Russia resumes car production with stripped-down Lada Granta

Lada, the largest car manufacturer in Russia, has resumed production in spite of numerous sanctions and shortages. The company unveiled a new variant of the Granta, one of its most popular models, that has been stripped of several features that rely on imported components.

Russia's government nationalized Lada parent company AvtoVAZ earlier in 2022, in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, after buying the 68% stake held by Paris-based Renault. The deal reportedly cost Russia one symbolic ruble, though Renault has a six-year option to buy back the stake. With full control of the company, government officials set out to figure out how to build a car without relying on foreign suppliers.

Shown above, the answer is a bare-bones version of the Granta named Classic. It's marketed as the most affordable passenger car available new in Russia, pricing starts at 761,500 rubles (around $13,200), and it's powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 90 horsepower to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. It lacks a lot of things: There's no traction control, no passenger-side airbag, or air conditioning, or remote keyless entry. Buyers do get body-colored exterior trim, power steering, and power-operated front windows as a consolation prize. But anything that requires foreign-sourced parts to manufacture has been removed.