A supertest of cars costing up to 2.5 million rubles for the first time brought together sedans, cross-hatches, and "pseudo-SUVs" in one table to find the ideal option in an era when "cheaper means only walking." This time, the focus was on Lada Iskra - a new player in AvtoVAZ's budget lineup, which has to prove that it can not only replace Granta, but also withstand direct comparison with more expensive Chinese models. For the sake of experimental purity, the test included eight popular cars: from Omoda S5 and Geely Emgrand to "Moskvich 3" and Livan X3 Pro.
Right from the start, it became clear that despite all the differences in form factor, the technical base of the rivals is surprisingly similar - gasoline engines, CVTs or conventional "automatics", simple suspensions and front-wheel drive. Therefore, it was not horsepower that became decisive, but the compromises that each manufacturer made for the sake of cost. Iskra performed surprisingly well in this regard: despite the simple interior and weak engine, the interior architecture is well-designed, the trunk is convenient, and the ergonomics for its class turned out to be more successful than some "Chinese" cars.
The media systems showed a large gap between generations: the absolute leader was Vesta SW Cross with Yandex services and a vertical tablet, while most budget cars were limited to basic functionality. However, Iskra also performed as a mid-range car here - without frills, but without annoying failures, which is already a lot in this class. But in the second row, the sedan lost ground: there is noticeably less space than in the "Moskvich 3", which unexpectedly became the most comfortable for passengers.
In the practical block of tests, Lada Iskra surprised again: the trunk is one of the best, the body galvanization is decent, and the cost of maintenance is the lowest in the group. The situation is more complicated with winter preparation: all the heating in Iskra is for an extra charge, and it is inconvenient to pour windshield washer fluid, as on early versions of Vesta. But the ground clearance for the sedan is decent, the bottom is flat, and the engine protection is good steel. This allowed the novelty to bypass Geely Emgrand and Omoda S5 in geometry tests and show itself much more confidently than Livan X3 Pro or JAC JS3.
The most controversial point was the dynamics. The sluggish 1.6-liter engine and CVT left Iskra at the end of the table: acceleration is slow, the power reserve is minimal. However, the handling turned out to be surprisingly collected: the electronics intervene in time, the car is predictable and clearly traces the arc. That is, it "drives weaker than it steers" - a classic story for the budget segment. Comfort is also at an acceptable level: the energy-intensive suspension dampens bumps, although seams and manholes are felt, and the engine and CVT contribute more noise to the cabin than we would like.
The final results scattered the participants extremely unevenly, but the fight for first place turned out to be unexpectedly tight. The victory was shared by two models - Vesta SW Cross and Lada Iskra. The older Lada took the lead due to multimedia, handling and a full set of winter options, the younger one - thanks to the best ratio of price, equipment and maintenance costs. At the same time, Iskra turned out to be noticeably more mature than Granta and did not concede to most Chinese rivals in important everyday parameters.
The test showed that Iskra is one of the most rational purchases in the budget up to 2.5 million rubles, if you do not expect miracles from it in terms of dynamics and are ready to turn a blind eye to "childhood diseases". But those who want a more driver-oriented character and a well-thought-out multimedia system should look towards Vesta SW Cross or Solaris KRX.
