Lada Azimut: Myths About the Chinese Origin of the New Crossover

Half a year has passed since the release of Lada Azimut on the market, but many rumors continue to circulate around the new product. The most popular of these claims that the crossover is just a reworked Chinese Chery Tiggo 4. Experts and engineers familiar with AvtoVAZ's production processes investigated whether this is really the case.

The origins of such myths go back to the past, when the plant cooperated with Renault. After the departure of the French in 2022, AvtoVAZ had to radically change its strategy: previously developed projects were focused on foreign components, which were extremely difficult to replace. Lada Azimut was created as a completely domestic initiative, using its own developments, albeit with some support from external suppliers in terms of transmissions and turbo engines.

The exterior of the car is unique, with recognizable elements of the signature X-design, and the technical base is based on the Lada B platform, familiar from the Vesta model. Under the hood are engines with a volume of 1.6 and 1.8 liters with a capacity of 120 and 132 horsepower, respectively. The drive is still front, and the transmissions are borrowed from Chinese manufacturers — a six-speed manual and a WLY variator. In the future, a 1.5-liter turbo engine and an automatic transmission will appear.

Internet users are actively comparing Azimut with other cars. Among the common versions are "Niva 3", the third generation Dacia Duster, as well as Hyundai Mufasa. But these assumptions do not stand up to scrutiny: with the exception of a few common design solutions, technically and structurally, Azimut is completely different from the mentioned models.

As for the "Chinese trace", some believe that Azimut is built on the basis of Chery Tiggo 4. In fact, the similarities with Chinese models are minimal: the body of the new crossover is more dynamic, and the design of the front and rear does not repeat Tiggo. Even the engine compartment, trunk and chassis are significantly different, which confirms the originality of the project.

Some components, such as turbo engines and transmissions, are indeed imported, but this is standard practice in the global automotive industry. Many large manufacturers use foreign elements to speed up development and reduce costs. AvtoVAZ applies this approach selectively, combining foreign components with its own engineering solutions.

As a result, Lada Azimut is an original product of the Russian automotive industry. Despite the presence of some Chinese components, the main body, interior and platform are completely domestic.

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