AvtoVAZ has started testing a Lada car with a turbo engine

The Lada Azimut crossover with a turbocharged engine is already undergoing tests, based on their results, a decision will be made to launch the model into production. On June 3, the head of AVTOVAZ, Maxim Sokolov, told this in the Izvestia studio at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"I hope that hybrid and turbocharged engines can be installed on our flagship cars in the near future. First of all, on Lada Azimut. And we are ready to show such a prototype by the end of this year. As for the car with a turbocharged engine, not a hybrid, it is already being tested, and as a result of these tests, a decision will be made on its serial launch," Sokolov shared.

The head of AVTOVAZ noted that we are not talking about strictly domestic units, but about those obtained as part of a partnership. Currently, the brand's model range includes only models with naturally aspirated engines.

Sokolov confirmed that Lada Azimut production will enter mass production in the third quarter of this year, and sales will begin in the fourth quarter.

Sokolov told in April that AvtoVAZ is developing a hybrid modification of the Lada Azimut crossover and the first car will be ready in the third quarter of 2026.

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Lada Azimut was first introduced in June 2025 as part of the SPIEF. One of the main and unusual features of the model was the electric heating of the front side windows. At the start of sales, the model will receive two engines — a 1.6-liter unit with a capacity of 120 hp and a 1.8 engine with 132 hp. They will be paired with a six-speed manual or CVT, and later a six-band automatic transmission will appear.

As Rostec State Corporation reported on May 7, AvtoVAZ is ready to produce up to 70,000 Lada Azimut crossovers per year.