Chevrolet Niva or Lada Niva 4x4: which is better, comparison, pros and cons

Flaws:

• outdated both interior and exterior;
• high level of steering effort;
• cramped rear seat;
• small luggage compartment size;
• a lot of noise and vibration;
• the smoothness of the ride leaves much to be desired.

Fora Bronto off-road

Now let's see how the extended variation of the Niva will behave on the same route. The driver's seat here is not much different from the VAZ 21214. The difference is only felt when driving. BRONTO makes less noise, but it doesn’t bounce as much, and it’s much easier to handle the steering wheel. So the part of the road that was allocated for asphalt seemed much shorter. Off-road in Fore is much more convenient. This car is also not afraid of potholes and hills, but it is better not to do any extreme movements, as on 21214, because the base of the car is 30 centimeters long, and this means that the cross-country ability of the geometric type will be worse; at a turn you can get caught on the bottom. In the back seat, you can appreciate the increased base of the car: the doors and the openings themselves are now wider, precisely by those very centimeters that were missing, and this has made it much easier to get in and out of the car. And the rear seat, pushed forward from the wheel arches, makes it possible to comfortably fit three passengers. The trunk has also become much more spacious.

Installation of additional lighting on the roof

In order to make the car more prepared for off-road travel, additional lighting should be installed. Note that such minor modifications will make the car safer in motion.

You can perform this kind of modification if you have the following elements:

• Only a set of wrenches and screwdrivers. To dismantle the trunk, it is enough to unscrew the fasteners. Therefore, it is enough to have a set of wrenches and a screwdriver.
• Wiring. Consider wiring that is well insulated and will withstand the environment. You can increase your protection by using
• Metal rod or rod.
• Bulgarian. To work with metal you will need a grinder. An example is cutting a supporting frame.
• Welding machine. The metal connection is carried out by welding.
• Drill. Installation of light sources is carried out along the created holes.

The features of installation work include the following points:

1. If a standard trunk is installed on the Niva, then it should be dismantled. In order for the structure to be installed, the front part is sawed off.
2. We connect the headlights to the rod, which will become a kind of supporting structure. To ensure reliable fastening of light sources, the distance between the holes in the rod must be at least 3 cm.
3. The pins from the headlights are inserted into the holes made.
4. The rod is welded to the front of the previously sawn-off roof rack, which was installed on the roof.
5. The wiring is connected to each headlight.
6. In order to reduce the likelihood of damage to the wiring, it is twisted with a clamp and then passed through the hole in the roof. Note that a hole of the required size may not be available. Then you will have to do it, and then seal it, since otherwise precipitation will get into the car interior.
7. The wiring is connected to the battery. If the headlights lit up when they were connected, you can proceed to attaching the structure itself directly.
8. The luggage compartment is secured to the roof with powerful bolts. It should be taken into account that due to the welding of additional optics, the load will be distributed unevenly. When driving at high speed, strong resistance arises, which can lead to the trunk, along with additional optics, being torn off.

Flaws:

• high level of steering effort;
• the fuel tank has a small volume;
• It is difficult to use the front seat belts.

Now the time has come to try out the longest Niva. The driver's position is exactly the same as in any other Niva, which has small positive aspects and noticeable negative aspects. The car is equipped with a 1.8-liter engine and has a high level of torque in the mid- and low-speed range. The dynamics of this model are no different from the dynamics of the VAZ 21214. The car drives perfectly at ease, which is especially appreciated when driving on many roads. The turning radius of the car is 6.45 meters, which is not very convenient within the city and makes turns difficult. The car is not agile and to compensate for this shortcoming it lacks power steering, which is offered for the car as an option. But on a country road and along smooth country roads, a Niva with a long wheelbase can be compared with a ship, it drives smoothly, there is not a single jump, only swaying. And if you remove the vibration and noise, you will have an ordinary passenger car. A solid passenger car is remembered when you sit in the back seat, because it has become much more spacious and there are two exit doors. The luggage compartment has also become much larger. But with an increase in the level of comfort, this model let us down a little in cross-country ability. This car needs a road, highway or country road. Off-road, the VAZ 2131 does not behave quite confidently; it has a wheelbase larger than a dozen.

Off-road equipment Off-Road

In addition to the main three trim levels for the Niva Travel, there are also two off-road versions - in general, with the same names “Comfort” and “Luxury”, only they have the prefix “Off Road” added.

Their cost is 844,900 and 905,900 rubles, respectively; in both versions of such equipment, in addition to the basic equipment and Comfort 21230-A2-000, the buyer receives:

• standard alarm;
• fog lights;
• snorkel (exhaust pipe extension connected to the roof);
• central locking with remote control;
• roof rails;
• R16 wheel rims in original design;
• tires with a more aggressive tread;
• black ceiling trim.

But if the “Comfort” Off-road 21230-A4-000 is quite noticeably superior to the regular Comfort in terms of equipment, the difference between the “Lux” Off-road 21230-A5-000 and just Luxe is not so significant.

The luxury off-road version differs only in unpainted side moldings, a black ceiling in the cabin, and the presence of a snorkel.

Flaws:

• cross-country ability is limited on rough terrain;
• turning radius is too large;
• poor visibility in the outside rear view mirrors;
• high fuel consumption.

Compared to older models, the Chevrolet looks impressive. The comfortable and beautiful steering wheel does not cover the dashboard, the steering wheel can also be adjusted in height, all the controls necessary for control are located conveniently. The transfer case is controlled by one lever, previously there were two of them: transverse movement is a lock, and longitudinal movement changes the row. We are going along the usual route. The car has a high seating position, excellent visibility, power steering and ergonomics of the driver's seat, the smooth ride can be compared to the long-wheelbase Niva. But the power of the VAZ 2113 engine with a volume of 1.7 liters is not enough, especially on the highway. The car has a five-door body, which is understandably heavier, and the solid appearance of the car implies good dynamics. Since the base of the car is only 25 centimeters longer compared to the VAZ 21214, the cross-country ability of the geometric type in the Chevrolet is at a good level. In general, this off-road model can be compared with the Fora, although the 15-inch wheels helped here, but they have a high profile 205/75R15 tires. And the luggage compartment in the Chevrolet Niva can be said to be small, a little larger than that of a regular Niva. And, despite the fact that these four cars have different sizes and consumer characteristics, they are still Niva, and, most likely, this is the main thing to consider when choosing a car.

Bottom line

According to our gaming system, at home on the Russian off-road, the Chevrolet Niva won - 11 points, the Kia Sportage was second - 9 points, the Lada 4x4 - 8 points. The Sportage's reward point for the capacity of the Lada 4x4 was offset by a point for swimming.

I evaluate the second place of the Kia Sportage in such tests as a victory, if we ignore the price, of course, and remember that modern cars mostly drive on asphalt.

Ahead of the Kia Sportage are asphalt tests, where the Chevy Niva and Lada 4x4 simply have nothing to do.

For double the price of a Chevrolet Niva you can buy one Kia Sportage in a good configuration. And if you add more money for a Lada 4x4, you will get a very sophisticated Korean. Whether you need it or not, judge for yourself.

I think, if we proceed from the fact that our people will still begin to get rich and they simply will not have time to fine-tune or repair cars of outdated design, the Lada 4x4 and Chevrolet Niva will switch to the role of the second car in the family. The production of such products cannot be mass production, which means it will be expensive. And then the Kia Sportage can claim the role of the only car in the Russian family, even though it took part in the “Eurosian Way 2000”.

I thank Igor Sirin, Vadim Kryuchkov, Evgeniy Mikhalkevich for the Kia Sportage 2016 test between Niva and Lada.

Video, technical specifications, help for Kia Sportage below.

KIA SPORTAGE: ONLY FACTS

1. The first generation JA, which appeared in 1994, lasted until 2002 and was produced not only in South Korea, but also at the Karmann plant in Osnabrück, Germany. Korean cars could be easily distinguished by a special infrared headlight, visible through the radiator grille and turned on by a “secret” toggle switch under a plug on the dashboard for driving at night with night vision devices.
2. It had a frame(!) chassis borrowed from a South Korean army jeep, which could also be purchased in a civilian version under the name Retona.
3. It is not surprising, therefore, that it had all-wheel drive with a rigidly connected front axle and had a reduction gear.
4. Under the hood there could be either an 8-valve or a 16-valve engine with a displacement of 2.0 liters, but with a power of either 95 or 128 hp. There are known cases when, on the secondary market, the title of a car imported from Korea specifically indicated a supposedly weaker version, which made it possible to save a fair amount on taxes. The car was also produced in Kaliningrad, and there was also a slightly elongated version with a spare tire under the floor, and not on the back of the door. This increase in length went entirely to the advantage of the luggage compartment.
5. It is interesting that between 2002 and 2004 the car was not produced anywhere except Russia, until the second generation JE appeared. It shared a platform with the related Hyundai Tucson and already had a monocoque body, independent rear suspension and main drive to the front axle. In the case of all-wheel drive, the rear one was connected by a lamellar electromagnetic clutch, which made it possible to change the distribution of traction between the axles.
6. In the second generation, the strength and cross-country ability were no longer the same, but a 2.7 liter, 175 hp “six” appeared. and automatic transmission. And since 2005, it was possible to purchase a diesel version. It had either a new 6-speed manual transmission or an automatic, but only in the front-wheel drive version.
7. Since 2007, Kia Sportage began to be produced for the European market in Slovakia at the plant in Zilina. And then the company first introduced a 7-year warranty.
8. The third generation SL appeared in March 2010. It is technically identical to the Hyundai ix35 and was awarded the red dot design award. Moreover, in 2010, the model passed independent crash tests by Euro NCAP so successfully that it was recognized as the safest in its class!
9. In the third generation, the car received a 1.6 liter engine with direct gasoline injection and a start-stop system.
10. The current, fourth generation QL, in Europe, if we talk about gasoline engines, is sold exclusively with 1.6-liter engines (aspirated and supercharged) with a DSG gearbox, but in Russia there is still a 2-liter unit with traditional multipoint injection and a 6-speed hydromechanical automatic transmission, borrowed from the European diesel version.

Flaws:

• it is an expensive car to operate;
• the quality level of the manufacturer does not quite correspond to Chevrolet;
• There are no off-road tires as standard.

Test drive VAZ 21214

The leader here is the VAZ 21214 model. The small size of the rear and front lights, small wheelbase, high clearance, the transfer case has a forced locking of the center differential and is also equipped with a range multiplier, it is possible to buy a factory-assembled car with off-road tires. These are all components of the success of a simple Niva in places where off-roading begins. Fora is only slightly inferior, and this is explained by the larger base, it was increased by 30 centimeters. You might think that the base of the Chevrolet Niva is 5 centimeters smaller when compared with the Bronto 21218, and based on this, the Chevrolet should have greater cross-country ability. In fact, everything is not like that. Limitations are set by departure and approach angles, which are noticeably smaller, and by fifteen-inch tires with an interesting tread pattern. The VAZ 2131 with a long wheelbase does not like rough terrain, because it can easily sit on its belly. But on more or less smooth country roads it has quite good cross-country ability, which can even be praised.

test drive Niva VAZ 2121 and Niva VAZ 21214

The owner of a Chevrolet Niva feels best here, this is due to the fact that it has a high urban seating position, excellent visibility, and is equipped with power steering, as well as highly effective brakes. If we don’t talk about image, the VAZ 21214 also behaves well on the city streets. It also has a high seating position, excellent maneuverability, but there is not enough effort on the steering wheel and takes up minimal space in parking lots. Vibration and noise at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour do not interfere much. If you use the car only within the city, then you can choose tires that are not very studded. “Fora” also performed well in urban conditions. Slightly larger turning radius, but this can be compensated for by larger rear view mirrors. Don’t forget about the large doors of the Brono 21218, so in the parking lot you will need to take up more space between cars. The extended wheelbase, as well as the large turning angle of the VAZ 2131, make driving around the city more difficult. But there is a power steering on the steering wheel, which alleviates the inconvenience a little, but it’s worth remembering that this car needs more space when parked. And the old small rearview mirrors don't help much when parking.

Review and test drive of the long-wheelbase Niva VAZ 2131

On the highway outside the city, the Chevrolet Niva and VAZ 2131 perform best. The difference between them is that VAZ OPP products, having a huge capacity and better dynamics with a 1.8-liter unit, have much higher fuel consumption compared to JSC "GM-AvtoVAZ". The ride is good and the volume of both tanks is pleasantly surprising, which makes it possible to drive the car an impressive distance. If we take the Fora, then the tank there is much smaller, but in terms of smoothness it cannot be inferior to the Chevrolet or the 31st model. But it is worth saying that the VAZ 21214 is definitely not intended for intercity highways, because its noise, vibration, and jumps over all the bumps, as well as very frequent refueling, will very quickly exhaust any driver and passengers of the car.

winter test drive Niva VAZ 21214

In this regard, the leader is the VAZ 2131. It will be especially convenient for passengers in the back seat, who can sit as they please; even three people can fit there quite comfortably, and the doors that have appeared for exiting and entering will do their job. If you fold down the rear seats, you get a very spacious cargo area. It is unfortunate, but the largest mass that a trailer can pull is 3 centners without brakes, and with brakes it is twice as much. The second position, and deservedly taken by the Chevrolet SSRNiva, because it is equipped with five comfortable seats, has permission to tow a trailer, equipped with brakes, which weighs 1200 kg. The last point is very important for all-wheel drive cars, because very often they are bought to transport jet skis or snowmobiles. The Fora is slightly inferior to the Chevy in the number of doors and its folding seats in the back. The VAZ 21214 car remained in last place. The reason for this was the very cramped seat in the back and the small trunk volume. So the only way to translate anything in the short Niva model is to remove the rear seat.

Main technical characteristics

The Lada Niva Travel model is an all-terrain vehicle, positioned as a compact SUV, but it can also be called a Russian crossover.

In the 2022 restyled version, the dimensions of the car have changed slightly: the length has increased by 43 millimeters (now 4099 mm), the width has increased by 4 mm (1804 mm), the height has remained unchanged (1652 mm, taking into account roof rails - 1690 mm).

Other characteristics of this car:

• number of seats in the cabin/rows of seats/doors – 5/2/5;
• wheelbase – 2450 mm;
• ground clearance – 220 mm;
• wheel track width front/rear – 1466/1456 mm;
• curb weight – from 1465 to 1515 kg;
• total weight – 1860 kg;
• the maximum permitted weight of a towed trailer with brakes/without its own braking system is 600/1200 kg;
• maximum roof load – 75 kg;
• fuel tank capacity – 58 l;
• front/rear overhang – 749/749 mm;
• trunk capacity standard/with the rear sofa folded out – 320/650 l.

The Russian SUV Niva 2123 is equipped with hydraulic power steering, disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear.

The steering wheel makes three full turns from one stop to the other, while in extreme positions the power steering noise is heard, and it is very undesirable to hold it like that.

The suspension on the front axle is of an independent type, with a beam in the center and levers on the sides.

At the “rear” there is installed an axle with a one-piece body (the so-called “stocking”), with springs and reaction rods (four longitudinal and one long transverse).

The same configuration of both suspensions was observed on the VAZ-2121; it has not undergone any fundamental changes since the last century.

It should be noted that the rear axle with the transfer case and gearbox is connected using cardans: on models before 2010 - with crosspieces, later - with CV joints, and the former are distinguished by a more reliable design.

Owner's review of cross-country ability

Hello dear, I want to share my opinion and leave my review about the VAZ 2121 Niva car. In my opinion, this is the most successful car with excellent cross-country ability and appearance, invented back in that century and produced to this day. What, what, but the quality of “cross-country ability” cannot be taken away from the Niva. Through mud, through mountains, through a ford, off-road, in winter and summer it rushes like a tank. This field is intended for villages, urban-type settlements, and small provincial towns with poor road surface, where it is not speed that is important, but cross-country ability. The car is wonderful for romantics, fishermen, hunters, and just normal people who love nature in hard-to-reach places.

My friend and I went fishing in his Niva and covered a lot of kilometers in the Ural Mountains. It never let me down on the road, although after fishing it required a good repair.

Driving the Niva on highways and good roads is not very comfortable. Although it accelerates and maintains a good speed of about 100 km. an hour, but the cabin gets a little noisy due to the working transfer case. But overall the car is great, the driving experience has more positive emotions than negative ones.

Pros: High ground clearance. four driving wheels. Strong, reliable bumpers. It's easy to find a spare part. Disadvantages: VAZ stopped serial production. “Crickets” in the control panel. Noisy in the cabin when driving at high speed.

Power potential and dynamics

In the first generation, the Niva 2121 car was equipped with passenger car engines of the 2106 series with a power of 80 horsepower. Subsequently, the unit was improved due to ignition and power systems, which as a result affected fuel consumption. The engine also received a Solex carburetor, and its power increased to 82.8 hp. With.

In terms of dynamics, it is important to note that the three-door VAZ 2121 is not designed for speed records. This is evidenced by specific indicators - for example, it takes an SUV 19 seconds to reach “hundreds”, and the maximum does not exceed 137 km/h. Unfortunately, the fuel consumption data is also not impressive: in city mode the car consumes 13 liters, and in combined mode – 10.8 liters.

Niva VAZ 2131 “Crocodile” – all-terrain station wagon

Having driven the Krok, I realized that this is a completely special car, to which spare parts from the Niva-three-door fit. I will slowly post my observations, maybe it will help someone choose an inexpensive and very practical car. You immediately come across a lot of skeptics. Orthodox short-lived drivers talk about “geometric cross-country ability.” Where the blood does not pass in non-madness, there is silence. UAZ drivers are burning, they say, there is only one SUV in the world and UAZ is its name. I want a UAZ and somehow it will appear in the stall. But I don’t see any point in changing the Kroc universal for him. There are lovers of foreign cars.

Like, I didn’t save up, why did I get out of the apartment? At the same time, slowing down in front of every bump or bump - suddenly the cutie will get scratched. Old jeepers are an option, but there are fewer and fewer of them left unused and spare parts with service are increasingly more expensive. There is a chance to win half a million capital. Well, belly hunters would be quite a healthy class to switch to local UAZs and Nivas on the hunting grounds... if not for Russian roads. Krok, with a long wheelbase and strong suspension, simply eats them up and provokes them to drive more. This car is a real discovery of Russia for yourself and your family!

What we have. Niva stock 2007, purchased in 2009 from a pensioner for 220 thousand. He was afraid of it, only went to the dacha and kept it all winter in a garage next to the small city Oka. I took Krok at 23 thousand miles, now it’s under 60. It eats about 9-10 on the highway, maybe less, maybe more, depending on the gas and wind (the aerodynamics are not fast).