AvtoVAZ confirmed the start date of the Lada Azimut production

The start of serial production of the Lada Azimut crossover is still scheduled for the third quarter of 2026. Maxim Sokolov, head of AvtoVAZ, told about this at the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), TASS reports on March 27. According to the top manager, work on the model is proceeding according to plan, several dozen bodies have already been welded in preparation for the release of the model.

Besides, as Sokolov shared, by the end of March AvtoVAZ predicts sales at the level of 27 thousand Lada cars, which is about 6 thousand cars more than in February. As the head of the company noted, the market is more active in March than in February, and it is gradually "coming out of hibernation." By the end of the year, AvtoVAZ intends to sell several thousand cars of the new SKM brand, he said. It is currently represented by one M7 van, sales have not started yet, but assembly has already started.

However, the head of AVTOVAZ indicated that the company's investment program for this year may undergo adjustments in the range of 10-15% in both directions, depending on the pace of implementation of promising projects. The volume of the investment program approved for 2026 is 43 billion rubles.

Waiting for the "window": AvtoVAZ shares plans for 2026

Lada to launch crossover, van and sports car on the market

On February 18, AvtoVAZ's press service informed Izvestia that the company had introduced laser welding technology in preparation for mass production of the new Lada Azimut crossover. It should bring the quality of bodywork to a new level while maintaining durability, the company said.

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