Is the new Chevrolet Niva 2 coming soon?

For several years now, GM-AVTOVAZ has been working on a project for a new, improved Niva Chevrolet -2 SUV. Development work was stopped more than once, but then resumed again. The start of car sales was repeatedly postponed. It was expected at the beginning of this year, but in February it became known that the project was suspended. Many people ask the question: will the world see a new "Niva"?

For over 15 years our AvtoVAZ has been successfully cooperating with the American corporation General Motors. The joint venture is called CJSC GM-AVTOVAZ. It is located in the city of Togliatti, Samara region. Niva Chevrolet cars have been on the market since 2002.

The first version of the car of this brand has established itself as a comfortable and compact SUV. Currently, cars are produced in 95 thousand models per year. Niva Chevrolet is an example of a unique product in terms of price-quality ratio. It is popular with buyers and from year to year maintains its position in this market segment.

Niva Chevrolet -2 was supposed to be an ideal continuation of the development of SUVs. In 2013, GM-AVTOVAZ began expanding production: new buildings for factories, a logistics center and a production laboratory were erected in Togliatti.

A conceptual version of the new SUV was shown in 2014. The presentation took place in one of the Moscow car dealerships. The prototype of the Chevrolet Niva drew positive feedback from visitors. Fans and car enthusiasts alike were looking forward to the release and sales of the vehicle. And this is fully justified!

The developers have made the new "Niva" more massive, but at the same time stylish and modern. She is a wonderful symbiosis of traditional qualities, for which we all love this car so much, and new opportunities for those who love comfort and thoughtfulness of every detail.

The body has been transformed. Engineers worked on it for a very long time. One of those who developed the concept was Ondreja Koromaz, a former General Motors employee. The SUV has spare wheel on the roof, a row of four spotlights, a winch on front bumper, snorkel and, importantly, overhang for greater cross-country ability.

Have dashboard the functionality will expand in the cabin. She has a console that will display data from on-board computer... It also houses the control keys for the air conditioner and the stove.

Increased comfort awaits not only the driver, but also all passengers in the cabin. Turquoise LED lighting will create a cozy atmosphere. Sofas for second-row passengers will also become more comfortable. The decoration of the structural elements of the car interior is made of expensive materials, including fabric, wood, and even leather. Wheel Made of durable plastic, there are no extra keys for control. The rear row of seats is equipped with handles, you can instantly fold the seats to increase the volume of the trunk.

« Niva » in the new body is called a mid-size SUV. Thanks to the all-wheel drive system and the compact wheelbase, the cross-country ability has increased significantly.

The dimensions of the car are as follows:

• Width 177.0 cm.
• Height 165.2 cm.
• Wheelbase 245.0 cm.

The ground clearance has increased to 20 cm, and the weight of the car as a whole has decreased to 1410 kg.

Thanks to the introduction of steel and aluminum trim, it has been possible to reduce the curb weight of the car. Again, a plus for cross-country ability.

The boot capacity is 320 liters. As for the powertrains, a single 1.7-liter gasoline engine is provided. The force in this case will be 80 Horse power... Gearbox - 5 steps.

It was expected that the price of the car would not exceed 1 million rubles. The final price would depend on the configuration. According to the intention of the creators, there are only five of them.

Obviously, this project would be a success in the market. But, unfortunately, at the development stage it underwent many difficulties. The plans were to start producing cars at the beginning of 2017, but in 2015 construction and design were suspended. The main reason for the exit delay Chevrolet niva 2 was the crisis in the market. "GM-AVTOVAZ" was looking for funding for the release of the new product, and last year the Russian government considered the option of providing 10 billion rubles for this project. The government of the Samara region also wanted to save the situation.

In addition, it became known that last year the documents for the car, published in the Rospatent database, expired. At the same time, the American-Russian company extended the patent for the current generation of Shniva.

There was no official confirmation of the closure of the Chevrolet Niva 2 project from GM-AvtoVAZ, as well as no official details regarding its development to the serial version. Let's hope that the SUV will still be released into production!

First information about new chevrolet Niva started arriving in 2011. Then it became known that for the design of an SUV, GM-AVTOVAZ was going to create its own engineering center based in Togliatti - the same place where the production of the current generation of Niva is located. The year 2014 was named as the approximate launch date for the new generation, and information about the new Niva platform also appeared.

Platform

about the platform of the new generation Chevrolet Niva

Jeffrey Glover, Former Head of GM-AVTOVAZ (July 2011):

“The GM engineering center will be located here, and this organization will be responsible for the platform ... I don't know of a single platform that is one hundred percent new. But we definitely won't have the old platform! Let me give you an example: Opel Astra 3000 (such a car was produced by GM-AVTOVAZ - editor's note) and Opel Astra Family, cars of two different generations.

Can you say they are no different? Yes, they are completely different - both in "stuffing" and in design. If you change from one car to another, you will immediately feel the difference. I want to have a completely new car, but if you ask me if every nut in this car will be re-created, my answer is definitely no.

If we talk about the marketing aspect, then we conduct surveys among our customers on the subject of why they buy our car. And in the new model I want to keep strengths, which are in the previous one. But another important point, which we will pay attention to when developing a fresh version - this is why people do not buy our car, what they do not like - so that all negative moments in the new model are eliminated, if possible. These are exactly the principles that we will follow when creating a new platform. "

In December 2013, when Gary Tilson was already president of GM-AVTOVAZ, the company published an image giving an idea of ​​which components in the second generation Niva will be new, which will be modernized, and which will remain the same. From the figure it followed that the supporting body of the car, engine, transmission, as well as bumpers and lighting equipment would be completely new. It became finally clear that we were not talking about restyling the existing one, but about creating a fundamentally different model.

Engine

At the same time, at the end of 2013, it was announced that the main engine option for an SUV is a 135-horsepower engine developed by PSA Peugeot Citroёn. There was also clarifying information: under the hood of the new Niva was supposed to get a 1.8-liter 135-horsepower EC8 engine, which was installed on many models of the French concern, and in particular, under the name XU, was offered for the Peugeot-406 sedan. Later it became known that the production of the engine was going to be organized by ZAO Zavod High-Precision Parts and the Indian company AVTEC Ltd in the Samara region.

In the photo: the concept of the new Chevrolet Niva, declassified on the eve of MIAS-2014

Two and a half years passed (Gary Tilson was briefly replaced by Geoffrey Glover, and then), and the authors of the concept of the new Niva managed to present it at MIAS-2014, faced difficulties in mastering the project, revise the details and timing of its implementation ... And plans for the French engine , fortunately or unfortunately, it was not destined to come true: in August 2016 it became known that AVTOVAZ would prepare a modification of its own for a long-time partner. Originally, this four-cylinder gasoline engine with a phase shifter has a capacity of 122 hp. with., intended for models Lada xray and Vesta. Note that negotiations began in July 2015.

Transmission

At an early stage - even before the presentation of the concept and the ensuing crisis of the project - it was supposed to keep the Niva permanent all-wheel drive and a manual transmission, and later to offer consumers mono-drive versions. As a transmission supplier ( mechanical box transmission and transfer case) manufacturers from India and Italy were named. The possibility of introducing a modification of the Niva with automatic transmission gear.

By now, however, many of the early considerations are likely to have been discarded. All-wheel drive and "mechanics", of course, remain a priority (as well as locking center differential- this was announced at MIAS-2014), but the transmission supplier is likely to be different. It is possible that in tandem with the new VAZ-21179 engine VAZ-21179, a VAZ-2124 mechanical transmission will work on the new Niva, the development of which for the project became known in August 2016.

Design

As you know, it took place within the framework of the International Moscow Motor Show on August 24, 2014, although the appearance of the car was. The author of the design was the Czech Ondrej Koromaz, an Australian citizen who was previously involved in the style of the Holden brand in the General Motors structure, and later moved to work at the Shanghai headquarters of the corporation.

The exhibition copy (like the first running samples for testing) was prepared by the Italian design bureau Blue Engineering. The concept was equipped with "off-road" accessories - a snorkel, a trunk, additional lighting equipment, BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain T / A 235/70 / R16 tires - however, it was clear that the proportions of the car remained close to the Chevrolet Niva of the first generation, although the car looked completely the same. -new. Small overhangs were designed to provide production cars with excellent geometric cross-country ability, but one of them - the rear one - very limited the volume luggage compartment- exactly the same as on the "shniva" of the first generation. But the dimensions have grown - the length of the concept was 4,316 mm, which is 260 mm more than that of the current Chevrolet Niva.

At MIAS-2014, the date for the start of production of the new Chevrolet Niva was called the following: late 2015 - early 2016. Subsequently, the terms were repeatedly shifted, but the project still had chances for implementation. At the end of July 2016, GM-AVTOVAZ's director of sales and marketing confirmed that shown in 2014.

Complete set

In terms of complete sets, so far only what was announced at the MIAS-2014 is known: the SUV will receive a central locking, an electric drive for rear-view mirrors, an outside temperature sensor, a multimedia system with the ability to connect external devices, a set of security systems, a compass and a roll gauge.

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Testing

Despite all the difficulties that CJSC GM-AVTOVAZ faced in 2015, the company has repeatedly stated that work on the project is ongoing. At one time it was almost "frozen", but by mid-March 2015, aggregate-carrier mules had already managed to complete the complex in Italy, Spain, Sweden. winter tests in Kogalym.

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In June 2015, it became known that about 30 copies of the SUV had passed the entire test cycle planned by that time, including crash tests - just at that time one of the camouflaged samples. It was not possible to find out the details of these events, but according to the website, the results of the crash tests met the expectations of the developers, and no additional changes to the body structure are planned. The entire set of tests was to be completed at the beginning of 2016. And at the end of 2015, spy shots of the interior also leaked to the network.

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New production and project crisis

Now GM-AVTOVAZ has only an assembly line and a paint shop, and bodies, engines and chassis components are supplied from the fence of the neighboring “big brother” - AVTOVAZ. As part of the development of a fresh Chevrolet Niva, Dzhiemovtsy planned that a new plant, which would allow GM-AVTOVAZ to have its own production of bodies (stamping and welding), and in addition, a subdivision for the manufacture of its own (read - "non-VAZ") chassis and engine components could be located on the territory of a nearby technopark.

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The finished components were to be delivered by auto transporters to the "old" territory of GM-AVTOVAZ, which is located 15 kilometers from the new site, where the bodies will be painted and "married" with the engine and chassis. Three months after the start, the new plant for the production of bodies was supposed to reach the design capacity of 120,000 copies, it was planned to swing the assembly line to the same figure, on which the new Niva would gradually displace the old one that is leaving for well-deserved rest ...

At the end of January, the auto news feeds rinsed the topic of the new Chevy Niva with a special scope. Insider reports thawed it ("the government approved the loan!"), And the official denials were immediately frozen again: there is still no money yet. The decision to give state guarantees for the project was announced already adopted, but no one saw it in the end. Agreements went on and on - but did not come anywhere. And so on.

Behind all this, one rather important question was a little lost: what is a Chevy Niva of the winter 2017 model after two years of "freezing" and who needs it? Let's try to answer, but first, some formalities for the protocol.

The financing of the Chevrolet Niva-2 project is now in the hands of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development: they must decide whether or not to provide GM-AvtoVAZ with state guarantees for a loan that Sberbank is ready to issue. Therefore, when there were reports that the Ministry of Industry and Trade in correspondence with the Ministry of Economic Development issued a positive opinion on such state guarantees, a wave of optimistic headlines immediately arose: “Money has been found for the production of Chevy Niva!”.

Meanwhile, a day later, the Ministry of Industry and Trade denied the existence of a "final decision on state support" through the media, and to our direct request for a positive resolution signed by Deputy Minister Alexander Morozov, the press service of the Ministry answered evasively: The Government of the Russian Federation. At the moment, the Government of the Russian Federation has not made decisions regarding GM-AvtoVAZ. " The Ministry of Economic Development was more frank: yes, there was correspondence on this topic, a positive conclusion was received from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The issue is being worked out. But at the moment, no state guarantees have been provided.

The GM-AvtoVAZ JV itself was stingy for information: “The decision on financing the project has not yet been made. We are negotiating this issue with Sberbank and awaiting a decision on the provision of state guarantees, which are necessary to obtain a loan for the project. To date, the project is financed from the JV's own funds. "

The official bottom line is something like: ah, leave me alone, nothing has been decided yet!

2014 Chevrolet Niva Concept

According to our information, the Chevrolet Niva-2 project really continues to hang, but the reason for this is not so much the JV's lack of necessary funds, but rather the uncertainty of AvtoVAZ's position. After all, VAZ employees themselves have long been preparing a similar car, known as the Lada 4x4 New Generation (or Niva-3), whose debut has been reassigned for 2019. Of course, this car does not need a direct competitor in a very narrow market niche. But, being a 50% co-owner of a joint venture with the General Motors concern, AvtoVAZ cannot and should not openly sabotage the appearance of the Chevy Niva-2, so it does it covertly, through ostentatious indifference to the project and complete inaction in the search for co-financing.

It is believed that the game between AvtoVAZ and GM is strategic, aimed at buying out the American stake in the joint venture along with the rights to a new model, which will become the real Niva-3, and the current sluggish work on its own model is rather by inertia, just in case. Therefore, there are no noticeable successes there. Vazovskaya Niva-3 is likely to move to another platform, according to official information, the basis for it has not yet been chosen, but according to unconfirmed reports it will most likely be a platform Renault crossover Duster of the second generation. The managers of AvtoVAZ interviewed by us are sure that the plant does not have any strategy in relation to the joint venture at all! Yes, the appearance of a competitor is undesirable, but no one really believes in him, everyone is waiting for the joint venture to die naturally, due to non-competitiveness old model and the inability to release a new one. But now participation in a joint venture with GM brings a stable cash flow to AvtoVAZ as a supplier of main components and assemblies, so no one will deliberately cut this chicken.

Moreover, AvtoVAZ is participating in the Chevy Niva-2 project from the technical point of view. For example, by order of GM-AvtoVAZ, VAZ employees adapted for new car its engine 1.8, in the version for the longitudinal arrangement, it received the designation VAZ-2199. This is practically an approved option, with any imported engine the new Chevy Niva goes beyond a reasonable price.

Patent image of the new Chevy Niva

But there is no final decision on the transmission. AvtoVAZ has a modernized "classic" box with an index of 2124, made for the Niva-3, but it does not yet hold the necessary loads (it is currently being tested). Transfer case- also the essence of an old, but shamanized three-bearing unit from the Niva-2123, which was fine-tuned for noise and vibration at the Swedish company Vicura.

GM-AvtoVAZ insists on a cable drive of the shift mechanism and direct docking of the gearbox with the “razdatka”, without an intermediate shaft. VAZ units, prepared for the Niva-3, conceptually different, the shift lever is there directly on the gearbox housing, and the moment is transmitted to the "razdatka" through the intermediate shaft. Naturally, no one will make a gearbox and a "hand-out" for GM in strict accordance with the "Wishlist", but the joint venture has no money for this. Therefore, at AvtoVAZ they are sure: they will take what we offer.

But GM is looking for alternative options... In particular, the idea of ​​using a gas transmission from a Gazelle has not yet died, only with a modified crankcase so that it fits into the body of a new Chevy Niva. However, the last contacts on this topic with Nizhny Novgorod residents date back to June 2016. In conversations, ZF is also mentioned, but this option is unlikely to pass for the price. And there is even less certainty about the automatic transmission: some time ago it was planned to use the Punch VT4 variator, but it is obvious that there will not be enough strength to localize it in Togliatti, and it is expensive to purchase.

Why are there units ... GM-AvtoVAZ does not even know yet where the production of bodies will be organized! It is long, expensive and legally difficult to resume the construction of a separate building in the Togliatti SEZ; the dispute with the former contractor has not yet been settled there. The joint venture has an idle building 30, but there is not enough space for organizing a full-fledged welding line. But you will also need a warehouse.

Patent and image of the new Chevy Niva

In May last year, AvtoVAZ made an offer to place the body production in the building of the abolished OPP, but then he himself withdrew this offer. Now, according to some reports, they want to offer the 62nd VAZ corps for this role, from where the production of the first generation Lada 4x4 was recently withdrawn. Meanwhile, the welding equipment and part of the tooling already at the disposal of GM-AvtoVAZ are by no means getting any younger and will soon require major preventive maintenance.

AvtoVAZ, as a co-owner of the joint venture, emphatically distances itself from financial problems with the launch of the Chevy Niva-2, but does not fix active obstacles to the project and even does not mind making money on the hopeless situation of the American side. But - in moderation, without bending over to someone else's terms of reference. A kind of mixture of egocentrism and ecstasy with omnipotence. An elephant's gaze at the little mouse fuss.

But the irony of fate is that GM itself held a similar position in 2012, when it announced that the new generation car would be developed and produced independently, without the help of AvtoVAZ. Unofficially, the GM-AvtoVAZ JV explained it this way: "We are tired of the disgusting quality of VAZ components and the complicated relationship with such a co-shareholder, so we will build our own body production and localize the assembly of imported units in Togliatti - ourselves, at our own expense."

It was a demarche, although officially the parties continued to smile at each other. The market was growing, the ruble was getting stronger, and the planned $ 200 million seemed to be enough for everything. Not enough. And the risks of a technological "divorce" with AvtoVAZ were not fully calculated. Therefore, the Chevy Niva, in fact, was held hostage by her own parents.

GM is now trying, by analogy with AvtoVAZ itself, to use the administrative resource (the project of the new Chevy Niva is personally supported by the governor of the Samara region Nikolai Merkushkin), dreams of receiving the state guarantee already promised at the very top on a loan from Sberbank - and, most likely, it will. But in the end, alas, a car may be born, woven from compromises.

True, even such a Chevrolet Niva-2 should have a steady demand in the “brutal SUVs” market, because it will remain the only domestic (read - affordable) car in this class. The Lada 4x4 New Generation crossover is already designed for several other consumers, not those who knead mud in forests. The only question is whether there will be enough such narrow-budget buyers to pay off the project. After all, even if you make production according to the cheapest option, with the placement of the welding complex on your own territory, the break-even point, according to the unofficial estimate of the DJEM employees themselves, is unlikely to be below 50 thousand cars per year.

The Chevrolet Niva SUV has been produced since 2002 and during this time has managed to gain the fame of a reliable car that is not afraid bad roads... But everything comes to an end, and the era of the first generation of "Niva" ends, and ahead of us is a more modern car, which has retained the best qualities of its predecessor.

On August 27, within the framework of MIAS-2014, the Niva II concept car debuted, which will form the basis of the second generation of the Chevrolet Niva SUV. The car received a more brutal design with an abundance of angular shapes and stylish stamps, narrowed optics, 16-inch wheel disks and a factory optional off-road body kit (engine protection, optics protection, winch, etc.), which will be available as options.

The dimensions of the novelty will practically not change, a serious increase (slightly less than 300 mm) went only to the length of the 2nd generation Niva, which stretched to 4316 mm.

In the same brutal style, the interior of the new generation of the SUV will also be executed, which will receive new seats, a completely redesigned front panel, an updated instrument panel, more expensive trim and improved noise insulation. The manufacturer promises a significant increase in the comfort of the cabin in comparison with its predecessor, so that the new generation of Chevrolet Niva will become not only more beautiful, but also more comfortable.

Earlier it was assumed that under the hood of the second generation Chevrolet Niva there will be a 1.8-liter gasoline aspirated EC8 series, produced under license from the French concern PSA. This engine has 4 cylinders in-line, 16-valve timing and multipoint fuel injection. Its power is about 136 hp, and the torque reaches 172 Nm. The use of such a motor would allow the "second Niva" to compete more successfully with Renault Duster.
But, due to the sharp depreciation of the Russian ruble, "the focus has shifted" towards the "modified version" of the new Togliatti 1.8-liter 4-cylinder 16-valve 122-horsepower engine.

In addition, GM-AvtoVAZ plans to offer the buyers of the new SUV an optional “automatic”, but the main gearbox will still remain a reliable 5-speed “mechanics”.

Considers the developer and the possibility of installing a diesel engine on the 2nd generation Chevrolet Niva power plant, but so far this question remains open.

Contrary to all rumors, the 2nd generation Chevrolet Niva is built on a completely new off-road platform with independent front suspension and dependent rear. In the base, the car will receive a permanent all-wheel drive with a two-stage transfer case and an interaxle differential lock. Due to short overhangs and sloping bumpers, the new "Niva" will retain its previous geometric cross-country ability, and the supporting body of the SUV will receive additional reinforcement, which should increase the safety of the car in case of an accident.

A little later, the GM-AvtoVAZ concern plans to release a front-wheel drive "urban" modification of the 2nd generation Chevrolet Niva.

In the fall of 2014, a prototype of the new SUV was undergoing sea trials in Italy and Spain. According to the first (optimistic) plans, the start of serial production of the Chevrolet Niva 2 was scheduled for December 2015, and the start of sales of the car was supposed to take place in mid-2016, but the financial crisis that overtook the GM-AvtoVAZ enterprise in 2015 significantly pushed these deadlines (beginning production was postponed until January 2019, and the start of sales, respectively, and even later).

As for the price, initially the manufacturer promised to keep the lower bar within 600,000 rubles for basic modification, but in light of the depreciation of the ruble, a cost of about 700-800 thousand should be expected.