AvtoVAZ may produce an all-wheel drive crossover vehicle

AvtoVAZ is studying the possibility of producing an all-wheel drive mid-size crossover on a new unified platform for cars being developed in Russia. This was announced by the head of the company Maxim Sokolov, Izvestia correspondent reports from a press conference on January 15.

"We are working on various projects and taking into account those available solutions on the creation of a new domestic platform. Now its development is underway with direct participation of FSUE NAMI, evaluation of its multifunctionality, parameters. As part of this work on this project, the issue of creating a mid-size all-wheel drive crossover will be considered," Sokolov said.

As the top manager emphasized, the domestic car industry should have the whole palette of the model range. He noted that this is "not a question of the nearest five-year plan, but rather of strategic planning". Now in the model range of AvtoVAZ all-wheel drive is available only for Lada Niva family cars.

It is planned that the modular platform will be designed for cars in a wide list of segments - both for golf-class cars and for the middle and business class, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said earlier. Pre-project activities on its creation began in 2024, and not only car plants, but also large developers of automotive components have expressed their desire to participate in the project. It is planned to allocate 160 billion rubles for the development of a single modular platform for cars in the next five years.

Also on this day, it was announced that AvtoVAZ has planned 15 major product events for 2025, including the launch of completely new models and the renewal of existing ones. The world premiere of the new Lada crossover on the Vesta platform will take place in June 2025 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).