CHEVROLET NIVA test drive since 2002 SUV

For their money

As time has shown, all kinds of pessimistic forecasts were not destined to come true. A car born as a VAZ-2123 is a field, and as a result, he saw light as a Chevrolet Niva, not only did not fall a victim of a short-sighted marketing policy, but, conversely, turned into a real subject of deficit. In the most literal sense: those who wish to buy are recorded in line. For a long time, this was not the case with the products of the domestic auto industry! Well, it's time to study this phenomenon. And is it a phenomenon? To figure it out, we will take a very popular SUV as a reference point. Which, however, is only going to us.
 
In Russia, the world hobby for various kinds of SUVs will find understanding and support in Russia, have never had any doubt: it is in our blood. Due to quite defined geographical and climatic conditions. Even women believe that for them an SUV is the best option for personal transport. Another question is what SUV. It is not a secret that the sale of inexpensive new imported (and domestic import) cars has grown many times recently, and even purely domestic in places even fell. That is, the income of a certain part of our society has increased so much that many are ready to pay for the guaranteed quality. Both cars and service.
However, the queues for the most cheapest of the Kia Sportage of the Kaliningrad assembly have not yet been observed. What is understandable: in comparison with the Niva, which is chevrolet, it is almost two times more expensive. Nevertheless, for a comparative test, we took it. Justify. Let's start with the size. Sportage seems to be longer and has a large wheelbase. But if you open the avenues and compare the size of the salons, you will find that they are almost the same. You can talk about the price, for example, take into account the cost of imported components (so far, alas, better than Russian). Imagine that you put the Korean engine and a gearbox on the Niva, use more decorated finishes and different small details, what do you think will the price of the car remain the same? And if you add air conditioning, which the Kaliningrad Sportage will now have in the minimum configuration? And the rear electric windows? And of course, speaking of money, one cannot recall once again that we simply do not have a cheaper Kia Sportage of compact imported SUVs. As for the long VAZ field (2131), then, despite the price almost the same with the Niva-Chevrolet, I don’t want to set it nearby. For, according to common sense, the skeletons on the SUV is nonsense. Not to mention all hopelessly outdated stylistic, ergonomic and other solutions.
Functionality here is the time and place to affect the issues of ergonomics, comfort and other amenities of the use of the studied movement. Of course, Chevrolet Niva is a huge step forward compared to all the previous ones. This is felt when you take a natural grip by the door handles, when you sit down and pick up the working pose at the wheel. KIA loses here, which has less the range of longitudinal movement of the front seats. And the steering wheel Niva is just great! True, the Chevrolet emblem causes some kind of cemetery associations: how do you like a glued shiny black medallion with a golden cross? But you can console yourself with the fact that at the end of the warranty period, no one will prohibit replacing it with something more optimistic. Say, on a completely suitable vase emblem. And in the back seat are more spacious than in Kia. And it spreads much more convenient! But if you pay attention to the refinement of the cabin, how the interior details are performed ... to the quality of fabric upholstery, hard plastics, on all kinds of little things like buttons, pens, switches, messes and other subcommunaries, as well as breaking panels when driving when driving On the bumps ... In general, the field is clearly still where to grow. KIA so far for her a sample that needs to be equal to. And you must admit, in our time it is strange to see the jack and the tool in the main volume of the trunk, even if fastened with rubber belts.
The dynamics of the ideology of Chevrolet Niva is a more progressive car. A supporting body, a permanent all -wheel drive against the frame and manually connected by the front axle near Sportage. Niva is noticeably easier. However, it is unlikely that its accelerated dynamics is able to impress the imagination because it is heavier than the former Niva, and the motor, in fact, is the same. However, there is no need to experience complexes in the traffic flow, especially if when accelerating does not let the tachometer be lower below 3,500 rpm. And when compared with the carburetor VAZ motor, even 1.8-liter, then the advantage is obvious. Especially in the reserve of traction at small revolutions (1500-2000 rpm). Add to this a completely sound clutch drive and a clear gear shift mechanism, and you will understand why the overclocking dynamics of the Niva can be evaluated quite decently. Even despite the passport 19 seconds from zero to hundreds. However, at idle, a squeezing bearing is heard, when touched and more or less rapid release of clutch, there are dull knocks in the transmission sometimes (apparently, gaps are selected?). The drive, to be honest, is also not a noiseless. Where to go, traditional diseases of the units supplied to the conveyor of a joint venture by a vase are still making themselves felt. But it seems that they are engaged in treatment: compared to the former Nivas, progress is obvious. Indeed, even at maximum speed in the cabin you can communicate without raising your voice, and after a long trip there is no feeling that he had a riding on the motor. But the unconditional winner in the sprint of Kia Sportage. A two -liter engine is strikingly easily raises the car from a place and provides a supply of traction in any modes, even at high speeds. In addition, during acceleration, he has to promote fewer shafts than the Niva motor (the entire drive of the front bridge Sportage is turned off). True, not everything is so glorious with the shift of the gears: the lever dangles slightly in the mechanism and does not shine with accuracy. Well, with noise and vibrations, Kia is much better. Of course, you can repent to the loud voice of the engine during acceleration, but, on the other hand, it is not louder than in the field, and besides, it is much more noble to give or take an American V-shaped eight! And in the ability to quickly stop both cars are approximately equal: the brakes are quite effective, in addition, the management of slowdown does not cause problems.
Management says that our engineers do not know how. They know how, how they can do it when there are funds and opportunities! Do not believe the wheel of a new field. The tenth family would be such habits! An excellent reactive effect on the steering wheel, a fairly high sensitivity, clear, understandable reactions, and all this on the rather high tires of Barguzin and with our shock absorbers! Despite the height of the body, the rolls are small in corners, stability is high even at maximum speed. Yes, of course, the steering mechanism ZF defines a lot, but not all, far from all! After all, both him and the suspension need to be taught to work together! And this was without a doubt the creators of Niva. A harmonious, natural and understandable car in management, driving on which does not require stress and even gives pleasure in the sense of controllability. What can not be said about Kia Sportage. Due to the lack of a feeling of zero and generally reactive action at small angles, there is a desire to shake the steering wheel, in order to make sure that it still has a connection with the wheels. When turning on large angles, a certain oncoming force arises, but there is no need to talk about information content: it is difficult to catch any connection with a change in the position of the wheels. The reactions are delayed, the body is noticeably rolled in corners. The only consolation is complete equanimity on straight and gentle turns.
The smoothness of the course should not be thought that the pleasant controllability of the Niva implies problems with the smoothness of the course. Vice versa! Only in one case there was an advantage behind Kia, and even that was small: he rolled the bumps a little more roundly while slowly moving along a strongly broken dry dirt road. In many other situations, the Niva was better: its energy -intensive, with large moves, the suspension in most modes copes with irregularities more successfully than Sportage suspension. It is especially annoyed by his painful shakes on small, but rigid irregularities of asphalt. However, Niva is not without sin, however, this is due to the impressive of not the entire car, but the driver and passengers. The suspension works fine, but the seats are soft and, most importantly, they will spring too much. As a result, when the car, having swallowed a bump, continues to move forward, the driver and passengers inside it continue to make oscillatory movements up and down for some time. Unpleasant, you know.
Cracability of dirt on the road is not a hindrance for both cars: they confidently move while there is enough tire grip with a supporting surface. But both are not ready for a meeting with diagonal hanging: neither the Niva nor Kia have intervaling inter -idle differentials. And in a crossed area, the advantage of a more Russian car is obvious. Firstly, Niva in general generally better geometric cross-country ability of the Kaliningrad Korean is stronger than the front overhang. Secondly, large suspension passages allow the Niva to maintain the wheel contact with the surface for the risk of hanging longer: Kia comes to the diagonal ear earlier.
It is no secret to anyone that Kia Sportage is a long -produced and well -developed car in production. It is no less well known that Chevrolet Niva has not yet parted with all childhood diseases, and for the most part they are determined by the appropriate quality of components and are no less characteristic of the products of the vase itself. But on the other hand, let's not forget that the Korean-Russian car is almost 2 times more expensive, although not all indicators are better. And it cannot be said that in terms of price/quality ratio it definitely wins. Of course, if for you $ 16,000 is not a very grandiose figure, and the delights in handling are not an end in itself, then perhaps Kia Sportage will be the best choice. However, for so many and 8 thousand dollars a serious amount. And the majority already demonstrates their preferences. The calculation is simple. Even the usual short three-door field (VAZ-21214) with fuel injection is offered by official veils of a vase at a price of about $ 5,500 and above. The long five-door VAZ-2131, with all the doubtful of the design of its body, begins with seven thousand. Against this background, the price of a unambiguous more modern and comfortable Chevrolet Niva does not look supernatural at all. And if, in addition to all of the above, for you good handling is not an empty phrase, then, perhaps, with a lack of finance, it's time to take a place in line.
Nikita Rozanov
 
Outside: at first glance, the comparison of these cars in terms of design is incorrect, because the cars are by no means the same year, and since the time Sportage has appeared, fashion and style have managed to change a lot. True, NIVA, although it appeared not so long ago, does not reflect modern trends and has no fascinating strokes of promising lines in its appearance. Tradition? Due to its somewhat infantile image, NIVA, especially in comparison with the stocky Sportage, looks at all a timid girl on dancing. Insolence and speakers inherent in the design of all modern SUVs and crossovers, there is no mention here. Both cars are characteristic of features and memorable details from the face do not differ. We note, perhaps, only the sad and apparent view of the headlights of the Niva. If, for example, the rivals change the places of the cladding, nothing will change. It's a pity. Cars do not have expressiveness, which means there is no character that is simply necessary on off -road. From the side, due to the contrasting color plastic lining, encircling the body around the perimeter, Kia looks more elegant and functional. Wide moldings on the doors of Niva are more likely to evoke thoughts about difficulties with parking in urban conditions than protecting the body when crossing deep ruts on the forest road. The rapid wedge of the window sill, which would be in handy in the architecture of a small hatchback ... early in the 90s, knocks down from the utilitarian image. The back is all the same: both the bio -flow of the connectors of the fifth door, and the lanterns, which took on the adornment functions unusual for them.
Inside: the interiors vary, perhaps even more than appearance. From the proper functionalism of an off -road universal car, Niva has almost nothing. A sensual stroke uniting the architecture of the instrument panel with the central console is good, but not quite in place. The service unit buttons were made as if they were created in the last century and they have mechanical ties with the corresponding units. Modern electronics communicate with the consumer in a completely different language and on the basis of other experience. Sportage hits the proven straightforwardness of the finish and the appropriate lack of decorativeness. At the same time, the compositional accent of the central block of the climatic installation introduces business tonality to the architecture of the instrument panel. The door panels are amazingly similar, but there is no technological cleanliness of the design of the stylists in the field: pockets for trifles in the lower part of the doors are made by a separate detail today. Rules are equally suitable for the style of each of the cars, but the Vazovsko-Dzhiem version is still more accurate and more organic. The trunk is the trigger appropriate for equipment! This appropriate slogan can only be decorated with an advertising booklet Sportage: it has a tool box and a outlet of the on -board network, there is only a hard shelf that Niva can boast.
Summary: Niva style is overly infantile, which seems unprofitable for a functional SUV. True, these sensations are aggravated only in comparison with the reasonable and business design of Kia Sportage, which is harmful only to the age of the style plan. But to be objective, the same circumstance interferes with the positive perception of the Niva.
Text Dmitry Filonov photo Alexander Nozdrin
 

 

Source: Cars