...I think the biggest question is who owns them now
As the Lada name has been used in with the same jokes as Skoda, Id imagine them to be a cheaper version of the parent companys cars.
If its out and out Lada, I would be questioning where they got the cash to go out on their own and build a new car that, as already mentioned, meets todays demands for build, relability, performance, safety, service and running costs from dealer support point of view....
Looks pretty good though - just hope its evolved from the Riva under that skin also