Russia Sees High Demand for Lada Granta with Automatic Transmission
There is strong demand for the Lada Granta equipped with an automatic transmission in Russia. Reports from Rossiyskaya Gazeta, citing dealer sources, note that many customers who previously owned an automatic Lada are now contacting dealers to place orders for new Granta models.
Alexander Shaprinsky, commercial director of the Pragmatika dealership network, observed that a notable portion of buyers who once drove a Granta with automatic transmission are calling to request new contracts. He added that if dealers purchase only a small batch of cars, the inventory could be exhausted within one to two months, underscoring the brisk market appetite for the model.
Shaprinsky also sees potential competition on the horizon. He pointed to the Changan Alsvin, priced from 1.75 million rubles, and the Solaris HS, starting at around 2 million rubles, both offering automatic transmissions and entering the Granta segment as credible rivals.
In a related development, Evgeny Zhitnukhin, head of the dealership department at Fresh Car Market, suggested that the forthcoming Granta would contend with the Lada Vesta NG, which has adopted a Chinese CVT and is marketed at approximately 1.58 million rubles.
There are practical concerns about service infrastructure for the models with automatic gearboxes, especially given that official supply of some transmission components to Russia has been halted. Zhitnukhin noted that it is likely that some Jatco automatic gearboxes remaining at AvtoVAZ could be allocated to dealers to support maintenance and repair of Granta models produced with automatic transmissions.
On April 9, AvtoVAZ officially announced the start of sales for the Lada Granta with automatic transmission. The company confirmed that automatic transmission is available in both the sedan and liftback body styles. The base price for the sedan with automatic transmission is reported at 1.17 million rubles, while the liftback version starts from 1.24 million rubles. These figures reflect the initial market positioning for the new variant of the Granta.
AvtoVAZ emphasized that the sedan variants with automatic transmissions are delivered to dealers in the Comfort Plus configuration, which includes two front airbags, ABS, air conditioning, heated front seats, and electrically adjustable heated exterior mirrors, among other features. Liftbacks with automatic transmissions are offered in the Club version, featuring a heated windshield and parking sensors, along with distinctive styling elements such as black mirror caps and two-tone alloy wheels. In total, approximately 5,000 cars are slated for the initial market release.
Earlier announcements from AvtoVAZ mentioned notable discounts on the Lada Vesta lineup, signaling ongoing pricing strategies to attract buyers during the transition to new configurations within the Lada family.