Lada Vesta SW Cross

Lada Vesta SW Cross at a glance

The Vesta saloon went into mass production on 25 September 2015 after its presentation in August 2014, and the estate versions followed two years later. A pre-production Vesta Cross estate had been shown as a concept in 2015 with a much higher stance. The SW Cross brought the idea of a raised "all-road" estate, familiar from cars such as the Škoda Octavia Scout, to the Lada range. More background on the base model is in the Lada Vesta article and in the history of AvtoVAZ and Lada; all models are in the Lada catalogue.

Vesta estate timeline

Design

The SW Cross shares the Vesta's "X" design language, with the angled lines of the grille, headlights and side panels forming large X shapes. Compared with the regular SW, it has protective plastic body cladding and 17-inch wheels with 205/50 R17 tyres, and its higher suspension lifts the body to give 203 mm of ground clearance. The old 1cars text notes that the overall look stands comparison with other raised estates in its class.

Interior and boot

The cabin follows the Vesta saloon. The old 1cars text notes that a touchscreen infotainment system was planned even for the basic version, along with an on-board computer.

The boot holds 480 litres with the rear seats up and 825 litres with them folded, according to the spec database used here. Towing capacity is 900 kg for a braked trailer and 600 kg unbraked.

1.6 and 1.8 engines with gearboxes

Both engines are naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol units with 16 valves and multi-point injection. In the EU, only the 1.6-litre version was sold. With the 1.8 and AMT, the SW Cross reaches 100 km/h in 13.3 seconds and 180 km/h (112 mph), using 7.7 l/100 km (30.5 mpg US) on the combined cycle: 10.1 litres in town and 6.3 litres out of town.

Fuel consumption

These official figures apply to the 1.8-litre engine with the automated manual gearbox. The 55-litre tank gives a theoretical combined range of about 700 km.

Suspension, brakes and steering

The suspension uses MacPherson struts with an anti-roll bar at the front and a semi-independent torsion-beam rear axle with coil springs. The SW Cross has disc brakes on all four wheels with ABS, and electric rack-and-pinion steering. The car is front-wheel drive only.

SW Cross dimensions and weights

Sales in Europe

The Vesta was exported to EU countries such as Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia from early 2017, and the SW and SW Cross followed a year later, only with the 1.6-litre engine. EU buyers could choose between the saloon, the SW estate and the SW Cross, all with the same 1.6-litre engine and front-wheel drive. Exports to the EU ended in 2022.

Security and standard equipment

The Vesta range was not tested by Euro NCAP. According to the old 1cars text, standard equipment includes a security system with immobiliser, an on-board computer and automatic door locking, and all versions have ABS.

Rivals: how the SW Cross compares

The Vesta SW Cross competes with raised estates and compact crossovers such as the Renault Sandero Stepway, the Škoda Octavia Scout and Lada's own Largus and XRAY. Its strengths are a large boot, high ground clearance and modern styling. Its weaknesses are the lack of all-wheel drive and modest performance.