By now, AvtoVAZ designers have unexpectedly often begun to please domestic owners with new car models. Even in the recent past, we had to bitterly regret that there was such a meager production of cars in our homeland. A new product that is already being talked about a lot is the Lada Vesta. This machine incorporates all the best ideas of foreign analogues. The creators grow in professionalism along with their creation. “Where is Lada Vesta produced in the Russian Federation?” - such a question is quite appropriate among ordinary people.
In September 2015, the manufacturing process of the Lada Vesta car began. Two months later, the product is released for sale. At first, the model was seen as another failure, but today Lada Vesta is being sold in fairly large quantities, along with some foreign cars. The advantages of the car include:
- Affordable and reasonable price.
- Comfortable living conditions inside.
- Attractive appearance and sufficient capacity.
- The standard assembly now includes ESP and ABS.
- The presence of two airbags.
The new Lada Vesta sedan is assembled and produced in Izhevsk, where the Lada Granta liftback is produced. Renault engineers helped develop the body, which was designed using the latest software. The car frame is not inferior in strength to the Ford Focus. This was proven already in the first crash tests.
Body assembly and painting of Lada Vesta
The main work of welding car parts is provided to robotic precision equipment. However, it is impossible to do without human presence here. Where the Lada Vesta is assembled, each stage of the conveyor is determined by the actions of the workers. They carefully and accurately place the part in the right place. Workers bring equipment to the areas that will be welded.
Painting, which in the past caused great indignation among buyers, now improves its quality. Working with foreign companies that produce the best mechanical engineering products, the Izhevsk automotive industry acquires new materials and technological innovations. First, and then use catapharesis soil. Automation handles much of the process, but regular painters are needed to get the job done where clunky machinery can't get around.
Final assembly sketch
- Each worker responsible for the production of any small car part must approach the matter professionally, and the craftsmen must carefully monitor the process.
- The creators of the Lada Vesta took care to increase comfort in the cabin, using insulating materials against noise and vibration not only on the bottom and engine, but even on the roof.
- The final stage of assembly where the Lada Vesta is produced is practically no different from the similar process for foreign cars. After painting, the doors are removed and sent to the finishing shop. Without them it is much easier to assemble the interior. Having installed the headlights and bumper with the radiator, the connection ends with docking with the chassis and power unit.
Lada Vesta is made, for the most part, based on the experience of foreign professionals using robotic technology, which extremely helps to assemble a high-quality product. The automaker plans to produce not only sedans, but also station wagons, as well as hatchbacks. The expanded model range will help bring us closer to the number of vehicles produced planned for 2017.
Many were interested in which plant, other than IzhAvto, would carry out the assembly work. In Russia, this place will be “ChechenAvto” in the city of Argun. Ust-Kamenogorsk "BipekAvto" will also undertake the assembly of Lada Vesta on Kazakh soil. Thus, the city of Izhevsk will not remain the only representative of the assembly process of this model, capable of producing products from AvtoVAZ.
The start of production of Lada Vesta took place on September 25, 2015, the model went on sale on November 24 of the same year. Initially, sales of the model did not inspire optimism. But now Lada Vesta is turning into a real market bestseller. Sales of the new Russian sedan are growing every month. Today Vesta competes on equal terms with the leaders Hyundai Solaris and Kia Rio. In addition to a good design, reasonable price, decent comfort and spaciousness, the new AvtoVAZ product turned out to be a fairly high-quality car. Today we will tell you in detail how the Lada Vesta is assembled.
But first, let's answer the question: where is Lada Vesta assembled?? The assembly of the new Russian sedan has been established in Izhevsk (Udmurtia). The Lada Granta in the liftback body is also assembled there. Ironically, back in Soviet times, the first liftback in the USSR was produced there. Yes, the legendary IZH Moskvich Combi was made there. This is a modern production facility where the Nissan Sentra sedan and Nissan Tiida hatchback are assembled in parallel (and are constantly suspended due to the crisis). The equipment, and the workers themselves, are somewhat different in Togliatti and Izhevsk. There is a difference in quality between the Togliatti-assembled Granta sedan and the Izhevsk-made Granta liftback.
Lada Vesta body designed using the best software products and with the participation of French Renault engineers. Therefore, the power structure turned out to be very rigid. In terms of torsion, Vesta’s body is three times stronger than that of the Samar family (2108-2109 and other modifications) and two times stronger than that of the Lada Grant. According to this indicator, the domestic sedan is on par with the Ford Focus. The first crash tests showed that in terms of passive safety, Vesta is better than the Korean twin brothers Hyundai Solaris and Kia Rio.
How to assemble the Lada Vesta body video
Avtovaz, to the delight of fans of the new car, published a video of the Lada Vesta body assembly. Of course, not all operations are carried out with the help of robots, but the main operations for welding power elements are entrusted to them. Next, watch the video.
There have always been complaints about the painting of bodies of domestic cars. However, recently Avtovaz has been solving this problem. Cooperation with the Renault-Nissan Alliance allows us to obtain new technologies and materials. As for the Izhevsk production of Lada Vesta, catafaresis soil is used here. Naturally, the body is dipped into a special bath before painting. But as in the case of welding, the process is not 100% automated; some of the work is performed by ordinary painters, who also monitor the quality of the paintwork. In some cases, human hands are faster than robotic machines.
The durability of the entire car and the preservation of its presentation largely depend on the quality of painting. According to this indicator, Lada Vesta meets all Renault-Nissan standards.
How to paint the body of a Lada Vesta video
Quite a lot depends on the final assembly of any machine. After all, there are a huge number of small operations that are performed by completely different people. If a person skips some kind of operation, then the future owner can then spend a long time looking for what rattles, creaks or sparks in his car.
I’m glad that before assembling the interior, they put quite powerful noise and vibration insulation not only on the bottom and engine bulkhead, but even in the trunk and on the roof. A simple piece of additional sound insulation can provide a decent amount of comfort, especially for people who spend quite a lot of time in the car.
Final conveyor assembly of Lada Vesta video
The assembly technology is no different from the same procedure when assembling a foreign car. The doors are removed from the painted car and sent for additional assembly. The absence of doors really helps put the interior together. The chassis and power unit are almost the last thing to be encountered with the car. But the headlights are installed almost immediately. If you carefully examine the following video at 7 minutes, you will notice how easily and naturally they fasten the front part of the car (bumper with radiator grille). Apparently, the design of the front part of the body is generally a gift for car mechanics. After all, for wide access to the power unit, you can simply remove the bumper and radiator, which is somewhat reminiscent of the design of some Audis.
But the sedan is not the only modification of the Lada Vesta. Soon they will start producing cars in the station wagon body, and a little later in the hatchback body. The Lada Vesta Cross and Sport versions will appear in the near future. In addition to the 1.6 liter engine with 106 horsepower, the family of the new Russian car will receive a more powerful 1.8 liter engine with 122 hp. By the way, the Vesta Sport modification will also have two types of engines, these are forced 1.6 and 1.8 liter units that will produce 140 and 150 hp. respectively. Front-wheel drive is available with a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission. Expanding the model range with new versions of Vesta will certainly help Avtovaz reach the planned production level of 100 thousand cars per year in the near future.
The history of the most popular car in Russia began in 1966 in the Italian city of Turin with the conclusion of a contract between the USSR Ministry of Automotive Industry and FIAT. A year after the signing of the agreement, the construction of the Volzhsky Automobile Plant (VAZ) began, and three more years later, the first six “penny” models (VAZ-2101), built on the basis of the Italian Fiat-124, rolled off the main VAZ assembly line.
At the end of the 70s, the VAZ model range was replenished with the all-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle VAZ-2121 or Niva R12, which made a splash on the world market.
After the collapse of the USSR, industrial giant AvtoVAZ entered a phase of restructuring. The crisis was overcome by the mid-90s: then the domestic manufacturer began to gradually increase production volumes.
In 1998, the 2111 model was introduced to the public, equipped with the latest sixteen-valve engines.
The beginning of the new millennium was marked by the release of the new generation Lada Kalina, as well as the start of production of the VAZ-2107 (Lada Priora) - initially in a sedan, and a little later - a hatchback and station wagon.
Since 2004, AvtoVAZ management decided to transfer all produced cars to a single brand, which was written in Latin rather than Cyrillic, according to the norms of the Russian language. Thus, the abbreviation “VAZ” was replaced by the single name “Lada”, which was previously used only to designate export versions of the brand. However, the Russian people give the most memorable nicknames for AvtoVAZ products. Among the most common slang names, it is worth noting “kopek” or “spear” (for VAZ-2101), “four” (for VAZ-2104), “stool” (for VAZ-2105), “chisel” (for VAZ-2108, 2109), “matryoshka” (for VAZ-2112). The disparaging name for all AvtoVAZ cars is “basin” (from the abbreviation TAZ - Togliatti Automobile Plant).
Among the latest developments is the Lada Granta or VAZ-2190 model. This car is a budget sedan designed on the basis of Lada Kalina.
Currently, AvtoVAZ OJSC is the largest manufacturer of passenger cars in Russia and Eastern Europe. It is known that Lada cars are the most popular and most stolen on the Russian market, despite the extremely low quality of production. The terrifying technical characteristics of the Lada have long been an object of ridicule among car enthusiasts. At one of its presentations of the business plan, the AvtoVAZ enterprise itself admitted this fact and explained its origin by the “low quality of purchased components.”
Employees of the Togliatti plant with more than twenty years of work experience are awarded the title of “VAZ Veteran” with the corresponding certificate, a badge with the company logo and a medal of the same name. The author of the first publication in the magazine “Behind the Wheel” about the auto giant under construction in Tolyatti was also awarded the title of veteran, although he was not an employee of VAZ. The name of that correspondent: Brodsky Alexander Yakovlevich.
Lada model range
The AvtoVAZ model range is quite diverse. In it you will find about ten small class models with various body styles (sedan, hatchback, station wagon), five representatives of the small middle class, two all-wheel drive Nivas in three-door and five-door versions, as well as the Lada Largus van - an economical car for business.
Lada cost
The cost of Lada on the primary market varies from two hundred to five hundred thousand rubles. The most budget option is the old-school “seven”, which traces its ancestry back to Fiat itself. The low price of the Lada 2107 fully corresponds to its contents. But it can be repaired without unnecessary difficulties and financial costs, which makes the VAZ 2107 a good choice for novice taxi workers.
Today, the AvtoVAZ manufacturer is demonstrating enviable progress, delighting its fans with new and promising models that can successfully compete with foreign cars. A striking new product that has been seriously talked about in the global automotive arena is the Lada Vesta. Only the best constructive ideas and solutions that can be found today among foreign manufacturers are reflected in this “Russian”.
Probably, many will be interested: where is the Lada Vesta car assembled? In what city? Therefore, today we will talk specifically about this topic.
Start of production of Lada Vesta
September 2015. A model still unknown to the general public, the Lada Vesta, goes into production. After a couple of months on the assembly line, the first copies appear on sale. Experts are very skeptical about the start of implementation, predicting the Lada Vesta will be the same failure as its predecessors.
However, over time the picture became completely different. Lada Vesta began to be bought up in large quantities, which became a reason to compare it with the best foreign cars on the market in the budget niche.
How did the manufacturer manage to succeed so much? It's simple: thanks to high consumer qualities, including:
- affordability;
- ergonomic and cozy interior;
- competitive and attractive exterior;
- capacity;
- the presence of modern assistant systems (ESP, ABS, etc.);
- fairly high degree of safety (2 airbags).
Where is the people's car assembled? Novaya Vesta is produced in Izhevsk. There, the manufacturer AvtoVAZ produces the Granta in the liftback version. The production of the new model was not without the participation of Renault engineers. They assisted in the design of the body, which was recreated using modern software. As a result of this interaction, Vesta’s body frame is not inferior in strength to the famous Ford Focus. The first crash tests have already confirmed this fact. In what city is the popular car in Russia still assembled?
Assembly and painting of a domestic model
Where is the car assembled and finalized? Welding of the main body elements is carried out using advanced robotic equipment. Although this process minimizes the influence of the human factor, it could not be done without the presence of qualified assemblers. Each stage of the assembly line takes place with the participation of workers. They hang the body panels, attach the remaining frame elements, which are subsequently welded using robotic technology.
Previously, the quality of painting of domestic bodies caused a lot of indignation among buyers. Today the situation is different. To paint the Lada Vesta Cross, the manufacturer AvtoVAZ purchases materials from global manufacturers - leaders in this market segment. Technological methods of painting, drying, polishing and other processes are constantly being improved.
The welded body is initially dipped into a special tank filled with an anti-corrosion solution. Then comes the stage of treatment with catapharesis primer. A significant proportion of these manipulations are performed by automation, but qualified painters perform their work in those places where clumsy robotics cannot get close.
The final stage for Vesta
- At all stages of the production cycle, continuous supervision is carried out by engineering and technical personnel. The quality of a particular operation is checked.
- The developers took quite a lot of care about the level of equipment and the quality of the interior. Here you can see soundproofing and anti-vibration materials, which are present not only on the panels, but also applied to the bottom.
- The final stage of the assembly cycle of the Lada Vesta Cross today is little different from a similar process among foreign automakers. Upon completion of the painting work, the doors are dismantled again and sent to a special workshop, where they are finalized to a finished state.
- After installing the headlights, bumpers and other components, the body is mated to the suspension, powertrain and transmission line. Note that, in part, domestic developers use the foreign experience of world leaders in the auto industry.
- Today, the manufacturer does not intend to stop there and promises to expand the line with the introduction of a hatchback and a station wagon, in the same place where sedans are already produced.
Let's sum it up
Many will ask: does the AvtoVAZ manufacturer plan to assemble the Lada Vesta Cross somewhere other than Izhevsk? Yes! Assembly production at ChechenAvto is being established. The company is located in Argun. Also, Kazakh colleagues will soon begin cooperation with Tolyatti residents, since assembly will soon begin in Ust-Kamenogorsk at the facilities of BipekAvto, where other cars are also produced. Now you have become familiar with where Vesta is collected.
So, according to experts, today’s strategy of the Russian auto giant is correct, and it is not known in what city the model will be assembled in the future!
It was created in the 60s of the last century. This production was simply necessary at that time. With its construction, the government sought to satisfy the need of Soviet citizens for a personal car. VAZ was initially planned as the largest production facility in the USSR engineering industry. Over the years of its operation, the legendary enterprise has known ups and downs. His cars are still found in large numbers on the roads of our country.
Also developed The history of the auto giant is eventful and interesting for every car enthusiast. Indeed, in terms of power, this production had no equal throughout the entire territory of the Soviet Union.
Creation of production
The history of the creation of the auto giant begins in the mid-60s of the last century. In 1966, it was decided to build a machine-building production facility in Tolyatti. AvtoVAZ was created very quickly.
Equipment taking part in technological cycles was produced at factories not only in the USSR and its friendly countries, but also at enterprises in Europe and the USA.
In August 1966, the country's leadership entered into an agreement with the Italian Fiat. This concern helped build a legendary production facility in Tolyatti. The Italians not only took an active part in the construction process, but also trained personnel in the technology of performing the technological cycle.
At this stage, a small incident is known. An error was made in the emblem invented by Soviet artists. When it was released, the Italians wrote the letter “R” in the word “Tolyatti” instead of the letter “I”. The marriage was quickly resolved.
The history of the creation of the VAZ would be incomplete if several interesting facts were not considered. During negotiations with representatives of the Italian Communist Party, the Soviet leadership developed a plan for the construction of a huge machine-building enterprise in the city of Stavropol. In 1964 it was renamed Tolyatti.
This decision was not made by chance. The name of the city in which the plant was built was given in honor of the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Italy P. Togliatti. He suffered a sudden death while his delegation was visiting the Artek pioneer camp. During this period, Soviet leaders discussed with their partners the details of the upcoming joint venture.
To honor the memory of the General Secretary, the city where the first AvtoVAZ plant was built was named in his honor.
Beginning of work
Since 1970, the work of the famous VAZ began. The Volzhsky Automobile Plant was being built at an accelerated pace, so the first batch of Kopeeks was born very soon. This is legendary. It was produced in the amount of 6 pieces. This car was given the name "Zhiguli". During the first year of operation of the enterprise, 100 thousand machines were created, which were distributed among employees of Soviet enterprises as incentives for hard work.
The demand for Zhiguli was limited only by the production capabilities of VAZ. The history of development also speaks about the export direction of sales of the auto giant's products. Only for deliveries abroad the name “Zhiguli” was changed to Lada. The first name in French sounded like “gigalo”, that is, a man dancing for money.
Model development
After the start of production at AvtoVAZ in Tolyatti, new models appeared. VAZ-2102 and VAZ-2103 entered the world market. These were modifications of the already beloved Kopeika.
From 1966 to 1991, production capacity was concentrated in 5 main plants. The first general director of AvtoVAZ, V.N. Polyakov (photo presented below) and the entire workforce of the plant adapted the first car model to the conditions of domestic roads.
“Kopeyka” was created based on a sedan prototype. Only its designers increased the ground clearance to 175 mm and strengthened the suspension and brakes. “Troika” was considered a “luxury” model at that time. It was distinguished from “Kopeyka” by its design. “Troika” had 4 headlights, an improved appearance of the dashboard, as well as chrome elements.
"Classic" models
In the following years, several more “classic” VAZ models were developed. History marks them out as the most sold cars. These include VAZ-2104, 2105, 2106, 2107. But it was the “Six” that became the most popular. Over the 30 years of its mass production (since 1976), more than 4.3 million cars of this brand were sold.
“Four” and “Five” are known as economy class models. "Seven" became an improved version of the VAZ-2105. The designers developed a rectangular headlight shape that was fashionable at that time. The interior of each subsequent model was redesigned and modernized.
Improvements were also made in the engine area. All the “classic” models sold well. And now you can meet representatives of this generation of cars on our roads.
Subsequent modernization
Subsequent AvtoVAZ models were developed in the 80s of the last century. The first representative of this generation of passenger cars was Sputnik. People immediately began to call him “The Eight”. This car had a corresponding number in the index. The VAZ-2108 was endowed with a wedge-shaped front end. For this he was also dubbed "The Chisel".
This model had an improved gearbox and an updated engine. The company created all the internal components of the Eight together with Porsche. Main director of AvtoVAZ Isakov V.I. entrusted the development of the design to domestic artists. After some time, five-door Eights with sedan and hatchback body types went on sale.
The end of the 80s was marked by the release of a small car called “Oka”. The prototype of this car was Daihatsu Cuore.
Collapse of the USSR
The crisis has affected almost all enterprises. VAZ was no exception. The history of this enterprise was marked by a long crisis. The reason for this was many internal and external reasons.
First of all, AvtoVAZ was faced with the concept of competition. In those years, the market was flooded with imported used cars. Domestic passenger cars could not withstand any criticism against their background. Demand for the products of the once prosperous enterprise has decreased significantly.
In the 90s, AvtoVAZ cars began to be produced in much smaller volumes. At this time, job cuts reached 25%. Despite government subsidies and increased customs duties on foreign cars, demand fell catastrophically.
Working during a crisis
During the crisis period, OJSC AvtoVAZ worked on creating new models. In the early 90s, one of the few models of this period, the VAZ-2110, saw the world. The Ten was an improved version of the Eight. This sedan model had a more advanced interior design and an original body shape.
Over the next ten years, production did not experience significant changes. Only in 2003, the Chevrolet Niva (VAZ-2121) entered mass production. This is the only domestic model that was sold in Japan.
There is an interesting statement by the chief designer of the Niva, P. M. Prusov, about assigning the name to this model. He said that this is an abbreviation from the first letters of the name of his daughters (Nina, Irina) and the sons of the chief designer of GM-AvtoVAZ (Vadim, Andrey).
Investments in production
OJSC AvtoVAZ enjoyed the support of the state budget, but this was not enough to awaken the enterprise from a long state of crisis. The situation was aggravated by internal struggle for ownership of the company. Cases of theft of property on a very large scale have been recorded. These amounts were equal to the company's annual sales revenue. Therefore, all these events did not contribute to exiting the unprofitable state.
In 2009, the decrease in sales revenue reached a record level of 39%, compared with the previous period. The company has never experienced such a collapse in its entire history. To ensure that the enterprise did not stop operating, drastic measures were required. To achieve this, huge investments were poured into assets.
In July 2009, the authorized capital of the company increased by 240 million euros. At the same time, Renault-Nissan owned 25% of the shares, and Rostekhnologiya - 44%. Steve Mattin was appointed chief designer. He previously held a similar position in the Mercedes and Volvo concerns. From this time on, a period of revival began.
AvtoVAZ Museum
Undoubtedly, the history of AvtoVAZ is eventful. His products became a real symbol of that era. It is not surprising that there is an AvtoVAZ museum. It is located in Tolyatti. This institution is dedicated to the well-known Lada brand not only in our country, but also abroad. After all, it was he who became known to the whole world as a car made in our country.
There are many exhibits significant for the auto giant on display here. Here you can find both the first models released after the collapse of the USSR and the oldest examples. Some of the cars presented at the exposition can no longer be seen on the roads. Not only have they not been produced for many years, but they have also been completely withdrawn from service.
The AvtoVAZ Museum is ready to show its visitors the first cherry-colored Kopeyka, which was sold through the sales network. Its owner has been using his car for more than 19 years. In 2000, he donated it to the museum. For this, AvtoVAZ presented the patron with a new car that had just rolled off the plant’s assembly line. This largest deserves fame and recognition.
Enterprise today
After emerging from a protracted, deep crisis, VAZ, whose history is dotted with a variety of events, is again increasing production. Back in 2004, the universal Kalina hatchbacks and sedans saw the light of day. Since then, tireless development of new design and components of the Lada has been ongoing.
In 2007, a new model called “Priora” was released. Demand was still falling at this time. To stimulate it, a cheaper version of the Kalina was developed. They called her "Granta". This time marks AvtoVAZ’s exit from the crisis. Production capacity is being increased.
In 2012, based on the Renault Logan car, the Lada Largus model was developed. For a legendary enterprise to flourish, it requires a competent approach, new, extraordinary ideas and sufficient investment. With the right approach, this company will again be able to bring huge profits to the state. Modern AvtoVAZ has all the capabilities for this. This production can become not only profitable, but also regain its title as a legendary enterprise in the domestic and world mechanical engineering.
