Putin’s Lada publicity stunt backfires as car fails to start

Question: How many attempts does a Russian strongman need to start a Lada car?

Answer: Five, if Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s latest encounter with the much-derided brand is an example.

Putin took the wheel of its latest model, the Lada Granta, in a test-drive zone while on a visit to the headquarters of its troubled manufacturer Avtovaz in the Volga River city of Tolyatti.