For the Russian hinterland, the car is better than the Chevrolet Niva. There is, of course, the legendary “Lada 4 × 4”, but if you need not only good cross-country ability, but also more or less decent comfort for trips to the city, then in this case “Niva” from GM-AvtoVAZ is the best choice on the Russian market.
For the first time this compact SUV appeared in our open spaces in 2002, although its debut could have taken place earlier. Back in 1998, AvtoVAZ prepared for production a VAZ-2123 project, which was supposed to replace the outdated Niva 2121 in the model range. But, as often happened with interesting projects of that period, there was no money for the serial production of the novelty, and in 2001 AvtoVAZ sold a license to the American concern General Motors, which a year later, having made more than 1000 changes to its "color and taste", launched production of the first generation this car.
In 2009, the SUV underwent restyling, receiving a more modern appearance in the spirit of the corporate style of Chevrolet. Naturally, an SUV cannot be called a standard of beauty, but in general, the exterior of the Chevrolet Niva is quite attractive, easily recognizable and practical. Despite its compactness, the SUV has adjusted body proportions and high ground clearance, which significantly increases the off-road properties of the car.
The length of the Niva SUV is 3919 mm excluding the spare wheel and 4056 mm with the spare wheel. At the same time, 2450 mm are allocated to the wheelbase, and the front and rear overhangs are respectively equal to 721 and 748 mm. The width of the body is 1800 mm, including the mirrors, the overall width is 2120 mm. The height of the SUV is 1652 mm. The ground clearance (clearance) under the rear axle is 200 mm for a car with a full load and 240 mm for an unladen car with 15-inch wheels. The curb weight of the SUV is 1410 kg.
The salon can hardly be called spacious here, especially when sitting in the back row, where legroom is noticeably lacking. But at the same time, a completely ergonomic space is offered for the Niva driver with a comfortable angle of rotation of the center console, excellent visibility due to extensive glazing and a comfortable fit, especially in cars released since February 2014, when the SUV began to be equipped with more modern seats with small lateral support and new headrests.
The noticeable advantages of the Chevrolet Niva include the luggage compartment, which can hide in its depths 320 liters of cargo in the base and 650 liters with the second row seats folded. At the same time, we note that the trunk is devoid of a threshold and has a wide doorway, which greatly facilitates loading / unloading.
Specifications. At the moment, the Chevrolet Niva is offered with only one powertrain option. For its role, the manufacturer chose a reliable naturally aspirated in-line gasoline engine with 4 cylinders with a total working volume of 1.7 liters (1690 cm³), multipoint fuel injection and a 16-valve timing. The engine fully complies with the requirements of the Euro-4 environmental standard and is capable of producing up to 80 hp. power at 5000 rpm, as well as up to 127.4 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. The engine is aggregated with an uncontested 5-speed "mechanics", which allows the SUV to accelerate to a maximum speed of 140 km / h, while spending about 19.0 seconds on the starting jerk from 0 to 100 km / h. As for fuel consumption, within the city limits "Niva" eats about 14.1 liters, on the highway it is limited to 8.8 liters, and in the combined cycle it consumes an average of 10.8 liters of AI-95 gasoline.
We add that from 2006 to 2008, this SUV was available in the FAM-1 (or GLX) modification, which was equipped with a 1.8-liter Opel Z18XE engine with 122 hp. In addition to a different engine, this version received a 5-speed Aisin manual transmission with an integrated transfer case, known from the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The Niva FAM-1 SUV was not in great demand and only about a thousand cars were sold in two years.
At the heart of the Chevrolet Niva is a monocoque body with a front independent spring suspension based on double wishbones and a rear dependent 5-rod spring suspension. The wheels of the front axle of the car are equipped with disc brakes, on the rear wheels the manufacturer uses simple drum brakes. The braking system is supplemented with a vacuum booster, and in older trim levels it additionally receives an ABS system. The rack and pinion steering gear works in tandem with the power steering. All modifications of the SUV are equipped with a mechanical permanent all-wheel drive system based on a center differential lock and a 2-speed transfer case. Together with high ground clearance and compact dimensions, the all-wheel drive system of this SUV provides excellent geometric off-road ability, cornering stability on slippery roads and the ability to tow trailers weighing up to 1200 kg.
Options and prices. In the Russian market, the Chevrolet Niva in 2017 is offered in six equipment options: "L", "LC", "GL", "LE" and "GLC".
- For a standard set of an SUV, they ask for a minimum of 588,000 rubles. The list of its equipment includes: power steering ZF, immobilizer, power windows for front doors, fabric interior, steel wheels measuring 15 inches, central locking, audio preparation with two speakers, isothermal glass, heated rear passengers feet and outside mirrors with heating and electrical settings.
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- The car in the maximum modification is sold at a price of 719,500 rubles, and its privileges are: two front airbags, combined trim, ABS, air conditioning, fog lights, heated front seats, standard audio preparation for four speakers, 16-inch light-alloy "rollers" , roof rails and factory alarm (plus the above functionality).
