Body style: Hatchback
Segment: Small
Production years: 1984
After years of building cars based on the ancient Fiat 124 platform, the Russian carmaker invested in a revolutionary vehicle for its market: the Samara.
In 1984, the Russian carmaker AvtoVaz introduced the Samara to the market. It was a huge success for the communist company to switch from a longitudinally-mounted engine and rear-wheel-drive system to a more modern transverse front engine and front-wheel-drive system. To do that, the engineers took their inspiration from other European carmakers, where the Lada was sold. Lada was the commercial name for the AvtoVaz (which was an acronym for Volga Automobile Factory).
There was no design language. It was a boxy-looking vehicle available at the beginning as a 3-door hatchback, which later on evolved into a 5-door hatchback and a sedan. Its square-looking headlights and almost closed front grille evoked a simple design system with straight lines and flat panels. The only artistic touch was the beltline, which was curved upwards behind the B-pillar.
Inside, there was a cubist design language with straight lines and a boxy instrument panel. The very optimistic speedometer showed a speed of up to 180 kph (112 mph), while the car was able to go as fast as 156 kph (97 mph). 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. The five-door version featured wide-opening rear doors to allow easy access inside the vehicle.
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. The late models were fitted with a 5-speed manual.
ENGINE SPECS - 1.1L 4MT FWD (53 HP) | |
---|---|
Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1099 cm3 |
Power: | 39 KW @ 5600 RPM 53 HP @ 5600 RPM 52 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 59 lb-ft @ 3400 RPM 80 Nm @ 3400 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.4 gallons (43.2 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 87 mph (140 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 20 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 165/70SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 157.5 in (4001 mm) |
Width: | 63.8 in (1621 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55.1/53.9 in (1,400/1,369 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.9 in (2461 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 9.6 cuFT (272 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2050.3 lbs (930 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3020.3 lbs (1370 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
---|---|
Combined: | 32.2 mpg US (7.3 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 174 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.3i 5MT FWD (43 HP) | |
---|---|
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 | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 90.7 mph (146 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 16 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 165/70SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 157.5 in (4001 mm) |
Width: | 63.8 in (1621 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55.1/53.9 in (1,400/1,369 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.9 in (2461 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 9.6 cuFT (272 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2050.3 lbs (930 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3020.3 lbs (1370 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
---|---|
Combined: | 33.1 mpg US (7.1 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 169 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.3L 5MT FWD (65 HP) | |
---|---|
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 |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 92 mph (148 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 16 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 165/70SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 157.5 in (4001 mm) |
Width: | 63.8 in (1621 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55.1/53.9 in (1,400/1,369 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.9 in (2461 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 9.6 cuFT (272 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2050.3 lbs (930 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3020.3 lbs (1370 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
---|---|
Combined: | 33.1 mpg US (7.1 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 169 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.5i 5MT FWD (72 HP) | |
---|---|
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 | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 99.4 mph (160 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 14 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 165/70SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 157.5 in (4001 mm) |
Width: | 63.8 in (1621 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55.1/53.9 in (1,400/1,369 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.9 in (2461 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 9.6 cuFT (272 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2050.3 lbs (930 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3020.3 lbs (1370 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
---|---|
Combined: | 31.4 mpg US (7.5 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 178 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.5L 5MT FWD (72 HP) | |
---|---|
Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1499 cm3 |
Power: | 53 KW @ 5600 RPM 72 HP @ 5600 RPM 71 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 87 lb-ft @ 3400 RPM 118 Nm @ 3400 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 96 mph (154 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 15 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 165/70SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 157.5 in (4001 mm) |
Width: | 63.8 in (1621 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55.1/53.9 in (1,400/1,369 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.9 in (2461 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 9.6 cuFT (272 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2050.3 lbs (930 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3020.3 lbs (1370 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
---|---|
City: | 27 mpg US (8.7 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 41.3 mpg US (5.7 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 31.8 mpg US (7.4 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 176 g/km |