Updated “Largus”: deceived expectations

The restyling of LADA Largus disappointed: AVTOVAZ cynically shattered the hopes of everyone who expected to see a station wagon in a new corporate design.

The mountain gave birth to a mouse – this long-used expression comes to mind by itself, as soon as a photograph of the so-called restyled version of the Largus catches your eye. So-called – because to call a full-fledged restyling minimal changes in the radiator lining and the appearance of the name LADA on the tailgate simply does not turn the tongue.

After all, how elegant was the initial idea: to switch to the production of the entire LADA road line in a single style! Last year, the Grant / Kalina family received an X-shaped front cladding, and it was believed that the long-awaited Largus update should have put a tasty point in this unambiguously correct progression of the appearance of cars from Tolyatti. The network even appeared photos of his prototype with a new front end branding.

But… it didn't work out.

Many media replicate the explanation that one of the top managers of AVTOVAZ gave on this occasion: they say that there is no point in making more radical changes to the car – after all, Largus is well bought anyway. It is reasonable, but from my point of view, not entirely convincing: whatever one may say, but assessing the development of the plant over the past few years, it is difficult not to come to the conclusion that there is something more behind such a fake restyling. Because what kind of development can we talk about? After putting Vesta and XRAY on the conveyor in 2015, AVTOVAZ did not launch a single fundamentally new model into the series! The only person who somehow tried to stir up this swamp, who had the audacity to initiate the development and development in production of two bright promising new products, who did not hesitate to openly say “I am an AVTOVAZ man”, thrown out with curses. Of all the notable achievements of those who came to the leadership after Bo Andersson – only the decision to curtail the export of LADA to the European market and, even more sadly, the unadvertised, but de facto pursued course of refusing to develop and release their own platforms. That is, the updated Largus is a real demonstrator of what, apparently, all engineering at AVTOVAZ will eventually come down to: badge engineering, that is, turning facings and twisting emblems.

Although, maybe I'm wrong? Maybe AVTOVAZ is just reverent about its own traditions, when the same models, without any significant changes, rolled off the assembly line not even for years, but for decades? Someone will surely say: here, they say, is the same former Niva, and now LADA 4 × 4: after all, it continues to be quite successfully produced and sold almost in its original form! But the design of the Niva is an undeniable masterpiece, and the design of the Largus is dull mediocrity.   

However, this popular station wagon still has a chance to be updated: some media have reported that the model is still waiting for a more or less noticeable restyling. But not before 2022. Just when the development of Dacia Logan MCV at AvtoVAZ under the designation “Lada Largus” will be ten years old.

Link to the Internet portal “Special Equipment and Commercial Vehicles” (ST-KT.Ru)