What car do you think of when you say the word Lada? I for one think of the boxy Fiat 124-based Lada 1500 (known as the VAZ-2105 in Russia) which was produced between 1980 and 2012.
Apparently, AvtoVAZ design director Steve Mattin wants to change this perception of Lada as a maker of old-fashioned cars that are way past their expiry date by introducing a design revolution, inspired by the way Kia’s design boss Peter Schreyer transformed the Korean brand’s image.
Lada is known for bland, outdated design, with a good example being the Niva 4×4, which has virtually remained the same during its 37-year existence. “That is now changing and will be clearly seen in the future. There will be an intensive modernization with the introduction of a completely new design language and DNA that will change the image of the brand,” Mattin told Autonews Europe in an interview.
The 48-year-old Englishman started work as a designer at Mercedes-Benz before being appointed Volvo’s design boss in 2005 to 2009. He has been the design director at AvtoVAZ since 2011. He says the challenge is to give the Lada brand a more desirable look. If one needs a hint of what future Lada models will look like, then you should look no further than the 2012 X-Ray concept pictured below. The study also previews Lada’s plans for new crossover and SUV models that will launch in 2016.
However, Mattin said Russians like robust cars, so the new design will have to reflect that, as well as retain a certain simplicity.
By Dan Mihalascu
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