Body style: Hatchback
Segment: Compact
Production years: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
While in Europe, the three-door versions of a hatchback were considered sportier, in the former Soviet Union, a three-door Samara was the cheapest in the stable.
The Samara was not a replacement for the Fiat-124 based Lada but an evolution to a new range of vehicles easier to drive and built. The Russian engineers studied the Fiat 127 from its long-time Italian partner and admitted that it was a much better solution than the front-engine and rear-wheel-drive one. It evolved into a range of vehicles, from a three- and five-door hatchback to a five-door station wagon and a four-door sedan. Since the three-door version was the cheapest to build, it was the first to be released on the market. It required only the door windows and two side windows behind them. A touch of artistic imagination was at the back, where the carmaker made a sloped tailgate instead of a flat vertical one.
Inside, there was a cubist design language with straight lines and a boxy instrument panel. The wildly optimistic speedometer showed up to 180 kph (112 mph), while the car was able to go as fast as 156 kph (97 mph) on a downhill. The cranked windows were the only way to open them, and there was just a simple ventilation system without air-conditioning. On the Western Europe market, the dealers installed aftermarket an audio system with a stereo cassette. Its wide opening doors and the tilt-forward front seats allowed an easier ingress and egress to the car.
Under the hood, the Soviet engineers installed a 1.1-liter gasoline engine fed by a carburetor and paired it to a 4-speed manual gearbox. Over time, there were new engine options that increased power output. Lada fitted the late models with a 5-speed manual.
ENGINE SPECS - 1.1L 4MT FWD (53 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1099 cm3 |
Power: | 39 KW @ 5500 RPM 53 HP @ 5500 RPM 52 BHP @ 5500 RPM |
Torque: | 58 lb-ft @ 3400 RPM 79 Nm @ 3400 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.4 gallons (43.2 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 86 mph (138 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 20 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 165/70 R13S |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 157.7 in (4006 mm) |
Width: | 63.8 in (1621 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.9 in (2461 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6.3 in (160 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 11.6 cuFT (328 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2006.2 lbs (910 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3020.3 lbs (1370 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 32.2 mpg US (7.3 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 174 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.3i 5MT FWD (68 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1288 cm3 |
Power: | 50 KW @ 5600 RPM 68 HP @ 5600 RPM 67 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 72 lb-ft @ 4300 RPM 97 Nm @ 4300 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.4 gallons (43.2 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 90.7 mph (146 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 16 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 165/70 R13S |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 157.7 in (4006 mm) |
Width: | 63.8 in (1621 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.9 in (2461 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6.3 in (160 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 11.6 cuFT (328 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2006.2 lbs (910 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3020.3 lbs (1370 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 33.1 mpg US (7.1 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 169 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.3L 4MT FWD (65 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1288 cm3 |
Power: | 48 KW @ 5600 RPM 65 HP @ 5600 RPM 64 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 68 lb-ft @ 3400 RPM 92 Nm @ 3400 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.4 gallons (43.2 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 92 mph (148 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 16 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 165/70 R13S |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 157.7 in (4006 mm) |
Width: | 63.8 in (1621 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.9 in (2461 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6.3 in (160 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 11.6 cuFT (328 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2006.2 lbs (910 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3020.3 lbs (1370 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 33.1 mpg US (7.1 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 169 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.5i 5MT FWD (72 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1499 cm3 |
Power: | 53 KW @ 4800 RPM 72 HP @ 4800 RPM 71 BHP @ 4800 RPM |
Torque: | 87 lb-ft @ 2800 RPM 118 Nm @ 2800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.4 gallons (43.2 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 96 mph (154 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 14 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 165/70 R13S |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 157.7 in (4006 mm) |
Width: | 63.8 in (1621 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.9 in (2461 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6.3 in (160 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 11.6 cuFT (328 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2006.2 lbs (910 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3020.3 lbs (1370 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 31.4 mpg US (7.5 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 178 g/km |