CHEVROLET NIVA test drive since 2009 SUV

Chevrolet Niva and Suzuki Jimny: informal competitors

The difference between these cars can be squeezed into one offer. Read it if you want. It is the last ... in front of you are two cars on which, in order to accelerate, you need to turn off the air conditioner: Chevrolet Niva and Suzuki Jimny.

The first engine has a volume of 1.7 liters, the second 1.3. But both serious rides. This bribes. In addition, they are closest in a number of characteristics and price among compact class SUVs sold in the Russian market. Yes, they formally belong to different classes. Yes, the father of the family will not be able to afford Suzuki Jimny. But young people often consider it as an alternative to Chevrolet Niva. So we simply had to reduce them in a friendly duel.

The most affordable Jimny costs 641,000 rubles. For this money, we are offered a manual transmission, air conditioning, CD player, roof rails and airbags in front. For the most equipped (with air conditioning, rails and audio training), the Chevrolet Niva give 497,000 rubles. The difference, of course, is significant. But, I repeat, Jimny closest competitor Niva for price.

We will immediately clarify that the most expensive version of the Japanese, with skin and automatic transmission, visited the test, for 678,000 rubles, there was simply no other in the press park. And although it is not entirely correct to compare cars with different boxes, you still have to just make a small amendment for this.

Swallowing well
The main thing can be said in advance: Niva is almost inferior to Jimny in everything, winning only in one in the suspension. If you live in rural areas and often travel on bad roads, bumps and potholes, you have no choice. Only Niva. Her suspension is perfect. It is energy -intensive and soft at the same time. You can not slow down in front of a pit or a lying policeman, on the contrary, even give a gas and not be afraid of a head hit on the roof. Compared to Chevy, Jimny has no suspension. Due to unreasonable bridges, hard springs and a short Jimny uneven base, Jimny does not work out. He rides along them, juggling passengers inside a tight salon, like balls in Sportloto Bank. It quickly tires.


Niva swallows hillocks like a loaded pickup on springs. For the purity of the experiment, I put Jimny owner next to it, and we went along his usual summer cottage route through the forest through concrete blocks. The poor fellow squinted and instinctively covered his head with his hands in front of each potholes, he did not know what a good chassis from Togliatti could be capable of!

The remaining advantages of Chevy follow from its size. He has more trunk and more spacious rear row. It's all. Want to buy Chevrolet, do not read further and be happy.


Log under the pedal
I started the test with the Japanese, then moved to Niva and immediately realized: she does not have seats, front panel and brakes. The dashboard is made of used shelves, which simply threw the control buttons. Seats fall under you like an old foam sofa. Under the brake pedal lies a log. In the extreme position of the steering wheel, the hydraulic wrap vibrates from overvoltage. The glass on the ceiling, equipped with a microlift, opens with a screwdriver. The knob of the handbaging lever rotates around its axis.

The fuel pointer is lying as a hydrometeorological center. The felt of the trunk was forgotten to be fixed. Surprisingly, if you travel a few days, you forget about everything unpleasant: a habit comes by force. Therefore, we will continue to compare rivals by characteristics. Ergonomics and quality will wait until better times.


Hard VS constant
By design, Suzuki Jimny is a one hundred percent SUV. He has a frame, bridges in front and behind, a reduced gear in a handout. Plus a rigidly connected four -wheel drive that does not have an interdosseous differential. Chevrolet Niva is more civilian, built on a load -bearing body, in front is an independent suspension, behind the uncertain bridge. Reduced gear in stock. Full -wheel drive with an interdosseous differential.

You can compare the cross -country ability of Chevrolet Niva and Suzuki Jimny for a very long time. Too many nuances. Jimny has a more powerful decrease in the handout, plus there is a configuration with automatic transmission. This gives a serious advantage on the off -road in traction cross -country ability. But the fact is that the Suzuki motor gives out 110 hm, and the Chevrolet engine is 17 more, does not mean anything. Because niva is four hundred kilometers harder. But she has wheels much less often, because the articulation of the suspension is better. In addition, it is more stable below the center of gravity.


Geometric cross -country ability is approximately equal. Niva is a little better than Jimny in the corner of the entrance and a little worse along the corner of the congress and the corner of the ramp. There is no big difference. And the traditional competition who will pick up the highest mountain won both cars, jumping up from acceleration.

LOOK AT THE ROAD
If we compare cars on the asphalt, then Niva better damps irregularities, but keeps the course worse. If you want to get a button on the panel on the move, reach for it and you can leave for a neighboring row. The Japanese is more clearly configured, and besides, it is noticeably more fast. Its power is 85 liters. with., And the Rosso-American 80. It accelerates to hundreds of Jimny faster about the torque and the difference in weight we have already said.



If you return to consumer properties, in Niva it is good to sit only from behind, and Jimny has an air gap instead of the trunk. But the Japanese has a pillow and ABS in the standard, and Niva can not even get this for money. CHEVY new modular headlights are in no way inferior to Japanese, but there are no fog in the base configuration. The mechanism of control of the distribution box at both machines sometimes makes you twist with the steering wheel and drive back and forth until it deigned to turn on.

Matter: Chevrolet Niva





Matter: Suzuki Jimny




Before part of Suzuki bought Volkswagen, both cars were produced under the supervision of GM. But the future of cooperation between the plant in Togliatti and General Motors is also vaguely. I am glad that under the hood of Niva a sign: made under a license from OJSC AvtoVAZ. Cool! We have warmed Gangster Motors with its intellectual property.

Approaching the finale, I repeat: Chevrolet Niva loses quality, ergonomics, and traction in many articles. Even at the price of service. The first then on Chevrolet Niva in Moscow costs 9600 rubles, the second 9300, the third 17 400. Suzuki Jimny 4800, 7600, 8600, respectively. But if your roads are bad, you need NIVA, and Jimny is good for everyone, but it hurts to jump.


 
Author: Dmitry Leontyev, photo of Alexander Ortnova-Baranov
 

Source: Magazine 4x4 [March 2010]