"Niva 21213": characteristics, features and reviews of owners

VAZ 21213 "Niva" is one of the most successful and significant developments for the Volga Automobile Plant. We can say that the "Niva" is the most significant model in the entire history of the domestic automotive industry. Initially, this car was characterized as an off-road car with a four-wheel drive 4x4. What secrets does this model hide, what's under the hood and how long has it existed? About all this and not only - later in our article.

Production history

The serial production of the VAZ car "Niva" 21213 began in 1977. In the development of this SUV, the most eminent engineering engineers of the USSR were involved. Probably, it is the unity of all the actions of the designers of the design bureau that made it possible to create a car characterized by high traffic, light weight and unpretentiousness in servicing.

VAZ "Niva" 21213 is the first in the history of the domestic automobile industry car, which was created specifically for off-road driving, traveling to the most inaccessible places, and also for trips to fishing and hunting. All this contributed not only to the full drive and powerful for the time petrol engine, but also a practical layout of the body - the folding rear seat allowed to place inside the "Niva" various household goods weighing up to several hundred kilograms.

Domestic Range Rover?

What unites the domestic VAZ 2121 with the British "Rover"? At first glance, absolutely nothing. However, it is only necessary to look at the technical part, and everything will become clear. The fact is that the Niva used an unmounted drive on all four wheels with a transfer case and an interaxle-locked differential. It was such a "filling" was the British "Range Rover" in the 70's. Thanks to this equipment, the domestic SUV could easily overcome fords, ravines and other impassable roads. At that time, the new Soviet SUV had no analogues in terms of patency and comfort.

About the body of an off-road vehicle

It is worth saying that the original body of the car VAZ "Niva" 21213 was not all-metal. The first experimental modifications of the SUV in question had an open body, the roof of which was covered with a tarpaulin (such a cabriolet of increased terrain). However, in mass production only models with a solid metal body, which we now see on the streets, have entered.

Equipment and comfort

At first glance, Viva Niva 21213 is the Volga analog of the Ural UAZ of the 469th model. Yes, in terms of driving performance and patency it's almost like Siamese twins, but inside they are completely different. The front row of seats - with headrests, the backrest is adjustable in length and angle, the rear row is added to increase the luggage space. By order, "Niva" was equipped with a washer and a rear window cleaner, as well as a window heater on the electric drive. By today's standards, equipping the Volga SUV is almost ascetic, but in the 70's, such luxurious things were not even dreamed of.

Soul mates!

One of the most significant features of this machine was that most of the parts and assemblies were "thrown" from the passenger cars of the same VAZ (mainly the "six"). So, on the basis of the VAZ 2106 Soviet engineers engineered a rear axle and gearbox.

VAZ Niva 21213: specifications

Initially, the car was equipped with a 4-cylinder carburetor engine capacity of 1.6 liters. Then came new modifications, as a result of which the line of power plants was replenished with a 1.3-liter engine, but he was not particularly popular among car enthusiasts.

As for the gearbox, the Niva was equipped with a four-speed manual gearbox with synchronizers for forward gear. A little later the SUV began to be equipped with a more advanced transmission - 5 steps. Do not forget about the transfer case, which allowed the SUV to overcome any impassability. The two-stage "distribution" with the interaxle differential had a forced interlock. Cardan gear consisted of cardan shafts of the rear and front axles, as well as the intermediate shaft.

The suspension also had its own technical features. The front was independent, on transverse rocker arms with hydraulic shock absorbers, springs and stabilizer stabilizer, which prevented the vehicle from tipping over corners. Rear suspension - dependent, with coil springs, one cross bar and four longitudinal. Like the front, it was equipped with several hydraulic shock absorbers.

The first modernization of the domestic SUV

It's not strange, but the first modernized model of the Niva went into mass production only 16 years later. Moreover, virtually nothing has changed in the technical part of the car - all the details and units of the 1977 model! The exception was the new ICE, but it was not much later.

The main changes touched only the external appearance of the Niva. The new modification differs more elongated body and slightly modified stop lamps at the rear. By the way, the trunk lid was now only opened from the saloon. The bumper remained metallic, but now it is painted in a light gray color. In general, the exterior of the car is not very refined and steep. However, today's off-road tuning of VAZ 21213 ("Niva"), which consists in installing power bumpers, snorkels, new disks and other units, allows to significantly modernize the appearance of the car.

Inside the change, too, were minimal - the seats and the dashboard became similar to "Ladovsky" (from VAZ 2108). And what do the hosts say? According to the reviews, the "Niva" 21213 after the upgrade has become more comfortable, but the designers did not manage to avoid the old shortcomings (back skews and constant noise inside).

And now about the technical part. The upgraded version of the Niva since the beginning of 1993 is equipped with a new petrol engine with an increased capacity of up to 1.7 liters. For the first time on an off-road vehicle, a non-contact ignition system was used. Changed and carburetor. The brake system was improved. The main transmission of the transmission now has a gear ratio of 3.9. A small change has also been made in the silencer. Now its body is not welded, as before, but rolled (like the "Lada" of the eighth model).

As practice shows, new developments in the system of internal combustion engine and transmission have made it possible to significantly reduce fuel consumption on the Viva Niva 21213 SUV. So, the "hundred" car spends about 13 liters in the city and up to 11 liters on the highway.

The export versions of the Niva had a central fuel injection, were equipped with an uninterrupted drive of wheels with an interaxle differential and a "distribution" with a lowering row. At the request of the customer, the car could be equipped with a French diesel engine from the "Peugeot" with a working volume of 1.9 liters. But, unfortunately, these were only isolated cases.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that today appeared a lot of competitors for the "Niva" 2121, this SUV was still, is and will be the best friend of hunters, fishermen and just off-road lovers. Due to the almost complete absence of electronics VAZ 2121 - this is perhaps the only jeep that can easily conquer any section of the road (with the exception of its Ural brothers, the brand "UAZ").