and 145 Nm of torque has adequate push. After all, the Priora estate weighs in at only 1,178 kilos, considerably less than a VW Golf. The car offers decent getaway and overtaking is also easy. For competitive driving on the autobahn the Russian auto is not perhaps the most suited but it certainly makes a valiant effort. Indeed it is a lot of fun to zoom on a downhill stretch of highway at 190 kilometres an hour showing other drivers the motto on the back… “Lada… economizing with auto gas!” Admittedly the front of the car will swing and sway like a Russian soldier with too much vodka inside him, unsure on his feet. And each bump in the road recalls Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev banging with his shoe on the lectern at the United Nations. From about 160 kilometres an hour the engine sounds as if it is about ready to invade the passenger cabin and throttle the poor driver. But the Lada is all else than tame. Fast driving in a 2171 takes a bit of practice since there is no ESP on board. The Lada tends to understeer quite strongly and the steering is in general sluggish. There is, however, ABS as standard and the brakes are really not bad at all.
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- The cost of the auto gas system will only be amortized by those who clock up considerable mileage although LPG is certainly cheaper than petrol at the filling station with a litre of Super charged at 1,50 Euros and the litre of auto gas costing only half as much.
Economy costs more
Officially the fuel consumption of the Priora is given as 6.5 litres of Super per hundred kilometres driven and in practice 7 litres proved attainable. There are many competing models which are more fuel efficient but in comparison with for example the Dacia Sandero the Lada comes off looking pretty good. The tank has a capacity of 44 litres. Those obliged to make longer journeys and who want to save money are well advised to consider the auto gas system even if it does mean an extra investment of 2,350 Euros. Optional extras also include air conditioning (for 490 Euros), fog lights (250 Euros) and radio (300 Euros). The LPG system comes from the specialist supplier Prins. The gas reserves are indicated on a tiny display between the front seats and switching from petrol to gas power involves little more than the touch of a button. The driver will note no difference in his car’s performance. The fuel consumption with gas will be from 15 to 20 percent higher than with petrol. At the end of the day the cost of the gas system will only be amortized by those who clock up considerable mileage although LPG is certainly cheaper than petrol at the filling station with a litre of Super charged at 1,50 Euros and the litre of auto gas costing only half as much.
