Russia's largest car maker AvtoVAZ has launched its new passenger car, Lada Granta, which will replace its classic Lada models, AvtoVAZ said on Thursday.
Lada Granta is a new car based on the Lada Kalina platform and expected to replace AvtoVAZ's classic Lada 2105/07 models. The Lada Granta Standard sedan will cost 229,000 rubles ($7,210), while the Lada Grant Norma model will fetch 256,000 rubles ($8,060).
The car maker received about 20,000 orders for the new car from September to November 2011 and then stopped accepting orders for Granta sedans until the end of the first quarter of 2012.
AvtoVAZ plans to produce over 100,000 Granta cars in 2012. About 30,000-40,000 vehicles will be produced at the facilities of the IzhAvto car maker where the assembly line will be launched in the third quarter of 2012.
AvtoVAZ Executive Vice-President for Production and Technical Development Vitaly Vilchik has said AvtoVAZ planned to produce the Lada Granta with an automatic gearbox from September 2012 and make Granta hatchbacks from the end of next year.