CHEVROLET NIVA test drive since 2009 SUV

Chevrolet Niva: 60 details later, or the good old new Chevy

The eighth year of the existence of GM-Avtovaz was noted by the premiere of the updated Chevrolet Niva, which took place in several cities at once, including such strategically important Chevy Niva markets, such as St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
ZZ Top, Billy Joel, Beach Boys, Don McLan, few representatives of the star-striped stage did not sing about how to steeply break, hide, dream or trite the sacred chevrolet for the Americans. Their favorite movie heroes drive cars with a cross; Their great -grandmothers made love in them, unable to resist the owner of the 1967 Chevy Impala. Together, GM and AvtoVAZ, Shevy has become part of our history. SINCE 2001.
John Hanson's bright tie is full of license plates of all US states. The mood of the President GM-Avtovaz is excellent: from this day and the north-west of the Russian Federation, news of the second generation of an off-road bestseller will creep into the north-west of the Russian Federation.
The design of Bertone has brought the appearance of the Chevrolet Niva to the global style of the Chevrolet brand, says Hanson. But we do not stop there: our engineers continue to work intensively on improving the quality of the product, as well as on the functional characteristics of the car.
But Chevrolet Niva really became better for a car, the only indisputable plus of which (in addition to flaunts on the radiator grill) was its cross -country ability? Perhaps that is why the technically new generation has not changed, but the efforts of the Italian design studio in Chevy Niva appeared more than 60 new parts of external and interior decoration.
Restyled Chevy Niva stands out with a front bumper with a radiator grille and an enlarged Chevrolet cross; new head optics and round fog lights; turning indicators on the front wings.
On the sides of the body, new plastic overlays, side mirrors in the color of the body are visible, in expensive versions of 16-inch alloy wheels, and if you look closely, you can see the author's shield Bertone Edition on the front doors.
Behind the back of the back, new lights, a bumper with an unpainted loading platform, mudguards, as well as two stylish ventilation grilles in the rear bumper. It turned out that there is also a practical meaning in them: thanks to ventilation holes, air circulation in the cabin improved and fogging of glasses decreased.
Other changes have occurred inside, most of which, according to GM-Avtovaz, have entered the complaints and proposals of the owners of the previous Shniva. In particular, there are more departments for small things in the interior, two cup holders appeared; From a new generation, a glove box will stop sagging.
The salon mirror no longer rattles: now it is glued to the windshield. Two lighting lamps were placed on the ceiling, and in the hands of the driver a three -spoke steering wheel written from Portugal. In the same hands, another innovation of the niva of the slotting key of the ignition with the alarm console may appear, which has become a sign of good tone for serious automakers to offer.
To avoid possible surprises in the future, resource tests of the first restyled cars were carried out long before the start of production. Summer tests took place in hot conditions of Central Asia, and winter in the harsh climate of Siberia and Baikalia. Very prudent.
How is it going? Like Chevy Niva without cosmetic changes: stubborn, stupid and unbridled. And also loudly and somewhat twitch. All the off -road tests prepared by the test organizers, the Niva passed without the help of blocking the center, only once asking to turn on the reduced gear.
But if the transmission all Off-Road came out without problems, then for a 1.7-liter engine, the test was not easy. The clutch on the steep lifts was axle, there was not always enough traction to confidently overcome the barriers.
In general, if in the near future a more powerful motor appears under the hood of the Togliatti all -terrain vehicle, and the price will not go beyond the rational Shevy will simply be an ideal means of movement on off -road.
Chevrolet Niva 2009. What has changed?
Externally
Roof rails
New front bumper with a radiator grille
Two gratings of the air intake
Door and thresholds
Rear bumper with unpainted horizontal loading platform
Front and rear mudguards
16-inch alloy wheels
Front wings
Two ventilation grilles in the rear bumper
New head optics
Fog lights
New rear lights
Inside
The three -spoke steering wheel
Console in the upholstery of the roof with a built -in glass
Front and rear lighting plaphones of the salon
Paul Carpet integrated with sound insulation
Two cup holders and containers for small objects
The intra -axial rear -view mirror (glued to the windshield so as not to rattles)
Loading ignition key.
By the way, the Togliatti themselves mentioned the presentation that thoughts of more painful engines also came to their bright heads. Once, a pilot version of a diesel car was even built, which, unfortunately, was not destined to take production: the price went beyond the limits of the corridor marketing. It's a pity.
They say that initially the Chevrolet Niva became what the harsh Russian conditions determined it. It turns out that restyling with the participation of Bertone plus the appearance of a number of ergonomic improvements inside with the eloquence of Demosthenes indicate that these conditions are no longer so tough. And when a front -wheel drive Niva will enter the market, it means that Russia can be taken to the European Union ...

Author: Alexander Korobchenko
Photo: Alexander Korobchenko

 

Source: Wheel magazine [June 2009]