Chvrolet Blazer Test drive 5 doors 1997 - 2005 SUV

In the "Club Jacket" and the frost ...

Chevrolet Blazer is a popular all -round. For a joint venture in Elabuga, a simplified model produced by the Brazilian branch General Motors was chosen. It differs from the American less powerful engine, a mechanical gearbox, a drive only on the rear wheels, as well as the radiator cladding, the decoration and equipment of the salon. The body is a five -door station wagon.

Not only the agreement signed with General Motors, but also the start of the production of cars in Elabuga, as the magazine reported in the last issue, did not set up points over I.
To put an end to fortune -telling and find out what our consumer can buy, at the end of January we again went to Elaz.
By that time, in addition to testing, pilot and other special cars, the first batch was delivered to the Elabuga platform, in addition to testing, two receptions - 250 cars, or rather, the chevrolet Blazer for subsequent secretion and sale. Of these, about three dozen were collected. Why - let's say below. These cars have three differences that we will call, but the main thing in the main thing: the engine with a working volume of 2.2 liters through a five -speed manual gearbox brings the wheels only one - the rear - the axis. So all the talk about off -road, all -wheel drive and increased cross -country ability should be attributed to a possible perspective. The parameters listed above display this model from among the attractive for cool guys who love the hotter. No matter what side you look, a family car in the full sense of the word. The name of the model indirectly also indicates this - as elegant jackets, once called club, are called. That is a dress for a balanced person.

Big as ... Volga
We begin the acquaintance on the submarine, which is in the case of small series of Elaza. We throw the very first, literally superficial look: yeah, some blazers have a trunk on the roof (difference No. 1). The instructions are addressed to the nearest official dealer. The trunk is pretty and allows a load of 91 kg.
We lower the eyes and see: the cars have different wheels. The tires are the same, but some are stamped, steel disks, while others have alloy alloy (difference No. 2). Looking ahead, let's say that everyone has the same - full -size, on a stamped steel disk.
All cars are painted with metallic in different colors. They say that in Europe, the fashion for such a mother of pearl is moving away, but in Brazil, apparently, its view of car beauty.
The car does not look bulky - the popular Mitsubishi Pajero is noticeably larger. Even when compared with the wolf universal, then a blazer is 127 mm shorter and 120 mm already. In addition, the track of the front and rear wheels of the Volga is wider, respectively, by 42 and 26 mm.

In the real American Blazer, the door of the Zaad consists of two horizontal halves, as the Volga GAZ-22 once at the Volga. The Brazilian, like GAZ 24-02, has one big gate. Through it you get into a spacious luggage compartment, quite corresponding to the family status of a car. The separate back of the rear sofa folds, increasing the place for luggage. We note the care of American designers: the whole operation is done in one movement. The seat leaves forward, the back drops, the floor is aligned with a special plate.
Two passengers on the back sofa are quite spacious, but three we would not envy if there is a long trip. The scope, by the way, is also determined by the fact that even when the front chairs are pushed into the extreme rear position, you can’t rest against their backs in their backs. The rear doors - with a children's lock: if it is turned on, the door can only be opened outside and the child is insured from the opportunity, indulging on the go, open the door and fall out.
Finally, in turn, we are settled at the wheel. The front seats with an abundance of adjustments are not amazing, but quite convenient. It seems that the crown turned out to be close to the ceiling (with the very average growth), but this is only a subjective sensation, we do not have digital data. The slope of the column is regulated. The gear shift lever is located conveniently, the transmission switches are short. The parking brake is American - turns on the pedal, turns off with a special lever. All controls are located at hand, you do not need to reach far. The scales of conventional switch devices are clearly visible and readable. In the instrument panel there may be (or maybe not - here it is, the third difference!) A radio is installed.

Salty mechanics
You can’t call the engineering space tight. Now, if there were a V -shaped six with a working volume of 4.3 liters (as they do in the USA), and even air conditioning - then there would be nowhere to put the hand. The modest in -line four, which, according to the testers, has no German (Opel) roots, does not take up much space. It is equipped with an electronic injection system, as evidenced by three EFI letters on the back door - Electronics Fewel Inzekshn. The injection is single -pointed, not the most cunning. With a working volume of 2198 cm, the engine produces 106 forces.
The apparent irrationality in the layout of the chassis is akin to the spaciousness under the hood. After all, if you add a handout here, the anterior axis gearbox, semi -shafts, and instead of a mechanical gearbox, put an automatic machine, then the space will be condensed to the limit. But this is all on that, the present American all -wheel drive Blayser, who, after customs clearance, stands in Moscow car dealerships under 50 thousand real American money.
But the gates opened, and under the wheels of our Blazer instead of a bright green floor (this new product for the production premises of the auto industry deserves a separate conversation) was snow. Let's see what the Latin American is in the Russian frost!

Warm attitude to passengers
Of course, you can give a serious assessment to the chassis of the machine only by conducting quite specific tests. And the walnces of its components, reproductiveness are completely determined by many years of operation. These impressions are of the most general character.
I did not feel a lack of power. The engine picked up at the very bottom and gained momentum quite quickly. We will not say that he insisted, but did not object to the fifth gear (there were four men in the cabin in the corresponding twenty -degree frost of clothes). Roads on the industrial site of Elaza were built with a prospect, but today only a narrow strip of asphalt canvas is used: the curbs are covered with snow. On the advice of the tester I am leaving for the virgin land. The resistance of the movement increases markedly, behind the snow curtain grows. The rear window - the usual case for the station wagon - instantly attracts snow, which the janitor does not have time to cope with.
Blazer accelerates quite briskly, which is facilitated by the cheerful nature of the motor and the selection of gear rates. When braking, the car did not add - a considerable merit of the anti -lock system, acting, however, only on the rear wheels. By the way, if you sharply remove the leg from the accelerator pedal, the speed does not fall instantly. Features of injection?
I had a chance to set it up a little in snowdrifts. We got out without outside help, but the usual UAZ in such snow would feel more confident in the fray.
The fact that the car developed in a warm country has a heater more effective than the Russian one is no longer surprising - apparently they have other requirements there ... to engineers.
Another subjective sensation that arose during our test run: in the driver's place you do not feel spacious! I felt something similar many years ago when I was first allowed to sit in a racing formula. First you see that it is crowded. You sit down - everything is at hand. No doubt, rationally. Probably convenient, but there is no space.
But back to the heat of the body of small series.

And yet - for whom?
It is time to explain why the assembly of Blazers in Elabuga has been stopped. We already wrote (see ZR, 1997, No. 2) that the country of origin of the goods is considered the one where the identification number is applied to it. For this, the aluminum plate with consolidated data serves as a General Motors, it is attached with rivets. Careful manufacturers have already made these signs and put in each car. But the Russian traffic police does not suit this option - it is too easy to fake, they demand to knock out the stigma. It is also easy, but the paintwork and the anti -corrosion layer will be disturbed. It is difficult to restore them - and then there is a guarantee for corrosion resistance ... The solution has not yet been found, and the cars are not even cleared.
We tried to tell what our Russian buyer can buy. But the further the matter progresses, the more often there are doubts whether the fathers of the project thought about who will be able to buy. At the very beginning, timid questions were heard: why start with an all -terrain vehicle - the car is clearly not cheap? In response, it sounded that the Americans were coming towards any buyer and will be able to provide the cheapest option. Blaysers who arrived in Elabugu are really without bells and whistles: they do not have a powerful engine, a full-wheel drive, an automatic box, air conditioning and much more. Instead of a cool car, a family car turned out. Of course, he has a very competitive price here - half as much as the American Blayser. But even with such simplifications, it is about 23 thousand dollars. Are there such a family car for many people? On the other hand, the new Russians with undisguised disappointment learn about simplifications. True, they are already promised that since it happened, now 4x4 will be ordered, and the engine is 4.3 liters, and electric windows ...
Using the factor of novelty and foreign quality, you can sell a thousand, well, let five thousand cars. But the plant is being built for 50 thousand a year! And the price of 23 thousand dollars is the estimated for the 50,000th program. (This is when 70 percent of components will be made in Russia - with predictable quality).
It remains only to penetrate the optimism of the Russian Prime Minister V. Chernomyrdin, who promised on the solemn start of the screwdriver, which will be growth of the economy, there will be salary - there will be buyers.

Whether the blazer is acclimatized in Russia - it depends not so much on frost and snow as on the price ...

Big, solid, solid - the appearance of the machine causes sympathy.

The instrument panel is in a sound -conservative style, like the whole car. Little trays and cup holders are useful little things.

In this form, Blazer comes from distant San Paulo.

The motor compartment is for the V -shaped eight, but it has a four -cylinder engine. Not so powerful, but not so voracious.

The simplicity of the design will warm those who are used to the Volga and UAZ. The spare from under the bottom is lowered onto the road, rotating a special screw in the bumper.

The luggage compartment is extensive, a set of tools stored under the window is minimal: a span-adverb and a jack.

Technical characteristics of the car Chevrolet Blazer
General data: number of places - 5; Equipped mass - 1700 kg; full weight - 2500 kg; maximum speed - 158 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 15.8 s; fuel consumption at a speed of 80, 100 km/h and Hz - 8.0; 10.0; 11.9 l/100 km; Fuel supply - 72 l. Dimensions, mm: length - 4608, width - 1680; height - 1576; base - 2718; The track of the front/rear wheels - 1454/1399; Road clearance - 196 mm; The turning radius is 6.5 m. Engine: four -cylinder gasoline in a line, two valves per cylinder, located in front longitudinal; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 86x94.6 mm; working volume - 2198 cm; compression degree - 9.2; Power - 78 kW/106 l. With. at 4800 rpm; The maximum torque is 188 N.M at 2800 rpm. Transmission: drive - on the rear wheels; gearbox - five -speed mechanical (I - 4.68; II - 2.44; III - 1.50; IV - 1.0; V - 0.8; z.Kh. - 3.94); The main program is 4.78. Suspension: front - independent, lever -spring; The back is dependent, on longitudinal springs. Brakes: front - disk; The rear - drum, with an amplifier. Tire size: 225/75R15.

Summary
In general, we liked the simplified Brazil-Russian family Chevrolet Blazer. However, Mitsubishi Pajero is also a good car. And for the mass Russian motorist that is 23, that 63 thousand dollars are the size of the same order. Prohibitive.
Alexey Solopov
Photo by Sergey Ivanov

Source: The magazine "Driving"