Category Archives: Review

Lada Niva 4×4

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Does anyone remember the Lada Niva 4×4?

Lada Niva

Well, I sure do since it feels like it was yesterday I was 12 and in the family Oldsmobile heading to the dealer to test drive one with my father.  I’m still not 100% sure but I think I got my Dad curious to go for the test drive by explaining the amazing price point and reinforcing my argument by saying the Niva was a modern day International Scout with a cold war twist. As my Dad was a travelling salesman who leased a different car every two years I did my best to influence what car/vehicle would be brought home and this time I was focused on getting Dad interested in the little Niva.

A well used Niva in the Soviet motherland

During the test drive on a Southwestern Ontario back road, I remember thinking how awesome the Lada 4×4 was and how it would be “perfect” for our family. Unfortunately, while I was thinking that, my father was nowhere near as impressed and was down right shocked with the unbelievably low level of quality from the Soviet automaker. In fact, I do remember the interior looking a bit like a Sputnik spacecraft so I know he was not way off base. Suffice it to say, Dad and I did not drive home from the dealer that day in a new Lada. Nevertheless, the impression was not lost on me and since then I have always had a bit of a soft spot for the infamous Niva 4×4.

Modified Niva

The Niva was built by Soviet/Russian automaker AvtoVAZ,  which brands all their vehicles under the Lada brand. According to Wikipedia, the Niva was originally described by designers as a Renault 5 put on a Land Rover chassis.  It was AvtoVAZ‘s first non-Fiat based model. However, much of the vehicle’s mechanicals were carried over from the Fiat based Lada models, except for the body, four-wheel drive system, and front suspension which were specifically designed by Lada. Production of the Niva began in 1977 and continued for 34 years as the last Niva just rolled off the production line in September 2012.  Quite a successful run for the little gutsy 4×4 from the land of the iron curtain.

In terms of engineering highlights, the Niva was one of the first mass production off-road vehicles to feature a unibody architecture with an independent front suspension of which most of today’s crossover/SUVs follow as their suspension set-up.

Factory stock Niva

The Niva’s standard powerplant includes a 1.6-liter overhead cam, four cylinder, gas engine producing 72 hp and 93 lb·ft of torque, matted to a four or five speed manual transmission, and full-time four-wheel drive. A 1.7-litre gas engine was introduced later in production, as well as a single-point fuel injection supplied initially by General Motors.  Since 2004, a multi-point fuel injection system designed by Bosch was also used and in some markets a 1.9L Peugeot XUD diesel powered powerplant was available as well.

The four-wheel drive system employs three differentials (centre, front and rear), similar to the manual transmission of the Toyota FJ Cruiser. With the Niva, the transfer case consists of a high/low range selector lever and a central differential lock lever while low range can be selected with the centre differential locked or unlocked.

The Niva had a maximum speed of approx 130 km/h (80 mph), and could cruise at 90 km/h (56 mph) while fuel efficiency was a solid 8.25 L/100 km (28.5 mpg). The towing capacity was rated for up to 860 kg (1900 lb) which was generous considering the size of the engine.

Lada in snow

Apparently, President Putin is a fan too as seen in this 2009 pic of his heavily modified model including lift kit, camo paint scheme, winch, lights, brush bar and snorkel exhaust.

Putin’s Niva

Although the Lada Niva 4×4 never won too many production quality awards it remains a very unique and interesting vehicle and it certainly captured the heart of one Canadian 12 year old boy many years ago. Earlier this month, Lada announced it intends to replace the Niva with the below XRAY concept car.

New Lada Protoype

So who knows, maybe the new version can capture the hearts of the next generation. Only time will tell.

2012 Chevrolet Volt Review

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The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle which has been offered by General Motors since 2010. It is the first full production modern electric vehicle (EV) GM has developed and builds on their experience from earlier electric vehicle pilots, such as the EV1 in the mid-1990s. As the description of the vehicle implies, drivers can plug-in their vehicle to the electricity grid to recharge the battery which enables them to drive entirely on electricity. Does this game changing technology live up to all the hype? And how does it compare to conventional gasoline powered vehicles? Read on to find out.

2012 Chevy Volt

The Numbers:

The MSRP for the 2012 Chevy Volt is $41,545 (CAD) and it is eligible for government incentives in a number of jurisdictions. In Canada, the province of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia all offer purchase incentives.  In Ontario, the incentive value is $8,231 (CAD) resulting in the starting price of the Volt being reduced to $33,314 (CAD).

So what does the post incentive price of the low $30k get you? More than you may think.

The Volt is powered by a dual 111 KW electric motor producing 149 hp along with a 1.4 liter, four cylinder, gasoline engine producing 85 hp. While the Volt’s acceleration won’t win you any races at the track, it is still quite impressive. When entering the freeway you only have to nudge the accelerator to get you up to cruising speed.

Officially, the Volt’s acceleration time is 9.2 seconds running on electric-only mode, and 9.0 seconds with the gasoline engine assisting propulsion and overall top speed is 160 km/h (100 mph).

2012 Volt: Charging Port

The all important stat for electric vehicles is the range. The Volt’s range is approximately 40-80 kms (24 to 50 miles) on the electric battery and over 500 kms (310 miles) using the gasoline ‘range extender’ engine. It should be noted factors such as driver behaviour, ambient temperature, road conditions, terrain, etc… can all have an impact on the total distance that can be driven in electric only mode. This is common to all electric vehicles.In total, Volt drivers get up to 580 kms (360 miles) of range from both the battery and gasoline engine combined as it has a 35 liter (9.25 gallon) gas tank. This combination is the real differentiator for both daily commute driving and those all important road trips.

The Driving Experience:

Although the Volt is a compact car it provides users with a lot of pep. This was in fact evident since the RedlineNorth Team was impressed with the power behind the wheel off the line, largely thanks to the large amount of torque the electric motor provides.

2012 Volt: Eligible for a green licence plate providing access to High Occupancy Vehicle lanes in Ontario, Canada

While braking does feel different in an electric vehicle largely due to the regenerative braking technology, overall the brakes felt as responsive as traditional brakes. And after a few days driving the Volt, the unique characteristics of the regenerative braking became so familiar we were not aware of the difference.

Cut away of the Chevy Volt showing the location of the lithium batteries

As a result of the batteries being located along the bottom of the vehicle (see picture above) the Volt has a low center of gravity and really hugs the road when cornering. Once the electric battery has been depleted the car automatically shifts into ‘range extender’ mode utilizing the gasoline engine. This switch is seamless for the driver and there is only a slight hint of engine sounds once it kicks in, much less overall noise than in a conventional combustion vehicle.

Interior:

2012 Volt: Rear two person seating

The Volt seats four, as the back middle seat is taken up with the 16 kWh battery. Our Volt tester came with all the available interior features including a premium trim package consisting of leather wrapped steering wheel, heated driver & passenger seats all in a supple black leather. During the test period, we used the Volt around the city for transporting the whole family, including an infant. The installation of the car seat was easy thanks to the UAS and the lack of a middle seat didn’t provide much inconvenience. There was also sufficient trunk space for all the extra ‘stuff’ that comes with transporting young children. However, families with two young kids going on an extended trip may find storage space limited. Similarly, rear leg room is somewhat limited, but legroom and trunk space are largely on par with other compact class vehicles.

2012 Volt: Location of the Level 1 charger in the trunk along with tire repair kit

The location of the Level 1 (120V) charger under the trunk floor, where a spare tire is typically kept (the vehicle comes with a tire repair kit and air compressor) could be a bit inconvenient on multi-day trips. Since the current design requires you to unload the trunk in order to lift up the trunk floor to access the charger. Having a split trunk floor lid requiring only one side to be free of trunk contents in order to access the charger would likely be a better design.

The infotainment system in the Volt is fairly standard for its class and includes; a 6 speaker system with SiriusXM satellite radio, standard Bluetooth hands free phone and audio connectivity, remote starter, OnStar®, USB ports and an Android and iOS compatible app (OnStar® Remote Link) that provides key vehicle information, including current state of charge.

Optional equipment in the test vehicle included a rear vision camera and parking assist. The parking assist uses ultrasonic frequencies to let you know while backing up when you are nearing an object. A warning symbol also appears in rear view monitor showing what side of the vehicle the object is located, a really nice feature for the urbanite. However, while the rear camera option is a positive feature from a safety perspective, when parking in tight spots, such as a downtown parking garage, the warning beeps can become  distracting and at times we were wanting a mute button. Nevertheless, this is only a minor nuisance and did not significantly detract from the overall driving experience.

2012 Volt: Dashboard display providing battery, total range and fuel efficiency information. Note the fuel efficiency calculation of 1.1l/100km

For those so inclined, pressing a button on the dash provides a wealth of information on your driving characteristics. There is real time feedback on your driving style in the form of a round green ground ball in the instrument panel that will shift upwards if you are draining energy and stay stable or move downwards if you are recovering energy, through the brakes for example. It can be quite addictive to try and drive in such a manner as to keep the ball steady or move downwards.

Charging (Time and Cost):

The Volt comes with a Level 1 (120 V) charger standard with the vehicle. Plugging the vehicle into to a standard wall socket will charge the 16 kWh battery in approximately 10-12 hours. Volt owners also have the option of upgrading to a Level 2 (240V) charger (think the type of plug your clothes dryer uses) which drops the recharge time down to approximately 4 hours. It should be noted the times are for a completely depleted battery to 100% charge. If you are simply topping up the battery at night charge times would be less. As mentioned previously a fully charged battery will allow you to drive approximately 40 to 80 kilometers. Enough for the average urban commuter to get to work and back, plus perform a few extra side trips along the way.

The cost of recharging the battery will vary based on the electricity prices in the region, but in Ontario, Canada they will range from $1 to $2 depending on the time of day and state of battery charge. The vehicle allows owners to delay their charging to take advantage of time of use billing differences (in jurisdictions that have it). In other words, if an electricity provider reduces their rates starting at 8 pm Volt owners can program their vehicle to start charging after 8 pm despite plugging it in earlier.

Exterior

2012 Volt: Sporty Styling

The Volt’s appearance has an understated sportiness to it and the RedlineNorth Team remains partial to the look of the Volt tester in black. Overall, the style of the Volt has a modern look and feel with extremely clean lines and a square back end. The interior trim in the test vehicle was a glossy white plastic and initially it looked attractive, but after a while you felt like you’re riding around in a giant iPod and that look may not be for everyone.

2012 Volt: Front dashboard

Summary

Over the course of the week the RedlineNorth Team test vehicle was recharged three times and used approximately $9 in gasoline (the Volt requires premium gasoline). Total estimated cost for the week based on $1.45/litre ($5.50/gallon) of premium gasoline and 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity was just under $13.

A number of people have commented that the pay back period on gasoline savings alone on EVs is prohibitively long. Based on gasoline prices only that may be the case depending on the scenario, however, other factors such as reduced maintenance costs, along with non-monetary considerations such as the quiet ride, high low end torque, convenience of filling up at home and peace of mind around reducing your tailpipe emissions all contribute to the attractiveness of the vehicle. Focusing solely on the potential savings from fuel fill ups is a single dimensional argument that misses the point. Consumers that are buying the Volt are buying the total package and its an attractive package at that.

Electric vehicles such as the Volt are remarkable in that they are unremarkable. They feel like you are driving any other similar gasoline or diesel fueled vehicle. The Volt doesn’t feel like you have sacrificed any performance or features for its class in order to be able to drive around town on electrons. Once you get over the type of ‘fuel’ that is powering the vehicle whether it’s diesel, gasoline or electricity you sit back and enjoy the ride.

With GM already selling more than 22,000 Volts to date globally we look forward to seeing more of the Chevy Volts on our roads. So keep your eye out for this innovative, high tech piece of auto machinery as the new 2013 Chevrolet Volt will be arriving in select GM showrooms soon.

Competitors:

Currently in Canada, the main electric vehicle competitors to the Chevrolet Volt are the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Motors’ i-MiEV which are both full battery electric vehicles. The upcoming Ford Focus EV and the plug-in version of the Toyota Prius will also provide the Volt with additional competition later on this year.

Autoglym Valet Kit Review

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Autoglym Valet Kit

The RedlineNorth team were recently provided a sample of the Autoglym Valet Kit from our friends at Canadian Tire to review.  This kit provides the user with a start to finish for all quick auto detailing needs and includes six 500 ml bottles of Autoglym products (Bodyworks Shampoo Conditioner, Super Resin Polish, Fast Glass, Instant Tyre Dressing, Vinyl & Rubber Care and Custom Wheel Cleaner), a Perfect Polish Cloth, Sponge and carrying case.  The only noticeable exception is car wax, although it does come with a Rapid Detailer (see below for a review on that product).  The Autoglym Valet Kit retails for $99.99 and is available at Canadian Tire in Canada. The individual products are also sold separately.

The RedlineNorth team used a black 2003 Nissan Altima to try out the kit.  Black is a notoriously difficult paint colour to keep looking new and tends to show off a lot of imperfections, such as scratches and dents. A perfect opportunity to see what this stuff can do!

First up for review is the Rapid Detailer which is designed to be used between regular washing to remove dust and fingerprints and provides water repellent properties.  In short, the detailer worked very well – so much so it was noticed by one of the wives of the RedlineNorth team a couple of days after the application as the car being ‘shiny’ and ‘looks good.’ In our books that’s one of the most authentic reviews we could have received.  In addition,  given that the application of the product was so quick and easy to apply, the Rapid Detailer is going to be used regularly by us going forward.

All that is required to apply the Rapid Detailer is a cold vehicle surface, a quick spray and a little bit of elbow grease with a mirco fiber cloth.  The Valet Kit does come with a ‘perfect palm’ applicator, as shown below, which we used to apply the detailer.  It was a nice added touch, but not necessary to get a good result. After the application we let the detailer sit for a number of minutes while we applied the tyre dressing and wheel cleaner. We then returned to the detailer to wipe off the product and did some quick buffing to reveal a brilliant shine.  So much so, the black metal appeared almost mirror like reflecting our work area as can be seen in the pictures.  We can honestly say we’ve used a number of similar products in the past, but have yet to such a result in as little time as this took.

Before Auto Glym Rapid Detailer Applied

Before Autoglym Rapid Detailer was applied

Using the Palm Applicator

Results of the Autoglym Rapid Detailer

The Custom Wheel Cleaner was also very easy to apply with a few squirts around the circumference of the rim, about 60 seconds of wiping and then letting sit for 60 seconds, doing one wheel at a time.

At the same time as the Wheel Cleaner, the Instant Tyre Dressing was applied as both require rinsing after the application. Yes, tyre is spelled with a ‘y’ in the UK and as these products are actually made in England – not just the typical cop out of being ‘designed’ in one place, but actually made somewhere else –  it’s therefore fitting they use the British spelling. Again, the application was very easy, a few squirts, one wipe around to ensure an even coating and then let sit for three minutes.

Before Customer Wheel Cleaner

Before Custom Wheel Cleaner

Before Instant Tyre Dressing

Before Instant Tyre Dressing

Literally 60 second wipe

Literally a 60 second wipe

Once the tire and rims were rinsed there was a very noticeable improvement in the blackness of the tire and the cleanliness of the rims.  These two Autoglym products were one of the easiest products to apply that also resulted in noticeable results.

The Results

In addition, the Instant Tyre Dressing can also be used as an engine dressing to protect and improve the appearance under the hood as well.

After using the products

At the end of the day there are a wide variety of car cleaning products out there. The old adage you get what you pay for rings true with AutoGlym.  While other products may give you a similar result, a lot more effort can be required.  The Autoglym products aren’t the cheapest products out there.  Individually, the products retail for $12.99 for the Tyre Dressing, $14.99 for the Rapid Detailer, and $12.99 for the Custom Wheel Cleaner. However, what impressed the RedlineNorth team the most was the easy of use and the little effort required to make a 9 year old car look very good, and stay that way.

If you are like the RedlineNorth team and you have one hour on the weekend once a month to work on the car and you want something that will give you the best results with very little effort and time, we recommend you give the AutoGlym Valet Kit a shot and try it for yourself. Canadian Tire also offers a 1 year exchange warranty redeemable at any Canadian Tire store on the three products reviewed in this post.