Delays on Chevrolet 'Lada' launch
14 December 2002: Sales of the new Chevrolet Niva joint venture between GM and Lada in Russia won't get properly into gear until early new year, following some hiccups in production and pricing policy.
The four-wheel-drive compact sport utility vehicle is expected to sell for around E8,000, placing it in the largest price segment of the Russian market. It reached production just 15 months after an agreement signed by the companies.
It is planned to produce 35,000 Chevrolet Nivas a year initially, and by 2005, production is expected to reach 75,000 units. Exports to Europe - possibly under an Opel badge - the Middle East, Asia and Latin America are planned to begin in October 2003.
The venture is a partnership between GM, AvtoVaz (the Lada parent company) and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). With a total investment of $332 million, it represents one of the largest foreign investments in the automotive industry in Russia. Under the terms of the agreement, GM and AvtoVAZ each hold a 41.5 percent stake in the joint venture and the EBRD holds the remaining 17 percent share.
GM is also considering a number of other joint manufacturing projects, including the Kalina (above) - a Corsa-sized supermini already prototyped in hatch, saloon and estate form, and an Astra-based car.
There is also a 7-seater MPV, the Dezda (below), on the stocks from Lada.
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