A message has appeared online that AvtoVAZ may in the very near future release a completely new generation of its legendary Lada Priora model, which will receive the abbreviation NFR in the name. Lada Priora NFR 2nd generation will have nothing in common with its predecessor. According to the source, the car will also not be based on the budget CMF-B/LS platform of the Renault-Nissan concern. All future models from AvtoVAZ should be based on the latter. These include the new Lada Granta 2023 and the next generation Niva. What’s even more surprising is that, according to information leaked online, the Lada Priora in a new body should be built on the EMP2 platform of the Stellantis concern.
New Lada Priora NFR 2022
In the past, AvtoVAZ reported that it had no plans to revive the Priora, despite the popularity of the model. This was explained by the fact that Lada Vesta and Priora belong to the same size class B. Vesta, being a much more modern car, did not cost much more. This circumstance made the release of Priora impractical. What could make AvtoVAZ change its decision?
The thing is that the new 2022 Lada Priora NFR will be a much larger car occupying a more expensive market niche. Body length - 4750, width - 1873 mm, height - 1400 mm. The wheelbase size is 2790 mm. The luggage compartment volume is 485 liters. The aerodynamic drag coefficient Cx is 0.26. In fact, we have a direct competitor for the Toyota Camry. Over the latter, the new product will have several obvious advantages:
- Firstly, the next generation Priora will cost less due to a higher level of localization
- Secondly, the car will receive a more practical liftback body, which will allow it to compete with models from Skoda, such as the Octavia A8 and Superb
New Lada Priora NFR 2022 - rear view
Why did you choose the EMP2 platform for the Priora in the new body?
According to the source, the choice of a third-party platform was caused by the need to load the assembly plant in Kaluga. This site is jointly owned by Stellantis and Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi itself has recently been part of the Renault-Nissan concern. All this makes the partnership of the two corporations a completely logical move. Stellantis currently assembles commercial vehicles and outdated Peugeot 408 and Citroen C4 models at this car plant. Demand for the latter has dropped to almost zero. In order to revive production, fresh models are needed. This could be the relatively affordable Peugeot 2008 crossover, which is currently being imported to Russia. The model is based on the EMP2 platform. At the same time, mastering the production of cars on a new platform is quite risky. If you fail to achieve high sales figures, the project may turn out to be unprofitable. Russians have not been favoring French brands lately.
New Lada Priora NFR 2022 - side view
From the above, it becomes clear that the production of a model on a new breed platform by the well-known Lada brand in Russia can be a good safety net. Full-size sedans are in good demand in our country, subject to a reasonable pricing policy. Take, for example, the extremely successful Toyota Camry and Kia K5. The new Lada Priora should be in no way inferior to its competitors with a more humane price tag, which means we can fully count on stable demand. Moreover, the price of foreign cars has grown very much over the past year (by 20% only according to the RRP), and there are also markups from dealers.
At the same time, the reputation of the Lada brand has grown greatly in recent years. Successful models like Vesta have proven themselves to be very good. Even the Lada Granta, after a series of modernizations, has become significantly better in terms of consumer qualities. The release of a higher-class model, which should be the new Lada Priora NFR, seems to be a completely logical move in such a situation.
Reviews and test drive
Reviews about the car, as about any domestic development, are generally negative. It breaks down quickly, frequent repairs, manufacturer defects and others. Why do many owners prefer to tune the Lada Priora hatchback, in order to somehow improve the condition, to fake something so that the car does not fail at the right time.
But, in general, they talk about the low cost of spare parts, the ability to find components even in the most remote village, and the high standardization of components. We also suggest you take a test drive of the car.
Technical characteristics of Priora NFR
In fact, the new product should be a deeply redesigned European Peugeot 508 of the current generation. Priora NFR will retain the power structure of the prototype body and a significant part of the hinged panels. The front fenders, headlights, radiator grille, hood and bumper should be new. The car will retain frameless side doors. This will allow the exterior design to be brought to the corporate VAZ “X-style”.
In the manufacture of the car, high-strength steel grades will be used en masse, which will provide the body with high rigidity combined with low weight. This will make the car safe and economical. The prototype of the model, the Peugeot 508, scored the maximum five points in the Euro NCAP safety rating.
In terms of handling, the Priora should also not be inferior to its competitors. The car will receive an independent front suspension. At the rear, depending on the version, there is a torsion beam or a multi-link design. The rear beam will be equipped with diesel modifications intended primarily for taxis. The lack of a complex multi-lever in simple versions should not be a problem. The French have long been famous for their ability to correctly configure even the simplest suspension, squeezing the maximum out of it. At AvtoVAZ, it is worth noting, they are not inferior to them. Tolyatti engineers endowed Vesta with an excellent combination of comfort and handling with a fairly high ground clearance. Obviously, there should be no problems adapting the vehicle’s chassis to Russian operating conditions. Priora NFR will be equipped with wheels with disc diameter
Power point
The engine used is the already familiar VAZ-21116 eight-valve engine. It is capable of producing 90 horsepower. The line also includes a 16-valve engine with a capacity of 98 horsepower. Various foreign-made components and parts were used in the design of the engines. Due to this, it was possible to significantly increase the overall resource of power units. So, a new, lightweight one from Federal Mogul was used. The timing belt, as well as the tension pulley for it, were manufactured by Gates. The manufacturer claims that the resource of the kit is more than 200 thousand km. In the maximum configuration, the VAZ-217030 comes with a 1.8-liter engine with a capacity of 120 hp. This is the version I suggested. But there are very few such copies. They were made to order.
The car must have a diesel engine
One of the engines should be a 1.6-liter diesel engine of the DV6 series, developing 95 hp and 216 Nm of torque, which has already been localized in Kaluga. The power unit complies with the Euro-6 environmental standard. A similar engine is combined with a 5-speed manual transmission. It is equipped with commercial models of Peugeot and Citroen. Neither the Toyota Camry nor the Kia K5 offers a diesel modification. But such a modification would be in great demand in corporate fleets, which account for a significant share of sales of cars of this class.
The main gasoline engine should be a turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine with a volume of the same 1.6 liters. It has nothing in common with the EP-6 series engines jointly developed with BMW. The latter have proven to be unreliable and extremely demanding to maintain. The new motor belongs to the more modern PureTech series. European buyers note much higher reliability of the power unit compared to its predecessors. At the Priora NFR it will be available in two configurations - 150 and 180 hp. Such modifications will be able to compete with Toyota Camry with 2.0 and 2.5 liter engines, respectively. This engine will be combined with a non-alternative 8-speed Aisin automatic transmission. This is the same unit that is installed on the Camry.
The new Lada Priora NFR will receive a 1.6-liter turbo engine
In the future, an all-wheel drive modification may appear. This Priora will receive a hybrid power plant. The rear axle will be driven by an electric motor, which will be activated during standing starts and acceleration. The car will not be able to move on pure electric power, since the battery capacity will be limited to 1.5 kW/hour.
6.1.1. Design Features
| Rice. 6.1 . Clutch: 1 – cable tip guide; 2 – clutch release fork lever; 3 – clutch casing; 4 – bolt securing the clutch to the flywheel; 5 – pressure disk; 6 – flywheel; 7 – driven disk; 8 – gearbox input shaft; 9 – front cover of the clutch housing; 10 – clutch housing; 11 – pressure spring; 12 – clutch release bearing |
The clutch is single-disk, dry, permanently closed, with a central pressure spring 11 (Fig. 6.1, 6.3) and a torsional vibration damper on the driven disk 7. The clutch housing 3 is attached to the flywheel 6 with six bolts 4, and is connected to the pressure disk 5 by three pairs of elastic plates .
| Rice. 6.2 . Clutch release drive: 1 – cable guide; 2 – clutch release fork; 3 – fork axle bushing; 4 – cable; 5 – seal; 6 – clutch pedal bracket; 7 – cover; 8 – locking bracket; 9 – bracket; 10 – bushing; 11 – bushing for the clutch pedal axis; 12 – clutch pedal axis; 13 – clutch pedal; 14 – clutch pedal pad |
The clutch release drive is cable, backlash-free (there are no gaps in the drive). Cable 4 (Fig. 6.2) of the clutch release drive is equipped with a ratchet-type mechanism designed to compensate for the length during operation when the driven disk linings are worn (adjustment of the drive in operation is not required). Clutch pedal 13 is installed in bracket 6, mounted on the front panel, on the axle through two plastic bushings. The upper part of the pedal is connected to the housing of the clutch wear compensation mechanism. The upper end of the cable sheath is secured to the clutch pedal bracket using a plate stop, and the lower end of the cable is secured to a bracket mounted on the gearbox housing. Plastic leash 1 (see Fig. 6.1) of the lower end of the cable is connected to lever 2 of the clutch release fork. The clutch release bearing 12 is a closed type and does not require lubrication during operation. The main parameter that determines the operation of the clutch release drive is the travel of the clutch pedal all the way to the floor mat. The pedal travel is not adjustable in operation; it is ensured by a structurally sound mechanism for compensating wear on the clutch plate linings and correct initial installation of the drive cable (see “Replacing the clutch release cable”).
| Useful tips In order for the clutch to serve for a long time and without failure, do not constantly keep your foot on the clutch pedal. This bad habit is often acquired while learning to drive in driving schools for fear of not having time to disengage the clutch while stopping the car. In addition to the rapid fatigue of the leg, which is always above the pedal, the clutch is depressed at least a little, and the driven disk slips and wears out. In addition, although the release bearing is designed to operate in constant rotation mode, when the pedal is pressed even slightly, it experiences increased load and its service life also decreases. For the same reason, we do not recommend keeping the clutch disengaged for a long time (for example, in traffic jams). If you don’t have to move away right away, it’s better to put the gearbox in neutral and release the pedal. Clutch slippage can be easily determined using a tachometer. If while driving, when you sharply press the accelerator pedal, the speed rises sharply, and then drops slightly and the car begins to accelerate, the clutch requires repair. |
Salon
The interior of the new Lada Priora NFR received a non-standard front dashboard architecture, with an instrument panel located above the steering wheel. The steering wheel itself is strongly beveled both at the top and at the bottom. The instrument panel is completely electronic. Its screen diagonal is 12.3 inches. The touchscreen of the multimedia system with a diagonal of 8 or 10 inches, depending on the configuration, is located in the center. The device supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto interfaces.
Salon of the new Lada Priora NFR
Instrument panel Lada Priora NFR
Available options include 10 airbags, power front seats with a massager, Nappa leather upholstery, a panoramic roof, a premium Focal audio system, a surround-view camera system, adaptive cruise control, LED headlights, multi-zone climate control and a full package of warm options. The new Priora NFR can be equipped with a night vision system: an infrared camera is capable of displaying an image on the instrument panel and recognizing objects at a distance of up to 250 meters.
Lada Priora NFR 2022 - front interior
Lada Priora NFR 2022 - rear interior
Multimedia system Lada Priora NFR
Brake system
The front and rear brakes are different. There are ventilated disc brakes with a single-piston floating caliper and automatic adjustment of the gap between the pads and the disc at the front, and drum brakes at the rear. The brake system is diagonal, dual-circuit, hydraulic. Equipped with a vacuum booster.
It is possible to work with the traction control system. You can also install disc brakes at the rear instead of standard drum brakes. The new braking system will also support ABS. The parking brake is manual, on a cable with drive of the rear wheels.
