Lada Granta
A Russian subcompact that dominated domestic sales from 2013 to 2015.
The Lada Granta is a subcompact car built by Russian manufacturer AvtoVAZ with help from Renault, sharing its underpinnings with the Lada Kalina. It went on sale in Russia on 1 December 2011, and from 2013 through 2015 it was the country’s top-selling model.
Production expanded to the Izhevsk plant in September 2012, after the old VAZ-2107 was phased out. A five-door hatchback version arrived in 2014, intended to replace the discontinued Lada Samara 2 series.
The Granta marked a shift away from traditional A-, B-, and C-segment cars, aiming instead at younger Russians and small families who wanted supermini sedans—a body style that grew more popular in Russia after 2010. It was designed to compete with imported European superminis, which were mostly hatchbacks and cost more. The car was sold in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Egypt, as well as in several European Union countries including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, France, and Germany.
Three trim levels were offered: Standard, Norm, and Luxe. Norm added power steering, front power windows, power door locks, and a trip computer. Luxe included a passenger airbag, side airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, rear power windows, air conditioning, heated mirrors, heated front seats, and a 7-inch touchscreen multimedia system.
In a 2012 ARCAP crash test, the Granta scored two out of four stars. The test car had a Takata driver airbag but no passenger airbag; head injury criteria measured 522 for the driver and 880 for the passenger.
In May 2013, AvtoVAZ recalled about 30,000 Grantas and Kalinas due to braking system problems.
A 2018 facelift revised the front headlights, grille, and trunk, bringing styling cues from the Lada Vesta and Lada Xray. By September 2022, five versions were offered: Sedan, Cross, Liftback, Drive Active, and Station Wagon. The Station Wagon came in Club and Cross Quest trims, the latter with a black painted roof and rails, black-and-silver alloy wheels, special upholstery, a cargo net, heated windscreen, two airbags, multimedia, rearview camera, parking sensors, and air conditioning.
Renault ended its collaboration after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. When production resumed in June 2022, the cars lacked airbags, anti-lock brakes, and pollution controls. Exports to the European Union stopped due to sanctions.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Lada (AvtoVAZ)
- Aka
- Lada 2190
- Production
- December 2011–present
- Model Years
- 2012–present
- Predecessor
- Lada Kalina
- Successor
- Lada Iskra
- Class
- Subcompact (B)
- Layout
- Transverse Front engine, front-wheel-drive
- Engine
- 1.6 L VAZ-11183-50/21116 SOHC 8-valve I4 (petrol) / 1.6 L VAZ-21126/21127 DOHC 16-valve I4 (petrol)
- Powerout
- 60 kW (VAZ-11183-50) · 65 kW (VAZ-21116) · 67 kW (VAZ-21126) · 73 kW (VAZ-21126) · 79 kW (VAZ-21127)
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual / 4-speed automatic
- Length
- 4260 mm
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Lada Granta was conceived as a step away from classic A-, B-, and C-segment cars, targeting young Russians and small families seeking supermini sedans. It was marketed in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and several European Union countries including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, France, and Germany. Additional production at the Izhevsk plant began in September 2012 after the old VAZ-2107 was discontinued. A five-door hatchback variant debuted in 2014, replacing the discontinued Lada Samara 2 series.
The Granta was offered in three trim levels: Standard, Norm, and Luxe. The Norm level included power steering, front power windows, power door locks, and a trip computer. The Luxe added a passenger airbag, side airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic stability control, rear power windows, air conditioning, heated mirrors, heated front seats, and a multimedia system with a 7-inch touchscreen display. In 2018, the Granta received a facelift that revised the front headlights, grille, and trunk, sharing design characteristics with the Lada Vesta and Lada Xray.
In September 2022, Lada offered five versions of the Granta: Sedan, Cross, Liftback, Drive Active, and Station Wagon. The Station Wagon was also available in two special versions, Club and Cross Quest, the latter featuring a painted roof and rails in black, alloy wheels in black and silver, special interior upholstery, cargo net, heated windscreen, two airbags, multimedia capabilities, rear view camera, parking sensors, and air conditioning.
Reader's Guide
The Lada Granta holds significance as the best-selling car in Russia for three consecutive years, reflecting its role in meeting the needs of domestic buyers during a period when foreign superminis were often smaller and more expensive. Its development in collaboration with Renault marked a shift toward modernized design and features, though safety ratings were modest: the 2012 ARCAP test with a driver-side Takata airbag and no passenger airbag earned two stars out of four, while the 2015 Granta Lux with two airbags and seat belt pretensioners earned three stars out of four. A recall in May 2013 affected about 30,000 Grantas and Kalinas due to braking system problems.
The car's legacy was disrupted by geopolitical events: Renault ended its collaboration when Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, and exports to the European Union halted due to sanctions. Production restarted in June 2022 without airbags, anti-lock brakes, or pollution controls, though by August 23 Lada resumed production with a driver's side airbag. The Granta also competed in the World Touring Car Championship from 2012 to 2014, driven by James Thompson, Aleksey Dudukalo, Mikhail Kozlovskiy, and 2012 champion Robert Huff. In September 2022, company President Maxim Sokolov announced plans for a new generation based on Renault's platform, later named Lada Iskra, built on the CMF-B modular platform with design inspired by the third-generation Dacia Logan.
Did You Know?
- The Lada Granta was the best-selling car model in Russia from 2013 to 2015.
- The Granta Lux earned three stars out of four in a 2015 ARCAP crash test.
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