Tag Archives: AvtoVAZ

News

Renault sold its stake in AvtoVAZ for 1 cent

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Union imposed sanctions, forcing many carmakers to halt production in Russia. One of them was Renault, which even considered restarting production a month later, but backed out. It controlled 30 percent of the entire Russian car market, and now it has been announced that the French manufacturer has sold its share in AvtoVAZ (68%) to the Russian automotive research center NAMI for 1 ruble (1 cent).

It is obvious that Renault has no intention of returning to Russia, and if it were to decide to do so, it would cost them a lot. According to NAMI CEO Maxim Sokolov, the company has invested a lot in AvtoVAZ, so if Renault were to decide to return, it would cost them 112.5 billion rubles ($1.3 billion).

According to Sokolov, Renault invested between $226 and $249 million in AvtoVAZ before withdrawing from Russia, so he believes it would be right for the French to compensate NAMI if they return.

In an interview with TASS, he also said that in 2023, AvtoVAZ NAMI had invested about $311 million. Last year, they invested almost $453 million, and this year they plan to invest another $510 million.

Current relations between Russia and the EU do not indicate that there could be a relaxation soon, so it is difficult to expect that European manufacturers could return to the Russian market in the near future.

Source: TASS

News

2026 Lada Iskra is ready for ice racing

Before the new Lada Iskra goes into production, Russian manufacturer AvtoVAZ has unveiled a version designed for motorsport. This car is built to conquer icy tracks, and it debuted at the 27th “Race of Champions” in Samara.

At first glance, this version is indistinguishable from the standard Iskra. The only differences are the new livery with the prototype of the factory Lada Sport Rosneft team with yellow, orange, red and black graphics, and new rims with studded snow tires. The cabin features a roll cage, a multifunctional electronic control panel mounted on the steering column, and a hydraulic handbrake. The car is slightly lighter than the standard version, which means that the rear seats have probably been removed, as well as most (if not all) unnecessary ones.

The car is equipped with new shock absorbers, stiffer springs, reinforced mounting points and ball joints instead of blocks. The factory front brakes have been retained, while the rear brakes have been taken from the Vesta model.

As for the powertrain, the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine has been increased in displacement to 1.8-liters, and the engine has received a new crankshaft, reinforced connecting rods, improved intake and exhaust systems, and a modified ECU. The result is 175 hp (130 kW) and 147 lb-ft (200 Nm) of torque, significantly more than the standard version, which has 106 hp. Power is sent to the front wheels via a sequential gearbox with a limited-slip differential.

Source: AvtoVAZ

News

General Motors suspends delivery to Russian market

After Ford recently announced that it was suspending the export of vehicles to the Russian market, General Motors did the same. All caused by the sanctions that the West imposed on Russia, as well as the effort to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

“Our thoughts are now with the people of Ukraine. The loss of life is a tragedy and our primary concern is for the safety of the people of the region,” a GM spokesman told Carscoops.

Previously, GM sold its stake in AvtoVAZ, thus withdrawing from the Russian market when it comes to production. GM currently has a sales company that takes care of the placement of its cars from America and Korea on the Russian and surrounding markets.

Ford and General Motors are not the only companies that have decided on such a move. The same decision was made by Volvo, while the reaction of Daimler Truck, which has a stake in Kamaz, is still pending.

Volkswagen has decided to temporarily suspend the delivery of cars to the Russian market, but also to shut down some production lines. Renault did the same a few days ago.

Source: Carscoops