The launch of Lada Iskra production at the former Nissan plant in St. Petersburg effectively marks the end of the Xcite project in its current form. This was stated by experts from the Telegram channel Autorun SPb.
It is planned to produce about 4,000 cars from September to December this year and 8,000 in the next. Such volumes indicate large-unit assembly, as creating a full-fledged production line for such figures is impractical.
Increasing volumes is also not considered, as this would reduce the workload of AvtoVAZ's main plant in Togliatti, which could cause dissatisfaction among workers.
Previously, at the Nissan plant, when cars of the Japanese concern were produced there, large-unit assembly accounted for about 10% of production capacity. In the case of Lada Iskra, this proportion will remain.
The project is more like a social one than an economic one — the plant's workload will be less than 10%. A full-fledged transfer of the production line is unprofitable; it is easier to continue bringing in car kits. The main task is to ensure employment of personnel.
As for the Xcite project, about 8,000 cars were sold in the Russian market in the first year, while more than 20,000 were produced. At the current level of demand, stocks will last for a year or two. However, the future of the brand remains in question.
If we talk about the cooperation of the St. Petersburg plant with AvtoVAZ, the release of the Lada Azimut crossover would be a more logical option, because the plant is initially focused on the production of crossovers.
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