Chevrolet Niva is a joint developmentdomestic and American car makers. More specifically, the Russian specialists worked on the creation of this car, and their foreign colleagues brought him to full readiness and launched into mass production. Under the Chevrolet brand, the car has been introduced since 2002. Let us consider in more detail the characteristics of the new Niva Chevrolet and the history of its creation.
A bit of history
Chevrolet Niva - five-door SUV,belonging to the class of SUV. Production of all-wheel drive VAZ-2121 "Niva" began in 1977. The abbreviation NIVA means "The Best Invention of the Volga Automobile Plant" and its name has nothing to do with wheat fields and plowing. Despite the fact that the car was given such an ambitious name, unfortunately, it did not quite justify itself. Initially, an SUV was created for residents of agricultural regions, but since the price of a car was high, not all could buy it. The model was very popular due to its good performance and simplicity of design. At the Moscow Motor Show in 1998, AvtoVAZ presented a concept car that was supposed to replace the outdated Niva. It cannot be said that it was radically different from its predecessor, but one of the innovations was the five-door body. The new model under the symbol VAZ-2123 appeared in 2001, but it was never launched into mass production due to financial problems. As a result of this situation, the Niva brand was sold to the American concern General Motors. American experts have thoroughly finalized the Niva, making about 1,700 changes to its design. The following year, the first Niva car was manufactured under the Chevrolet brand. The old version of the VAZ-2121 was renamed “Lada 4x4”. In 2009, the Chevrolet Niva was restyled: the exterior was changed, the interior received a new finish, improved noise insulation, and other technical innovations.
Waiting for the release of a new generation model
В скором времени с конвейера должно было сойти the third generation of the popular domestic model of an SUV, but, as the manufacturer announced, the project was frozen, and a new generation will be born, at best, only by 2018. The updated Niva was presented in 2014 at the Moscow Auto Show, but in order to launch it into mass production, about 12–14 billion rubles are required. The government of the country in connection with the financial problems of VAZ is ready to support him in the form of a loan for the development of the project. As a result, the car "Chevrolet Niva" will be radically different from its predecessor, but the main distinctive features still remain.
Специалистами американского автогиганта GM была A new exterior and technical part of the car was developed, as well as a modified interior. The exterior has a lot of angular shapes and stylish stamps, as well as an additional off-road kit. Chevrolet Niva will still remain a real SUV because this is what the brand fans want. It will, as before, be equipped with a system of permanent all-wheel drive, as well as have a large ground clearance. Chevrolet Niva is equipped with a modified suspension and large mud tires. It is noted that now there will be modifications with a drive on one axle, as well as with a manual transmission.
Features cars "Chevrolet Niva"
What is the difference Chevrolet Niva from the usual model?The design of the SUV is made in a different style, which is close to the model range "Chevrolet". The back door began to open in the side, not up, as before. At the VAZ-2121 spare tire was in the engine compartment, now it has become mounted on the door. As for the power unit, transmission and suspension, they have not undergone significant changes. "Chevrolet Niva" is equipped with frost-resistant bumpers, the color scheme of the body has expanded.
The advantages of “Chevy Niva” compared to othercars are not limited to the ease of construction and, consequently, an increase in patency. The main rival of this model is the "Renault Duster": in contrast, the described SUV is equipped with permanent all-wheel drive. Chevrolet Niva combines the comfort of a city SUV and the dignity of an old model. But there are also disadvantages, for example, such as a weak engine and a low level of security. However, despite a number of drawbacks, this SUV became the best-selling in the period from 2004 to 2008. Chevrolet Niva has a number of awards, such as the SUV of the Year in two SUV nominations and the Premiere of the Year award, as well as the award For High Performance.
Clearance "Chevrolet Niva"
It should be noted that this parameter pleases itsan enviable height because the all-terrain vehicle must have significant ground clearance. This figure was a car 22 centimeters. It should be noted that the clearance of the Chevrolet Niva ranges from 20 to 24 cm, depending on what principle to measure this distance. Recall that ground clearance is the distance between the lowest point of the car and the surface of the earth. Off-road when driving on dirt roads and damaged areas just need to have high performance in this aspect.
Chevrolet Niva Ground Clearance possibleincrease in two different ways: body and due to the suspension. In the first case, washers are installed under the suspension springs, necessary changes are made in the depreciation system: springs are installed on the rear suspension instead of shock absorbers, and Volga dampers are mounted on the front suspension. In the first method, it is necessary to replace the old wheels with new ones, with a diameter larger than the standard one. It must be remembered that the engine load will increase after the clearance of the Niva Chevrolet will be increased, so you need to change all four wheels at the same time, besides, the tire size should not exceed 30% of the factory figures.
Updated Chevy Niva
The second generation Chevrolet Niva isa successful joint development of engineers. The car has good performance on body strength, torsional stiffness, quality of paint and varnish. In terms of cabin comfort, an SUV looks quite modest, and its main advantage is its off-road qualities.
The decoration of "Chevrolet Niva" is an updatedgrille with a large logo of golden color. Original look head optics, round fog lights are located on the sides of the bumper. On the sidewalls plastic pads appeared, in expensive trim levels, the SUV is equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels.
The Chevrolet Niva test can tell about somefeatures of the model, for example, that the car can not be called dynamic. He will be to the liking of those drivers who prefer a relaxed style of driving. On the road, the Niva behaves reasonably well, but the following feature is noted: it is necessary to shift the gear strictly on time, that is, when the engine reaches 3000-3500 rpm. Not bad during the testing and suspension, which allows you to comfortably overcome obstacles on the roads. On the road, the car moves confidently and does not even need to switch to a lower gear, but it is noted that when you hit the track, you have to work hard to get out of it. Sometimes cars do not have enough power to overcome these or other obstacles, and the engine often stalls.
"Chevrolet Niva" during the restyling wasimproved in different directions in order to get rid of some of the shortcomings: for example, the leakage of the engine cooling system was eliminated, the assembly of the front suspension was changed, and the insulation was improved. On all premium trim levels after 2013, new seats, ABS, seat belts with pretensioners and front airbags appeared. As for the power unit, it was possible to make it more dynamic and economical. Its volume is now 1.8 liters, and its capacity reaches 122 liters. with. This engine is installed on a special modification marked FAM-1. The 1.7-liter engine on standard versions has a small capacity of 80 liters. with. Aggregated motor 5-speed manual gearbox.
Conclusion
Legendary domestic SUV, no doubtwas improved by GM intervention and gained a spectacular view, coupled with advanced technical features. The price category in which the car is located is fully consistent with its characteristics, among which the most important is good cross-country ability and high ground clearance. "Niva Chevrolet" is still a popular car among Russian drivers and not only.
