Test drive Lada Niva Travel: first impressions behind the wheel
Test Drive

Test drive Lada Niva Travel: first impressions behind the wheel

The debut of the updated Lada Niva is another fact that confirms the final victory of marketing over design thought. After all, she received the Travel prefix to the name for a reason.

The good old "shniva" will forever remain a warm and bright (or not so) memory. The nickname, which once received the second generation of Niva with the factory index VAZ-2123, became truly popular when the car came under the wing of the GM-AvtoVAZ joint venture and began to be sold under the Chevrolet brand.

At the same time, the cross of the American manufacturer took place on the radiator grille of the VAZ SUV without any facelift. And the car was produced for almost 18 years with the face of Lada, but under the Chevrolet brand.

 

In the summer, Niva returned "to the family", once again becoming a full-fledged model in the AvtoVAZ line. Now, however, the game seems to be reversed. They began to prepare such a deep renewal even during the release of the car under the Chevrolet brand, and it is possible that the “new face”, generously sprinkled with plastic, should have carried just the American cross, and not the Russian boat. No wonder it more closely resembles the appearance of the Chevrolet Niva 2 prototype, created by the Czech designer Ondrej Koromhaza and shown at the 2014 Moscow Motor Show, than with the X-face by Steve Mattin.

Test drive Lada Niva Travel: first impressions behind the wheel

However, there are those who have noticed the features of the new generation Toyota RAV4 in the restyled Niva. Be that as it may, the result is impressive: the car looks fresh. But here I must say that a serious renewal of the appearance was not given with little blood. In addition to the bumper and radiator grille, the car has a modified hood with expressive stiffening ribs, a more aggressive body kit around the body made of unpainted plastic, as well as new head optics and fully diode lights.

In addition, the new bumpers, both front and rear, have two symmetrically located recesses with eyelets for towing hooks. The owners of the "shniva" often complained about the presence of only one and, moreover, not very conveniently located. This is where the external changes compared to its predecessor end, if you do not take into account the new colors in the palette and special design wheels. However, the latter are available only at high trim levels. The basic machine rolls off the assembly line on conventional "stampings".

Test drive Lada Niva Travel: first impressions behind the wheel
Nostalgia for the 1990s

Inside Niva Travel it is like a grandmother's apartment, in which nothing has changed over the years and even the furniture has not been rearranged. Is that in the niche of the Yugoslav "wall" there is a new, more modern flat TV with a remote control. In the case of Niva, this is the touchscreen of the media system sticking out of the front panel above the center console. He appeared in the asset of the car under the Chevrolet brand and has changed little since then.

It certainly has nothing to do with Vesta and Xray multimedia. At the same time, the system works well for its age. But the menu in modern reality looks very outdated. Actually, like the very front panel of a car with architecture in the style of biodesign of the mid-1990s. It is also embarrassing that, along with the media system with the old shell, the air conditioning unit has not changed in any way.

Test drive Lada Niva Travel: first impressions behind the wheel

Climate control on the car, as before, is not available: only the stove and air conditioning. According to Lada engineers and marketers, replacing these units with more modern ones would be very difficult and expensive, and one of the main tasks of the update was to keep the price at the same level. From the same considerations, ergonomic greetings from the late 1980s remained, such as a steering column adjustable only in height, button-shaped power windows or an electric mirror washer hidden under the very bottom of the center console.

But the goal was achieved. Although the car has risen in price after the update, it is quite insignificant. The starter version is now priced at $ 9. against $ 883. pre-styling, and the cost of the top car, although it exceeded $ 9, did not get close to a million. But such a small price adjustment required other sacrifices.

Test drive Lada Niva Travel: first impressions behind the wheel

We are rolling along the winter road at the foot of the Zhiguli mountains, and the motor of our Niva Travel strainedly growls at 3000 rpm, slowly pulling up the weighty car. At some point, there is not enough traction at all, and I transfer the transfer case selector to a low row. Only in this way the car begins to climb a snowy slope a little easier. The thing is that absolutely nothing has changed in the technical stuffing of the car. The car, as before, is equipped with a 1,7-liter "eight-valve" with a return of 80 forces, which is combined exclusively with a five-speed mechanics. And for the work of the permanent all-wheel drive is responsible "razdatka" with a central differential with the ability to lock and a low range of gears.

Test drive Lada Niva Travel: first impressions behind the wheel

But if this arsenal is enough off-road, and the demultiplier somehow compensates for the lack of torque at the bottom, then when driving on high-speed country roads, the power deficit is felt especially acutely. The only difference from its predecessor is the acoustic load on the ears.

Against the background of most modern crossovers, Niva Travel still feels like a noisy and not very comfortable car, but compared to its predecessor, it has taken an incredible step forward. Additional soundproofing mats and coverings have appeared on almost the entire surface of the floor and the engine shield. So the car has become much friendlier to its passengers.

As for the name Niva Travel, it, like the retouched face, allows you to perceive the car in a completely new way. Despite the fact that no serious design changes in the car, in fact, have occurred. However, the good old "Niva" of the first generation, which for a long time was sold under the name 4 × 4, was also renamed. It is now called Niva Legend. And it’s not just that. In 2024, a completely new generation of Niva will be released on the basis of Renault Duster units, and these two cars will be produced in parallel with it. So each of them will essentially have their own name.

Test drive Lada Niva Travel: first impressions behind the wheel
A type SUV
Dimensions (length / width / height), mm4099 / 1804 / 1690
Wheelbase, mm2450
Ground clearance, mm220
Cargo space, l315
Curb weight, kg1465
Gross vehicle weight, kg1860
engine's typePetrol
Working volume, cubic meters cm1690
Max. power, h.p. (at rpm)80 / 5000
Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm)127 / 4000
Drive type, transmissionFull, MKP5
Max. speed km / h140
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s19
Fuel consumption, l / 100 km13,4 / 8,5 / 10,2
Price from, $.9 883
 

 

One comment

  • girly

    MAn love lada i am patriotic we need such a car !!!! I'm happy to drive a box !!!

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