Avtovaz begins assembling Lada cars in Azerbaijan

MOSCOW. March 29 (Interfax) - JSC Avtovaz has launched a project to assemble Lada cars in Azerbaijan and plans to assemble 1,500 cars in the country in 2024, the Russian automaker's press service said.

Avtovaz said that it has organized a receiving area for vehicle kits, an assembly shop, and a parking lot for storing finished cars at one of the production sites in Azerbaijan. Personnel specially hired as part of the project have received the necessary training from specialists from Togliatti.

Avtovaz head Maxim Sokolov said that the Lada production site in Azerbaijan could produce up to 1,500 cars this year.

"We are starting with Granta, and plan to expand the range of local production by the end of 2024 with the Niva Legend and Travel family; and test samples have already been assembled and are undergoing a quality audit, as well as the Vesta family. The annual production output could reach up to 4,000-5,000 cars in the next few years," Avtovaz's press service quoted Sokolov as saying.

Launching local production in Azerbaijan should assist Lada in returning its market share in the country to the pre-crisis levels, and in boosting the brand's presence, Sokolov said.