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Lada Azimut: Russian brand's first new model in a decade unveiled

Lada Azimut: Russian brand's first new model in a decade unveiled

The Advertiser20-06-2025

Lada launched the Azimut SUV this week, its first new model since the invasion of Ukraine and Renault's sale of the automaker back to Russian hands for a single ruble.
The Azimut boasts a thoroughly modern design with plenty of sharp creases, including the Russian brand's signature creases above the wheel arches.
It's unclear how much of the design was completed prior to Renault's sale in 2022, but the Azimut is based on the platform developed by Renault for the Vesta sedan, which was launched in 2015.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Measuring 4.42m long and with a 2.68m wheelbase, the Azimut is practically the same size as a Toyota Corolla Cross. The Azimut has 208mm of ground clearance, but is a front-wheel drive-only proposition.
Like the Vesta, the Azimut is available with a 89kW 1.6-litre or 98kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. A turbocharged 112kW motor is planned for the future.
While the Azimut's mechanical basis is at least a decade old, the interior is full of features never seen before in a Lada, including a digital instrument cluster, 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a voice assistant.
Other available features include a heated windscreen and side windows, keyless entry, 18-inch alloy wheels, 360-degree camera system, panoramic glass roof, wireless smartphone charging, electric tailgate and handbrake, and dual-zone climate control.
The Azimut will reportedly go on sale in Russia later this year.
For the Azimut, the automaker says it developed 966 new parts.
Until the war in Ukraine, Renault owned a 66 per cent stake in Avtovaz, Lada's parent company, and was about to integrate the brand more closely with its other budget-conscious marque, Dacia.
Thanks to an international banking ban, and restriction of most trade with the country, Western automakers abandoned the Russian market, selling up to local investors for nominal amounts. Since then used imports and Chinese manufacturers have gained a large foothold in the country.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Lada launched the Azimut SUV this week, its first new model since the invasion of Ukraine and Renault's sale of the automaker back to Russian hands for a single ruble.
The Azimut boasts a thoroughly modern design with plenty of sharp creases, including the Russian brand's signature creases above the wheel arches.
It's unclear how much of the design was completed prior to Renault's sale in 2022, but the Azimut is based on the platform developed by Renault for the Vesta sedan, which was launched in 2015.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Measuring 4.42m long and with a 2.68m wheelbase, the Azimut is practically the same size as a Toyota Corolla Cross. The Azimut has 208mm of ground clearance, but is a front-wheel drive-only proposition.
Like the Vesta, the Azimut is available with a 89kW 1.6-litre or 98kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. A turbocharged 112kW motor is planned for the future.
While the Azimut's mechanical basis is at least a decade old, the interior is full of features never seen before in a Lada, including a digital instrument cluster, 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a voice assistant.
Other available features include a heated windscreen and side windows, keyless entry, 18-inch alloy wheels, 360-degree camera system, panoramic glass roof, wireless smartphone charging, electric tailgate and handbrake, and dual-zone climate control.
The Azimut will reportedly go on sale in Russia later this year.
For the Azimut, the automaker says it developed 966 new parts.
Until the war in Ukraine, Renault owned a 66 per cent stake in Avtovaz, Lada's parent company, and was about to integrate the brand more closely with its other budget-conscious marque, Dacia.
Thanks to an international banking ban, and restriction of most trade with the country, Western automakers abandoned the Russian market, selling up to local investors for nominal amounts. Since then used imports and Chinese manufacturers have gained a large foothold in the country.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Lada launched the Azimut SUV this week, its first new model since the invasion of Ukraine and Renault's sale of the automaker back to Russian hands for a single ruble.
The Azimut boasts a thoroughly modern design with plenty of sharp creases, including the Russian brand's signature creases above the wheel arches.
It's unclear how much of the design was completed prior to Renault's sale in 2022, but the Azimut is based on the platform developed by Renault for the Vesta sedan, which was launched in 2015.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Measuring 4.42m long and with a 2.68m wheelbase, the Azimut is practically the same size as a Toyota Corolla Cross. The Azimut has 208mm of ground clearance, but is a front-wheel drive-only proposition.
Like the Vesta, the Azimut is available with a 89kW 1.6-litre or 98kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. A turbocharged 112kW motor is planned for the future.
While the Azimut's mechanical basis is at least a decade old, the interior is full of features never seen before in a Lada, including a digital instrument cluster, 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a voice assistant.
Other available features include a heated windscreen and side windows, keyless entry, 18-inch alloy wheels, 360-degree camera system, panoramic glass roof, wireless smartphone charging, electric tailgate and handbrake, and dual-zone climate control.
The Azimut will reportedly go on sale in Russia later this year.
For the Azimut, the automaker says it developed 966 new parts.
Until the war in Ukraine, Renault owned a 66 per cent stake in Avtovaz, Lada's parent company, and was about to integrate the brand more closely with its other budget-conscious marque, Dacia.
Thanks to an international banking ban, and restriction of most trade with the country, Western automakers abandoned the Russian market, selling up to local investors for nominal amounts. Since then used imports and Chinese manufacturers have gained a large foothold in the country.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Lada launched the Azimut SUV this week, its first new model since the invasion of Ukraine and Renault's sale of the automaker back to Russian hands for a single ruble.
The Azimut boasts a thoroughly modern design with plenty of sharp creases, including the Russian brand's signature creases above the wheel arches.
It's unclear how much of the design was completed prior to Renault's sale in 2022, but the Azimut is based on the platform developed by Renault for the Vesta sedan, which was launched in 2015.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Measuring 4.42m long and with a 2.68m wheelbase, the Azimut is practically the same size as a Toyota Corolla Cross. The Azimut has 208mm of ground clearance, but is a front-wheel drive-only proposition.
Like the Vesta, the Azimut is available with a 89kW 1.6-litre or 98kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. A turbocharged 112kW motor is planned for the future.
While the Azimut's mechanical basis is at least a decade old, the interior is full of features never seen before in a Lada, including a digital instrument cluster, 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a voice assistant.
Other available features include a heated windscreen and side windows, keyless entry, 18-inch alloy wheels, 360-degree camera system, panoramic glass roof, wireless smartphone charging, electric tailgate and handbrake, and dual-zone climate control.
The Azimut will reportedly go on sale in Russia later this year.
For the Azimut, the automaker says it developed 966 new parts.
Until the war in Ukraine, Renault owned a 66 per cent stake in Avtovaz, Lada's parent company, and was about to integrate the brand more closely with its other budget-conscious marque, Dacia.
Thanks to an international banking ban, and restriction of most trade with the country, Western automakers abandoned the Russian market, selling up to local investors for nominal amounts. Since then used imports and Chinese manufacturers have gained a large foothold in the country.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au

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Lotus denies plans to close UK factory
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Seven killed in Ukraine, Putin to cut military spending
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Russia is seeing a sharp slowdown in economic growth as the budget comes under pressure from falling energy revenues and the central bank is trying to bring down inflation. with AP and DPA Russian missile attacks have killed at least seven people and wounded more than 20 in southern Ukraine, officials say. Five people were killed in the industrial city of Samar in Ukraine's southeast, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said on the Telegram app. Officials gave no immediate details on damage in the city, where an attack on an unidentified infrastructure facility on Tuesday killed two people. In the port city of Odessa, Russian combat drones killed at least two people and wounded six overnight, military administrator Oleh Kiper said. One drone struck the upper floors of a 21-storey residential building, causing a fire. After extinguishing the blaze, rescuers discovered the bodies of a married couple in the rubble, Kiper reported. There were several explosions in the city and fires broke out in several districts, Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov said. Hundreds of kilometres to the south, in the Kherson region, authorities urged residents to prepare for extended periods without power after a Russian attack hit a key energy facility. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that "Russians decided to plunge the region into darkness". In recent weeks Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities, particularly its capital Kyiv, more than three years into the war that followed its full-scale invasion. Separately, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia was looking to cut its military expenditure from next year, contrasting that with NATO's plan to ramp up defence spending over the next decade. NATO allies on Wednesday agreed to raise their collective spending goal to five per cent of gross domestic product in the next 10 years, citing what they called the long-term threat posed by Russia and the need to strengthen civil and military resilience. Putin told a press conference in Minsk the NATO spending would go on "purchases from the USA and on supporting their military-industrial complex", and this was NATO's business, not Russia's. "But now here is the most important thing. We are planning to reduce defence spending. For us, next year and the year after, over the next three-year period, we are planning for this," he said. Putin said there was no final agreement yet between the defence, finance and economy ministries, "but overall, everyone is thinking in this direction. And Europe is thinking about how to increase its spending, on the contrary. So who is preparing for some kind of aggressive actions? Us or them?" Putin's comments are likely to be greeted with extreme scepticism in the West, given that Russia has massively increased defence spending since the start of the Ukraine war. The conflict shows no sign of ending and has actually intensified in recent weeks, as negotiations have made no visible progress towards a ceasefire or a permanent settlement. Putin said Russia appreciated efforts by US President Donald Trump to bring an end to the war. "He recently stated that it turned out to be more difficult than it seemed from the outside. Well, that's true," Putin said. Trump said this week that he believed Putin wanted to find a way to settle the conflict, but Ukraine and many of its European allies believe the Kremlin leader has no real interest in a peace deal and is intent on capturing more territory. Putin said Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were in constant contact, and Moscow was ready to return the bodies of 3000 more Ukrainian soldiers. Russia is seeing a sharp slowdown in economic growth as the budget comes under pressure from falling energy revenues and the central bank is trying to bring down inflation. with AP and DPA Russian missile attacks have killed at least seven people and wounded more than 20 in southern Ukraine, officials say. Five people were killed in the industrial city of Samar in Ukraine's southeast, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said on the Telegram app. Officials gave no immediate details on damage in the city, where an attack on an unidentified infrastructure facility on Tuesday killed two people. In the port city of Odessa, Russian combat drones killed at least two people and wounded six overnight, military administrator Oleh Kiper said. One drone struck the upper floors of a 21-storey residential building, causing a fire. After extinguishing the blaze, rescuers discovered the bodies of a married couple in the rubble, Kiper reported. There were several explosions in the city and fires broke out in several districts, Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov said. Hundreds of kilometres to the south, in the Kherson region, authorities urged residents to prepare for extended periods without power after a Russian attack hit a key energy facility. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that "Russians decided to plunge the region into darkness". In recent weeks Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities, particularly its capital Kyiv, more than three years into the war that followed its full-scale invasion. Separately, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia was looking to cut its military expenditure from next year, contrasting that with NATO's plan to ramp up defence spending over the next decade. NATO allies on Wednesday agreed to raise their collective spending goal to five per cent of gross domestic product in the next 10 years, citing what they called the long-term threat posed by Russia and the need to strengthen civil and military resilience. Putin told a press conference in Minsk the NATO spending would go on "purchases from the USA and on supporting their military-industrial complex", and this was NATO's business, not Russia's. "But now here is the most important thing. We are planning to reduce defence spending. For us, next year and the year after, over the next three-year period, we are planning for this," he said. Putin said there was no final agreement yet between the defence, finance and economy ministries, "but overall, everyone is thinking in this direction. And Europe is thinking about how to increase its spending, on the contrary. So who is preparing for some kind of aggressive actions? Us or them?" Putin's comments are likely to be greeted with extreme scepticism in the West, given that Russia has massively increased defence spending since the start of the Ukraine war. The conflict shows no sign of ending and has actually intensified in recent weeks, as negotiations have made no visible progress towards a ceasefire or a permanent settlement. Putin said Russia appreciated efforts by US President Donald Trump to bring an end to the war. "He recently stated that it turned out to be more difficult than it seemed from the outside. Well, that's true," Putin said. Trump said this week that he believed Putin wanted to find a way to settle the conflict, but Ukraine and many of its European allies believe the Kremlin leader has no real interest in a peace deal and is intent on capturing more territory. Putin said Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were in constant contact, and Moscow was ready to return the bodies of 3000 more Ukrainian soldiers. Russia is seeing a sharp slowdown in economic growth as the budget comes under pressure from falling energy revenues and the central bank is trying to bring down inflation. with AP and DPA Russian missile attacks have killed at least seven people and wounded more than 20 in southern Ukraine, officials say. Five people were killed in the industrial city of Samar in Ukraine's southeast, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said on the Telegram app. Officials gave no immediate details on damage in the city, where an attack on an unidentified infrastructure facility on Tuesday killed two people. In the port city of Odessa, Russian combat drones killed at least two people and wounded six overnight, military administrator Oleh Kiper said. One drone struck the upper floors of a 21-storey residential building, causing a fire. After extinguishing the blaze, rescuers discovered the bodies of a married couple in the rubble, Kiper reported. There were several explosions in the city and fires broke out in several districts, Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov said. Hundreds of kilometres to the south, in the Kherson region, authorities urged residents to prepare for extended periods without power after a Russian attack hit a key energy facility. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that "Russians decided to plunge the region into darkness". In recent weeks Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities, particularly its capital Kyiv, more than three years into the war that followed its full-scale invasion. Separately, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia was looking to cut its military expenditure from next year, contrasting that with NATO's plan to ramp up defence spending over the next decade. NATO allies on Wednesday agreed to raise their collective spending goal to five per cent of gross domestic product in the next 10 years, citing what they called the long-term threat posed by Russia and the need to strengthen civil and military resilience. Putin told a press conference in Minsk the NATO spending would go on "purchases from the USA and on supporting their military-industrial complex", and this was NATO's business, not Russia's. "But now here is the most important thing. We are planning to reduce defence spending. For us, next year and the year after, over the next three-year period, we are planning for this," he said. Putin said there was no final agreement yet between the defence, finance and economy ministries, "but overall, everyone is thinking in this direction. And Europe is thinking about how to increase its spending, on the contrary. So who is preparing for some kind of aggressive actions? Us or them?" Putin's comments are likely to be greeted with extreme scepticism in the West, given that Russia has massively increased defence spending since the start of the Ukraine war. The conflict shows no sign of ending and has actually intensified in recent weeks, as negotiations have made no visible progress towards a ceasefire or a permanent settlement. Putin said Russia appreciated efforts by US President Donald Trump to bring an end to the war. "He recently stated that it turned out to be more difficult than it seemed from the outside. Well, that's true," Putin said. Trump said this week that he believed Putin wanted to find a way to settle the conflict, but Ukraine and many of its European allies believe the Kremlin leader has no real interest in a peace deal and is intent on capturing more territory. Putin said Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were in constant contact, and Moscow was ready to return the bodies of 3000 more Ukrainian soldiers. Russia is seeing a sharp slowdown in economic growth as the budget comes under pressure from falling energy revenues and the central bank is trying to bring down inflation. with AP and DPA

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