The revived Lada Vesta Sport is preparing to return to dealerships in the first half of 2026. AvtoVAZ first showed the fully production version of the model at the end of January at the "Race of Champions" in the Samara region. Despite the familiar name, we are talking about a fundamentally different car, noticeably different from the Vesta Sport that was sold in Russia until 2022. To date, several important details about the future novelty are known.
The main change is the power unit. Under the hood of the new Vesta Sport, an atmospheric 1.8 Evo engine will be installed, developing 146 hp and 184 N·m of torque. The formal increase in power is minimal, but the engine itself has been significantly improved. It received "non-interference" pistons, which reduces the risk of serious consequences if the timing belt breaks, a modernized oil pan to protect against oil starvation during active driving, as well as updated oil scraper rings and improved crankcase ventilation. All this should solve the problem of increased oil consumption, characteristic of early versions of the 1.8 engine.
Detailed characteristics of the sports version of the engine have not yet been disclosed, but previously, boosted units differed in increased compression ratio, modified camshafts, more productive injectors, a separate ECU firmware, and a different exhaust system. With a high degree of probability, a similar set of modifications will be applied to the new Vesta Sport, albeit in an adapted form for the current engine line.
An equally important innovation is the gearbox. Instead of the previous five-speed manual, the car will receive a six-speed manual transmission from the Chinese manufacturer WLY, already familiar from ordinary Vestas with a 1.8 Evo engine. The transmission is designed for a torque of up to 220 N·m and, according to AvtoVAZ, has a service life of more than 300 thousand kilometers. The gearbox is equipped with a reverse gear synchronizer and three-cone synchronizers for the first two gears, which should positively affect the smoothness and speed of gear changes.
Another important difference of the future Vesta Sport is the variety of bodies. For the first time, the sports version will be available not only as a sedan, but also as a station wagon. The five-door modification has already been demonstrated earlier and received an aggressive body kit, a lowered suspension from Lada Sport, a black roof, a two-tone interior and 17-inch wheels of a new design. It is claimed to accelerate to 100 km/h in 10 seconds and a top speed of 192 km/h.
The sedan, shown at the AvtoVAZ winter event, featured an "anti-chrome" package: darkened decorative elements, black nameplates and contrasting body details emphasize the sporty character of the model. It is expected that the four-door version will be slightly more dynamic than the station wagon. For comparison, the pre-styling Vesta Sport accelerated to 100 km/h in 9.6 seconds and reached up to 193 km/h.
In terms of equipment, the new Vesta Sport will be one of the richest in the lineup. The presented cars received a 10-inch vertical screen of the multimedia system with Alice and Yandex services, a digital instrument panel with sports graphics, heated steering wheel, windshield and all seats, LED optics, cruise control with speed limiter, stabilization system, light and rain sensors, rear view camera, parking sensors front and rear, electric folding mirrors and blind spot monitoring. At the same time, climate control is still missing - it is replaced by a regular air conditioner.
The price question remains the most intriguing. AvtoVAZ advises to focus on the cost of the Sportline version, taking into account the new engine and six-speed gearbox. Currently, the Vesta Sportline costs from 2.3 million rubles for the sedan and from 2.5 million rubles for the station wagon. This suggests that the new Vesta Sport will be in the range of 2.6–2.8 million rubles. The final figures will be known closer to the start of sales, but it is already clear that the fastest production Lada will be noticeably more expensive than the previous version.