LADA has completed a successful fi♉rst test of its new Granta TC1 machine at Magny-Cours, with less than a month to go before the start of the 2014 World Touring Car Championship season.

The Russian manufacture♛r heads into the 2014 season looking to build on an encouraging maiden campaign with the Granta model, though this year's variation will be defined by new, more aggressive 'TC1' regulations that have been introduced to WTCC to improve the spectacle and competition.

Expanding to a three-strong driver line-up in 2014, 2012 WTCC champion Rob Hu꧃ff joins touring car stalwart James Thompson and young Russian Mikhail Kozlovskiy in the factory supported team.

Completing a successful day of testing in France with Huff and Thompson at the wheel, team manager Viktor Shapo🅷valov was pleased with the progress made, particularly the ORECA-built engine.

"The team did a great job to make a car in compliance with the WTCC's new technical rules. The LADA Granta TC1 is completely different to its predecessor - both in terms of new parts and elements and in terms of the whole approach to car building from the point of geometry. We widely used the experiences we gained during the previous season, but more flexible technical rules allowed us to make the car more competitive due to some innovative suspension development solutions.

"At the same time, the advantages of the Granta's short wheelbase are still with us - in particular, its maneuverability. With the advent of the new regulations, we have been able to solve some problems we experienced in 2013, while retaining the core benefits of th꧋e base car. The new engine, made by LADA Sport LUKOIL's partner ORECA, gives the car even more potential. In particular, the acceleration at the corner exits hℱas improved significantly.

"On the whole, the team is satisfied with the first shakedown. The primary objective was to ensure all of the car's systems were working in harmony, given the enormously increased engine and braking performance. The initial runsꩲ confirmed that the team has managed to find ❀the best balance of the car."

The opening round of the 2014 WTCC season will be h🧜eld in Marrakec💯h, Morocco on April 12-13