Lada Largus Cross

Largus Cross at a glance

Lada presented the idea of a raised Largus in mid-2014, shortly after the Kalina Cross, and the production Cross went on sale in 2015. It targets buyers who want the space of the Lada Largus with a tougher look and better clearance for rough roads, without the cost of a true SUV. The brand's story is in the history of AvtoVAZ and Lada, and the range is in the Lada catalogue.

What is different from the regular Largus

The Cross is mechanically very close to the standard estate, but several changes give it its own character:

• Raised suspension: the body sits higher, and the overall height grows by 46 mm to 1,682 mm.
• Body protection: black plastic cladding protects the lower body and wheel arches, and the body is 6 mm wider at 1,756 mm.
• Interior trim: orange accents on the doors, dashboard and seats, plus heated front seats with more pronounced side bolsters, according to the old 1cars text.
• Engine: the Cross has always used the 16-valve 1.6, rather than the 8-valve unit offered in the cheapest Largus estates.

The Cross Black Edition of 2016 added a black roof, black wheels and black mirror caps.

Engine, gearbox and fuel use

The Renault K4M is a cast-iron-block 16-valve engine shared with the Dacia Logan and Duster. From 2017 AvtoVAZ's own VAZ-21129 took its place, the old 1cars text reports. Front-wheel drive is the only layout; there is no four-wheel-drive Largus Cross.

The old 1cars text gives combined fuel use of about 9 litres per 100 km (26 mpg US), about 12 litres in town and no more than 8 litres on the open road. The higher body and larger frontal area mean the Cross uses slightly more fuel than the regular estate.

Dimensions, clearance and boot

The clearance figure is the manufacturer's value with a full load, including passengers in the third row; the regular Largus is quoted at 145 mm under the same conditions. Unladen, the gap is larger, and the old 1cars text reports measurements of around 210 mm for the Cross. That is enough for gravel tracks and snowy roads, but not for serious off-road driving.

On rough roads

The higher suspension is the Cross's main advantage. The old 1cars text reports that it copes well with broken tarmac and unpaved roads, protects passengers from harsh impacts and lets drivers park on high kerbs where the regular estate would scrape. The same source notes that the extra height costs about 0.4 litres per 100 km more in town and 0.8 litres more on the open road compared with the standard Largus. Drivers still need care away from made roads, because the Cross has neither four-wheel drive nor underbody protection designed for rough terrain.

Interior and seating

The Largus Cross is offered with five or seven seats. In the seven-seat version, the third row holds two passengers and can be removed relatively easily, while the second-row backrest only folds forward. With five seats, the boot holds 560 litres, enough for a family's luggage, and folding the rear seats creates a flat, van-like load floor. All seats have three-point belts and head restraints.

Owners quoted in the old 1cars text praised the space, the seven-seat option, the large boot and the higher clearance. They criticised the noise insulation, the long clutch-pedal travel, the limited seat support and the quality of the multimedia system.

Safety and equipment

Like the regular Largus, the Cross has not been tested by Euro NCAP. Equipment includes airbags, ABS, central locking with remote control and an immobiliser, and better-equipped cars have air conditioning and heated front seats. The old 1cars text describes AvtoVAZ's own frontal crash tests of the Largus at 64 km/h, in which the passenger compartment stayed intact.

Rivals: how the Largus Cross compares

The Largus Cross competes with practical estates and raised hatchbacks such as the Dacia Logan MCV, the Renault Dokker and the Renault Sandero Stepway. Compared with the Lada XRAY, it is far roomier but less modern. Its strengths are space for seven, a long wheelbase and robust mechanicals; its weaknesses are a basic cabin, no automatic gearbox and no four-wheel drive.