Start with what the Moskvich 2142 is: a 4-door sedan with 1.6L VAZ-2106-70 I4, built from 1997 to 2002, when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. What it meant takes a little longer.
The background
The Moskvitch 2142 is a line of large family cars produced by AZLK's Moskvitch division from 1998 to its bankruptcy in 2002. It was the last and most advanced line of Moskvitch vehicles, marking the end of the fifth generation. Only 3500 vehicles were produced, all aimed at executive and business markets.
The engineering
The engine is 1.6L VAZ-2106-70 I4; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. On the scales it comes to 1125 -. Drive goes through a 5-speed Manual. The layout matters: the engine drives the front wheels, the packaging choice that gives a small car a big cabin. The wheelbase is 2980 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Where it sits
In the Moskvitch line-up the Moskvich 2142 has a clear place: it replaced the Moskvitch 2141; the factory was Moscow. The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Toyota Prius, the Subaru Forester, the Lexus IS. Its Moskvitch stablemates include the AZLK-2139 and the AZLK-2144.