fact, the 1500 is still cheap enough well located by four radius arms to be considered as astonishingly and a Panhard rod. The steering is good value for money: the British by a worm and roller system. the equivalents, considering the levels brakes are 10 in discs at the front of equipment and overall size, are and 9.8 in drums at the bad with a all more expensive. The Avenger vacuum servo, dual circuits and a GLS costs £2321. the Marina 1.3 load-sensitive pressure-relief SDL £1971. for example. valve at the rear. This Russian model represents a The 1500 model is easily distin· lot of car, both in engine size and guishable from its cheaper stable· interior space, for the money. In mate by the twin headlamps and addition it is very well equipped different grille at the front. Most expensive of the East European imports. with such items as red warning modified tail-lights at the back. Roomy interior and lavish equipment add up to a lights in the trailing edges of the and other exterior trim. It is also doors. inertia reel belts. a much plusher inside. lot of car for the money. Performance and laminated screen, a light under the The engine is not the same a! economy mediocre; handling safe but uninspiring. bonnet and a very comprehensive any of the units normally fitted to Finish still not up to European standards though toolkit. It is also fairly quiet at low the 124. In either the 1200 or speed. However. performance and 1500 versions it has an over· head economy are rather ordinary, camshaft driven by a chair rather while the heavy, stiff steering, the than a belt and acting or the valves WHEN THE Shigulis, renamed Ladas for the pedal layout and the finish via fingers. Thus it differs from countries became more consumer European market, are imported (particularly around the glove both the push rod and the ohc orientated they decided to into the UK, and it is the most compartment) are not up to engines made by Fiat Both units leapfrog the usual growth expensive of the latter, the 1500. European standards. share a common bore 76 mm - but processes and went shopping in that is the subject of this test. Technically the 1500 is. like the the 1500 has a long stroke, 80 mm the West for up-to-date Until the advent of these cars, 1200. based in the main on Fiat compared to 66 mm thus giving technologies. For their motor East European models were 124 mechanicals but with the larger engine ~ capacity of industry they found a ready and generally characterised by three modifications to suit the Russian 1452 cc. In this form it develops willing supplier in Fiat, who features - poor engineering, poor market and climate and to 7~ bhp DIN at 560C rpm and 77.5 provided them not just with quality and a very low price. The modernise it slightly. The body lb ft torque at 350 rpm, 13 bhp and modern designs based on current Polski and the Ladas have at shell is a three box structure but 11 lb ft more respectively. than the or barely obsolete models. but least partly changed this situation, with a floor pan and exhaust 1200. In spite of the claimed extra with factories, plant, and all the for they now measure up much system made from a heavier gauge horsepower the performance 01 management tools - quality better to other European cars - steel, with other the 1500 is virtually the same a! control, production techniques and although quality still has some reinforcements including the the 1200 we tested in 1974. TOI so on - that a brand-new motor way to go - while retaining the shock absorber mountings and a speed is up by just over 2 mph industry would require. benefits of a low price. comprehensive rust protection. from 89.7 mph to 91.8 mph (under We thus have such cars as the At first sight the Lada 1500, The suspension, too. is similar wind conditions the fastest Zastava (a l28) from now costing £1798 after a recent straightforward - though the quarter mile of the two around Yugoslavia, various price increase. looks, if anything, ground clearance is high - being MIRA's banked circuit was models (they make versions of the rather expensive compared to the independent at the front via coil covered at identical speeds 94.7 125. 126, 127 and 132) and the 1200 (£1360, or £1555 in ES - springs and wishbones with an mph). Accelerating through the Shigulis from Russia. Of these more luxurious - form) and the anti-roll bar and at the rear there gears the 1200 was actually only the Polski Fiat 125P and the Polski Fiat 125P (£1449). But, in are coil springs and a live axle quicker to 60mph, taking 14.7s warm-up was rapid but the engine though the car will generally be tended to stutter occasionally until fitted with Russian-made radials it reached its working tempera- upon which we cannot comment. ture. It was never (even when Discs at the front, drums at the warm) really clear of hesitations rear, dual circuits, a pressure limit which occurred usually without valve and a vacuum servo add up warning, although there was one to a good braking specification but predictable flat spot when acceler- the system is nevertheless a little ating at about 50 mph in top. disappointing. Not because The engine is quite smooth right (unlike some other Russian cars up to the 6000 rpm red line and we have tried) the brakes behaved feels very willing. But it is not badly, just that they felt wrong, quiet when extended, being rau- their action being both cous over 4000 rpm with a Fiat- unprogressive and over-servoed, like hammering rasp. In general, making smooth stops difficult. though, it is less temperamental For £1800 you get a lot of car in than the 1200 engine, and subjec- that it is a full five-seater for tively somewhat quieter. Because people of average height (if of the low gearing and a speedom- perhaps with rather limited width eter that becomes wildly optimis- across the back seats) given a little tic at higher speeds the 1500 gives judicious sharing of legroom the impression of being brisker between the driver and rear seat than the figures indicate. passengers. Only tall drivers of 6 Like the performance the fuel ft or more will find leg and consumption is similar to that of headroom restricted. The low the 1200 - the 1500 achieved 25.5 waistline and sensible body shape mpg overall, 29.8 touring, the give a light and airy feeling to the 1200 26.1 mpg and 31.8 mpg re- interior which enhances the spectively. These figures are about impression of spaciousness. average for a car of this size and The boot, a deep one lined with capacity, but note that the admit- a rather cheap looking plastic, tedly smaller Honda 1500 (the took 10.7 cu ft of our Revelation only car in the rivals, section with suitcases. The only intrusions are a similar capacity) gave 29.5 and the covered spare wheel and the 37.2 mpg respectively. toolkit, strapped to the high rear One of the better features of the panel. Inside there is Considerable car is the gearchange, which is oddment space, with a non-lock- pleasant, light and precise, even if ing glove compartment on the pas- the synchromesh can be beaten on senger’s side, a tray beneath it, a rushed changes and reverse small tray on the centre console graunches occasionally. The ra- (into which the lighter intrudes) tios, however, have two faults: and soft pockets in each of the they are all too low — the gearing door. is such that first is only good for Comfort levels are generally 26 mph, second for 43 mph and

third for 66 mph — while there is quite good, the only disappoint- compared to the 1500's 15.4s, and The seats are comfortable and have a gap between third and top which ment being the ride on good or it is really only in top that the cloth inserts. The standard of finish is becomes obtrusive when driving average surfaces. The car 1500 shows any advantage: even better than that f most East European briskly. In addition, the gearbox of “checks” and jerks on undulations so its 30-50 mph acceleration time cars and we found the driving position our car was quite noisy, and a dis- and there is a lot of slow-speed, is only 0.7s faster, though a re- more comfortable than that of the Fiat tinct rumble on the low amplitude harshness. But it spectable 10.6s. But the advantage on which the Lada is based overrun was sometimes notice- will also smooth out bumps that does open out at higher speeds, the able. severely jolt passengers in more 1500’s 60-80 mph time being 3.5s The worst feature of the han- softly sprung cars, and without the quicker than the 1200’s. dling is the steering which is not suspension crashing through. Perhaps our 1200 was a particu- very light about the straight-ahead The seats elicited neither praise larly good example or our 1500 position and stiffens up quite con- nor criticism, the cloth-insert PVC was too new and tight (it had siderably on lock. So it is tiresome upholstery covering a reasonably barely covered 3500 miles at the to drive briskly on twisty roads soft cushion that lacks a little in time of testing) to develop its full and in town. In general, the car side support. For those in the front power — it certainly couldn't understeers strongly but progres- there is plenty of fore-and- aft sively on smooth roads. Mid- cor- match the manufacturer’s claim of adjustment and the backrest is ner bumps, however, tend to de- reclinable, while for the driver in “a top speed of nearly 100 mph.”? flect either the front or the rear The weight difference (less than 1 particular the position is much rather unpredictably if not really better than on some Fiats. cwt) does not explain the disparity too dramatically unless you are either. One of the car's biggest faults is approaching the linit of adhesion. its pedal layout. All the pedals are Starting the engine with the aid With the Kleber V12 radials fitted too high, creating a conflict of a manual choke was very easy, this limit was quite high in the dry between their arcs of movement and those of the feet, especially for the accelerator which additionally had a sticky and unprogressive linkage. The unprogressive brakes and sharp clutch further impede smooth driv- ing. And the foot-operated wind- PERFORMANCE screen washer is very awkwardly CONDITIONS placed, on top of the transmission Weather Hot, sunny tunnel beneath the facia. wind 0-10 mph Temperature 76-900F We condemned the instrumenta- Barometer 29.80F tion of the 1200 for being cheap and Surface Dry tarmacadam old-fashioned. No such complaints can be made about the 1500, for the MAXIMUM SPEEDS instrumentation, apart from being mph kph more comprehensive, is also more Banked circuit 91.8 147.7 The high pedals are awkward to use and attractively styled. The main instru- 1 the accelerator had a sticky action Best /4 mile 94.7 152.4 ments, consisting of a large speed- Terminal speeds ometer and tachometer in front of 1 at /4 mile 67 108 the driver and smaller oil pressure, At high speeds the engine noise be- at kilometer 82 132 Tank capacity 8.6 galls water temperature and fuel gauges comes noticeable but the major cul- at mile 88 142 39 litres off to the right of the panel, are prit is wind noise, which begins at Speed in gears (at 6000rpm) Maxrange 256 miles round and easy to read. But the 65 mph and becomes progressively 1st 26 42 412 km speedometer is poorly calibrated, 2nd 43 69 Test distance 1017 miles worse as speed rises. 3rd 66 106 1639 km being marked at 20 mph intervals Aesthetically the interior of the 1500 only, and like the tachometer, is in- is much more attractive and plush ACCELERATION FROM REST * Consumption midway between 30 mph and accurate. There are some reflections than the 1200’s, as befits its higher mph sec kph sec maximum less 5 per cent for acceleration. from the glasses and the smaller in- price and more up-market image. 0-30 ...... 4.7 0-40 ...... 3.5 struments, are labelled in Russian I There are carpets throughout, cloth 0-40 ...... 7.1 0-60 ...... 6.1 SPEEDOMETER (mph) Only the fuel gauge is hidden by the insert upholstery, door trims that 0-50 ...... 10.0 0-80 ...... 9.9 Speedo 30 40 50 60 70 80 0-60 ...... 15.4 0-100 ...... 16.5 True 28 37.5 47.5 57 65 73 right hand and/or the steering wheel don’t leave any bare metal, and a rim. 0-70 ...... 22.9 0-120 ...... 27.2 Distance recorder : 2.5 per cent fast. centre console. The finish, though 0-80 ...... 84.0 The Lada has no fresh air vents, better than most of the other 1 just a heating system with a crude Comecon cars, is not yet up to Euro- Stand'g /4 20.2 Stand'g km 38.1 distribution control — a pair of pean standards — the fit around the ACCELERATION IN TOP WEIGHT hinged flaps with which the foot- glove compartment is poor, the in- mph sec kph sec cwt kg well vents can be opened or closed. strument panel could be waggled 20-40 ...... 10.8 40-60 ...... 6.4 Unladenweight* 19.5 990.6 The recent heatwave prevented us around as could the supplementary 30-50 ...... 10.6 60-80 ...... 6.8 Weight as tested 23.2 1178.6 from assessing the heater. It was switch panel (which is hung rather 40-60 ...... 11.8 80-100 ...... 7.4 * with fuel for approximately 50 miles. possible to obtain some cool air by untidily underneath). There were 50-70 ...... 13.7 100-120 ...... 10.9 rotating the screen vents, though other poorly fitting items, too, as 60-80 ...... 19.9 these cannot cope with a really hot well as signs of rust on the seam at the base of the windscreen pillar. FUEL CONSUMPTION Performance tests carried out by Motor's day. Even with the noisy fan on full Touring* 29.8 mpg staff at the Motor Industry Research they are very directional, giving a What will make the Lada 1500 most 9.5 litres/100 km Association proving ground, Lindley narrow jet rather than a diffused attractive to many people, though, is Overall 25.5 mpg flow. However, if you can put up its lavish equipment. There are such 11.1 litres/100 km Test Data : World Copyright reserved : no with the noise, the opening quarter things as a cigar lighter, a clock, an Fuel grade 93 octane unauthorised reproduction in whole or part lights can be swivelled right round outside mirror, inertia reel belts (the 3 star rating to give an enormously powerful excellent Toric buckleless type that blast which was much appreciated in we like so much), a laminated wind- GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS the exceptionally hot weather during screen, a tachometer, intermittent ENGINE SUSPENSION our test. windscreen wipers, halogen head- Cylinders 4 in line Front Independent by wish- The 1200 was reasonably quiet, lamps, a light under the bonnet, red Capacity 1452 cc / 88.5 cu in) bones, coil springs, anti with road and transmission noise warning lights in the trailing edges Bore/Stroke 76/80mm roll bar of the front door, grab handles, arm- (2.99 / 3.15in) Rear Live axle, coil springs well subdued: surprisingly the 1500 rests and ashtrays on each door, a Cooling Water location by four trailing is not as good in this respect. The central armrest in the back, door Block Cast iron arms and Panhard rod engine is thrashy at high revs, there pockets, opening quarter lights, and Head Light Alloy is the transmission rumble already a 21-piece toolkit that includes a Valves Sohc STEERING mentioned, plus quite a lot of bump- Valve timing Type Worm and roller portable lamp, a pump and a tyre 0 thump and tyre roar. pressure gauge. inlet opens 12 btdc Assistance No inlet closes 400atdc Toe in 5.5mm +/- 1mm ex opens 420btdc Camber 00 5' +/- 35' ex closes 100atdc Castor 30 30' +10 /- 10 30' Compression 8.8 : 1 King pin 60 4' Carburetter Twin-choke,down-draught Bearings 5 main BRAKES Fuel pump Mechanical Type Disc front, drum rear Maxpower 75 bhp (DIN) at 5600 rpm Servo Yes Maxtorque 77.5 lb ft (DIN) at 3500 Circuit Split front / rear rpm Rear valve Yes TRANSMISSION Adjustment Self-adjusting Type Four-speedmanual Clutch Sdp, Diaphragm spring WHEELS Internal ratios and mph/1000 rpm Type Pressed steel 1 Top 1.00 : 1/16.4 5 /2 J x 13 3rd 1.49 : 1/11.0 Tyres KleberV12 2nd 2.30 : 1/7.1 165 SR 13 1st 3.75 : 1/4.4 Pressure 24/28 psi F/R Rev 3.87 Final drive 4.10: 1 ELECTRICAL BODY/CHASSIS Battery 12 V. 55 ah Construction Unitary, all-steel Polarity Negative Protection Electrophoretic primer dip, Generator Alternator bitumastic underbody coat- Fuses 10 ing, Tectyl wax-based Headlights 4 x 4 quartz halogen spray, plastic coated springs 50 / 55 W The Fiat-style standard tool kit (bottom right of picture) is supplemented by all these tools Make : Lada Model :1500 Makers : V/O Avtoexport, Moscow, USSR Concessionaires : Satra Motors Ltd, Satra House, 359-361 Euston Road, London NW1 3AW Price : £12536 plus £138 car tax plus £134 VAT equals £1798