Sofa rear backrest lock
Lada 2109 / VAZ 2109
In 1985, the Volzhsky Automobile Plant expanded its line of golf-class cars by releasing the first VAZ 2109 Sputnik from the assembly line. Lada 2109, in fact, was not much different from the previous, eighth model, with the exception of a new five-door body. It is thanks to the body that the “nine” has fully earned the status of a family car. In 1991, a new design for the front of the car was developed. Cars with this design began to be produced immediately after the start of production of the VAZ-21099 sedan.
For its dynamics, convenience and relatively low price, the VAZ 2109 immediately gained considerable popularity. The car was successfully produced in various configurations for sixteen years. In 2004, the “nine” was discontinued. It has given way with dignity to more advanced and modern models.
Technical characteristics of VAZ 2109
Modifications of VAZ 2109
Modern models:
Model: VAZ 2105
Body type: Sedan
The rear-wheel drive five-seat four-door sedan VAZ 2105 was developed on the basis of the legendary “kopek” and has been produced by the Volzhsky Automobile Plant since 1980.
Model: VAZ 2107
Body type: Sedan
A representative of the Zhiguli family, the rear-wheel drive four-door sedan VAZ 2107 (export and modern name LADA 2107) has been produced at the Volzhsky Automobile Plant since 1982.
Model: VAZ 2110
Body type: Sedan
For the first time, an electronic car control system was installed on the Lada 2110. This significantly affected its driving and operational characteristics.
Model: VAZ 2115
Body type: Sedan
VAZ 2115 is a restyling of the VAZ-21099 model (produced by the Volzhsky Automobile Plant in 1990 - 2004) and is the ancestor of the second generation Samar.
Model: Lada Kalina Sedan
Body type: Sedan
Lada Kalina (LADA Kalina) is a family of Russian cars. Produced by AvtoVAZ OJSC since November 18, 2004. The manufacturing plant has been using the car brand name since 2004.
Model: Lada Priora Sedan
Body type: Sedan
In 2007, sales of the firstborn of the Priora family with a sedan body began. Its advantages include a powerful 98-horsepower engine that meets the requirements of the Euro-3 standard.
Model: VAZ 2113
Body type: Hatchback
VAZ 2113 seats five passengers and has three doors. The predecessor of the Samara 2 is the LADA 2108, in which the designers changed the shape of the body to improve its aerodynamic qualities.
Model: VAZ 2114
Body type: Hatchback
The VAZ-2114 is developed on the basis of the VAZ-21093 and is a five-door hatchback with front-wheel drive. Equipped with new headlights, a reshaped hood, an interesting radiator lining and modern bumpers.
Model: Lada Kalina Hatchback
Body type: Hatchback
The five-door hatchback Lada Kalina (1119) belongs to class B and is a comfortable and reliable car for traveling with the family, both in urban conditions and outside the city.
Model: Lada Kalina Sport
Body type: Hatchback
When developing the car, we used the best technical achievements of the Lada Kalina hatchback. It differs from the Lada Kalina hatchback in a more informative steering mechanism with a gear ratio of 3.1.
Model: Lada Priora Coupe
Body type: Hatchback
The production of the new VAZ 21728 Coupe model began on January 18, 2010 at AvtoVAZ pilot production. In fact, it is a three-door hatchback developed on the basis of the VAZ 2172.
Model: Lada Priora Hatchback
Body type: Hatchback
The Lada Priora hatchback is a deep restyling of its predecessor, the VAZ-2112. During its development, the mistakes made by designers when creating the “tenth” family were eliminated.
Model: VAZ 2104
Body type: Station wagon
Serial production of the VAZ-2104 car was started at the Volzhsky Automobile Plant in 1984. In parallel with the new model, until 1985, a similar class car, the VAZ-2102, was produced.
Model: VAZ 2111
Body type: Station wagon
The VAZ 2111, a comfortable car designed for the whole family, first rolled off the production line in 1998. It has increased interior comfort and a pleasant smooth ride.
Model: Lada Kalina Universal
Body type: Station wagon
The Lada Kalina station wagon has been produced since 2007. The Lada Kalina station wagon has a modern, elegant body, modernized lighting equipment and a comfortable interior.
Model: Lada Priora Universal
Body type: Station wagon
The Lada Priora station wagon rolled off the AvtoVAZ assembly line at the end of May 2009. Thanks to modern technologies production is becoming a very popular brand in Russia.
Model: VAZ 2121 Niva
Body type: SUV
The first batch of the popular four-seater all-wheel drive SUV "Niva" (VAZ 2121) was assembled in 1976, mass production began in 1977 and finally began in 1980.
Model: VAZ 2131 Niva
Body type: SUV
The five-door crossover VAZ 2131 Niva has been produced in small batches at the AVTOVAZ Pilot Industrial Production since 1995. When designing, the designers started from the VAZ-21213 all-terrain vehicle.
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VAZ 2109 (popularly called “nine”) is a Soviet front-wheel drive vehicle of group II small class in a hatchback body. The model was developed and mass-produced at the Volzhsky Automobile Plant from 1987-2004.
From 2004, cars (VAZ-21093) until the end of 2011 were assembled from vehicle kits at the Ukrainian enterprise ZAZ. This vehicle is also a five-door version of the VAZ-2108 in the Lada Sputnik model division. You can still buy this car on the used car market today. All.
Car history
Towards the end of the 1980s, AVTOVAZ decided to fill the empty niche of comfortable and versatile family models with the VAZ-2109 car. The fact that the debut domestic mass-produced front-wheel drive car appeared at the Volga Automobile Plant was a significant event not only for the Volga residents, but also for the entire Soviet automobile industry.
It’s a little symbolic, but the start of production of the G8 coincided with a significant event that was celebrated in the fall of 1984 - the 60th anniversary of the automobile industry of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. After two years, the original assembly line of the car plant in Togliatti produced a pilot batch of 159 Nine models.
The new version of the “chisel” inherited all the technical innovations from the older model and was able to instantly gain the respect of car enthusiasts. Among all the points, the most important was the “rational” number of doors. However, despite this, a three-door version entered mass production. The logical question arises, why?
Because in a state where personal transport was considered a luxury, and happy car owners felt the transport difficulties of their relatives and friends, the standard 3-volume sedan version was more in line with the drivers’ needs. For a long time, all Soviet mass-produced cars were produced in just such a body.
More productive station wagons, which were produced in small quantities, began to be sold only towards the end of the 1960s, and they were considered in great short supply. There was not a word about other versions of the body: directors of automobile enterprises did not even risk conducting experiments, objectively believing that these programs would not be positively received “at the top.”
But in the case of the G8, everything turned out in the opposite order. At the end of the 1970s, all of Europe was literally overwhelmed by the fashion for hatchbacks. The leaders of the Tolyatti automobile plant, wanting to comply with modern trends, during the design of the new model series, decided to introduce into it, in addition to the standard sedan, 3- and 5-door hatchbacks that were fundamentally fresh for Soviet industrial turnover.
Entering the foreign market new car, designed with the standards of world trends, was supposed to strengthen VAZ's export positions. The Ministry of Automotive Industry cooled down the ardor of the engineers from Tolyatti a little, calculating the impossibility of financing the production of all 3 versions for assembly line assembly.
In reality, it was possible to free up only one line of the factory conveyor for the assembly of 2 standardized modifications. As it turned out, the role of those “lucky ones” was a hatchback, which had a lot of common body elements. As the base version, they decided to choose a cheaper three-door car, and a couple of years later, a five-door car “came to the rescue.”
The sedan version (VAZ-21099) was introduced into mass production only at the end of 1990. Although this particular delay, in a sense, benefited the enterprise itself, since with the appearance of the sedan there would have been intense competition with the hatchback version, which was in no way included in the plans of the management of the Volzhsky Automobile Plant.
Appearance
From the outside, the VAZ-2109 is an evolution of the Soviet car. Here you can notice the transition to rectangular body lines, which are clearly distinguished by the bow headlights, which are shaped like a trapezoid, as well as a flat-shaped radiator grille and a slightly inclined hood. It was decided to place the turn signal lights on the long front fenders.
After some time, hydraulic headlight range control began to be installed on all “nines”, and some vehicles had a brush headlight cleaner. In 1989, the debut restyling of the “nine” exterior took place, which consisted of a transition from small front wings to longer ones. The most dubious component in the exterior of the G8 and VAZ-2109 was the so-called nasal mask.
It was a fairly complex type of body part, which was adjacent to the hood and wings installed in front. The combined mask area had a beak that protruded forward of the radiator trim. Block headlights were installed on the sides of this unusual structure. Such a pile of elements reduced the already slight elegance of the Soviet car, and the clear lines connecting the cladding to the wings looked unpleasant.
We decided to use only a solid wing, without any “tricks”, which improved appearance VAZ 2109. After that, a new grille was installed, where there were two longitudinal stripes in a large frame. After some time they began to use new version, consisting of 3 massive stripes, devoid of any frame.
VAZ-2109 with an updated radiator grille The side part has the same straight lines of doors and roof, wheel arches and average ground clearance. “Nine” is very similar to its predecessor, the VAZ-2108, which was nicknamed “chisel”. The Soviet hatchback has the same nose shape. Unusually large doors and a thick central pillar add “sporty features” to the model.
On the “nine”, the width of the doors installed in front was reduced from 1,264 to 1,025 millimeters. Thanks to this, the design team was able to incorporate rear doors into the side of the body, the width of which is 885 millimeters. The rectangular rear lights are limited by the line of the luggage compartment lid, which also has a sharp transition at an angle to the roof.
The fifth door received a rear window with a wiper, and the bumpers, along with the side skirts, were made of black plastic (there is a similar bumper in front). The design of the VAZ 2109 has a certain swiftness of lines, but it is very far from a sports car.
Here the developers placed great emphasis on the more practical aspects of the vehicle. When 1987 arrived, the new model mastered the production of plastic gas tanks, which were much lighter and easier to assemble than others. VAZ-2108 and VAZ-2109 already had gas tanks made of steel and plastic.
It is worth admitting that after a while they decided to abandon the production of plastic tanks, as there were problems with the permeability of gasoline vapors.
Interior
The interior decoration of the VAZ is reminiscent of the minimalism of the 1980s. The instrument panel and dashboard create an almost right angle. There are only 3 types of panels: “low”, “high” and “European”. If we talk about the quality of the plastic used as finishing, then it is far from ideal.
Of course, by installing plastic in the interior of the Nine, it was possible to reduce the weight of the car, but on the other hand, it deprived VAZ cars of that touch of luxury that the Zhiguli of the classic division is remembered for. If you look at it differently, the ergonomic level is not bad, so you don’t have to be distracted from driving the vehicle on the road.
This was partly achieved through the compact arrangement of controls. Inside the steering wheel there is one curved transverse element with a button sound signal. Airbags are not provided by the factory. In general, the interior of the VAZ-2109 is purely practical with claims to the level of comfort.
Despite the laconic “low” instrument panel, it is quite comfortable. Although many liked the high panel 2109. The seats installed in front received headrests. In addition, the front seats have upper seat belt attachment points that are height adjustable.
The elastic seats provide good body support. But a tall driver will lack the choice of adjusting his seat in the longitudinal plane. The rear sofa, although designed for three passengers, can only accommodate two people comfortably.
Do not forget that their height should be no more than 175 cm. The luggage compartment volume of the Soviet hatchback is quite modest 270 liters of usable space (the more practical platform version already received 400 liters).
Technical characteristics of VAZ 2109
Engine
As motors, domestic engineers used various power plants with different volume and power. The very first Soviet-made models came with a 1.1-liter engine.
The basic version of the “nine” was equipped with a 4-stroke, eight-valve, four-cylinder power unit of the “eight”, the displacement of which was 1,295 cubic centimeters. This “engine” developed 64 horsepower at 5,600 rpm. Peak torque (94 Nm) reached after 3,400 rpm.
The speed limit was 148 kilometers per hour. The first hundred was reached in 16 seconds. Such a modest engine consumed about 8.7 liters per hundred kilometers in city mode and 5.7 liters outside the city.
Option 21093 already has a carburetor engine 21083. It has a volume of 1,499 cubic centimeters. Maximum power of 69 “horses” is achieved after reaching 5,600 rpm. The maximum torque is 106.4 Nm already at 3,500 rpm. The Soviet hatchback can accelerate to 155 kilometers per hour, and the first hundred is reached in 15 seconds.
It is logical to conclude that as power increases, gasoline consumption also increases. So, in the city this figure remains at 8.6 liters per hundred kilometers, and on the highway it drops to 5.9 liters per 100 kilometers. The VAZ 2109 carburetor was called “Solex” and was a new, more economical model.
The most compact is considered to be the 1.1-liter engine, developing only 54 “horses”, which were available at 5,600 rpm. Maximum torque of 79 Nm is available at 3,600 rpm. The maximum speed does not exceed 155 kilometers per hour, and fuel consumption in combined mode is about 6.7 liters per 100 kilometers.
In addition, later they began to produce the VAZ 2109 engine with an injector. It received the index 211180 and was installed in the VAZ-21093i and 1.5 liter volume. This power unit is capable of producing 72 horsepower, available at 5,600 rpm.
Peak torque of 118 Nm is available at 2,800 rpm. For every 100 kilometers, the fuel consumption of the VAZ 2109 is 8.0 liters in the city and 5.8 liters on the highway.
In the injection version of the engine, injectors very often fail, but you can repair them yourself or have them repaired by specialists. This video explains well how to clean and rinse the injectors yourself.
Transmission
The gearbox for the hatchback initially came with four speeds, but since 1989, the engineering staff decided to introduce a five-speed manual transmission. This transmission has a single-plate simple clutch, a cylindrical final drive, a bevel differential and drive shafts with CV joints.
There is also an integrated center spring and cable drive. The VAZ 2109 gearbox is not very complicated, so some even undertake to repair it on their own.
The design of the Soviet front-wheel drive hatchback has an interesting feature. In order to engage reverse gear, move the gearshift lever all the way to the left and forward. Almost the same principle applies to turning on the first speed.
Chassis
At the front, they decided to install a fully independent McPherson-type suspension, which is also called a “floating spark plug.” At the rear they installed a semi-independent suspension with a transverse beam that works on torsion.
In its structure, such a beam is similar to numerous front-wheel drive cars of past years. Hydraulic shock absorbers and springs are used cylindrical, as well as lower wishbones with braces and a stabilizer bar.
As a braking device for a front-wheel drive car, disc brakes with movable calipers in front and drum mechanisms in the rear are used. The distance between the disc and the pad is adjusted automatically. The brake drive of the machine is represented by the hydraulic method.
Safety
The dashboard takes impacts tightly. The controls, along with the headrests and other elements, were made of soft plastic. The factory provided sun visors, so as not to blind the driver, which were covered with cladding. Additional sun protection is provided by easily adjusting the placement of the interior mirror.
The plant workers provided a system of mutually moving elements that absorb the impact force, combined with a carriage that moves to one side, which, using an adjustable delay, reduces the collision energy with the steering wheel. The aspherical concave external mirror increases the viewing range.
Estimating the distance to the car following behind will only be symbolic, since there is a slight distortion. The designers of the VAZ 2109 provided seat belts not only in the front seats, but also for those sitting in the rear. Such an element can save more than one life!
The car received three-point seat belts, with an automatically winding device and a locking device, which provides full independence of activity at a calm speed mode, while at the same time clasping the torso tightly and with tension.
During strong acceleration or deflection of the machine, the belt is quickly locked in all directions. This option is not tested by special sudden movements of the body.
Crash test
Price and options
The “nine” did not have a special level of comfort, so there is simply nothing to describe to a greater extent. Even then, it was in many ways superior to foreign cars. But the domestic hatchback was distinguished by its maintainability and the presence of the necessary parts.
The steering wheel did not have a hydraulic booster, so you had to physically work hard. There was a standard heater, a simple steering wheel and standard seats with seat belts installed.
It was possible to adjust the external mirrors from the interior using a mechanical lever. Today, the VAZ 2109 can only be purchased on the secondary market. Usually the price tag for this car is low, so you can buy a car on the go from 60,000 rubles.
Owner reviews
Despite the rather outdated model, appearance and low dynamic performance, as well as the low level of comfort, many motorists speak quite well about the “chisel”. I am pleased with the simplicity and inexpensive maintenance. Parts can be purchased for the best possible price, and also at a flea market. You can repair it yourself. The car is ideal for tuning.
The unpretentiousness of the car is known to many. IN positive reviews we can attribute quite acceptable fuel consumption, at the level of 8-10 liters in the combined cycle. Summer residents can especially be pleased with the good ground clearance, which allows them to confidently drive over uneven surfaces and not be afraid of bumpy roads.
It’s bad that there is no hydraulic power steering, so you have to make physical efforts to control the car, especially while standing still. Inside, people can comfortably fit only in the first row of seats. For the second row there is not much free space left in the legs and above the head. It’s not very comfortable for the three of us to sit, and the transmission tunnel running in the center clearly causes discomfort.
According to reviews from VAZ 2109 owners, the hatchback’s heater works strangely; at first the interior is filled with cold air, and only then warm air begins to flow in. The quality of the interior is very mediocre, the plastic is cheap, you can hear crickets everywhere, and there are noticeable large gaps between the panels. The power unit very often lacks power, so you have to spin the engine up to 4,000 rpm.
If desired, it would be possible to install air conditioning, but the engine is very weak, so the question disappears. Safety is also far from ideal, so if there is a serious accident, at best you can get away with injuries. Only recently, domestic cars began to be equipped with many systems that ensure safety, but this, of course, did not affect the VAZ 2109 in any way.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros of the car
- Inexpensive Soviet-made car;
- Front-wheel drive can certainly be considered an advantage;
- Acceptable ride height;
- Good dynamics, high speed, pleasant handling and sufficient stability on different surfaces;
- Heating and ventilation cope well with their tasks and supply air to several points at once, which improves the uniform distribution of thermal air throughout the cabin;
- Acceptable fuel consumption;
- Ideal for tuning;
- Availability of spare parts and good maintainability.
Cons of the car
- Corrosion of metal;
- The appearance is clearly not for everyone;
- A small resource of some details;
- Mediocre sound insulation of the cabin;
- Low equipment;
- There is very little free space, especially for rear passengers;
- Small luggage compartment;
- Poor maneuverability;
- Poor quality interior;
- Low level of security;
- The power unit clearly lacks power.
Let's sum it up
After getting acquainted with the Soviet hatchback VAZ 2109, conflicting feelings remain. On the one hand, this is a car that boldly stepped into the future, because previously there were only rear-wheel drive models, but on the other, the quality of the Soviet automobile industry is lame in many respects and is significantly inferior to foreign cars.
However, among other things, the car is ideal for beginners who are just learning to drive, since the car can be purchased for a “mundane” price tag. On top of that, hatchback parts can be found everywhere and they are not that expensive, which is a definite plus. You can carry out repairs yourself in your garage, which also simplifies a lot.
Soviet motorists generously compensated for the lack of information with their own rich imagination, speculating and inventing non-existent facts and “creating” in words models and modifications of cars that never existed in reality. At the same time, many of them have not heard about interesting prototypes that never went into series.
Even during the release and new Volga GAZ-3102, And front-wheel drive Moskvich have become overgrown with whole bunches of myths, which we have already debunked, not without success. However, Togliatti cars have also regularly been the subject of myth-making - at least this can be said with confidence about the Zhiguli versions for the market North America or rotary piston, which we mentioned quite recently.
In order to separate the wheat from the chaff, today we will try to recall rare variations based on the front-wheel drive Samara and find out which of them actually existed (albeit in several copies), and which were a figment of fantasy or the product of independent creativity of enthusiasts - that is, they had nothing to do with to AvtoVAZ.
Samara-targa
As you know, the front-wheel drive Samara was produced in several body styles - three- and five-door hatchbacks ( VAZ-2108 and VAZ-2109, respectively), as well as a four-door sedan VAZ-21099. IN Soviet period, not counting the “Natasha” produced abroad with an open cabriolet body and soft top, as well as the Fun version with a landau body (metal roof in the front and soft top in the rear), the serial Sputniks and Samaras existed only in this form.
However, there really was an exception: in 1988, a prototype of the VAZ-2108 Targa car was manufactured at the VAZ Style Center. As you might guess from the name, this prototype differed from the usual “eight” in its two-volume roadster-type body with a permanent central arc.
At the same time, as expected according to the canons of bodybuilding, on the VAZ targa concept the roof panel could be dismantled, thanks to which the body turned into some kind of convertible - that is, an open-top car.
By the way, sometimes motorists mistakenly use the term “targo”, although the correct version is “targa”. This name stuck after the Targa Florio race of the same name, in which he took part Porsche 911 Targa with this type of body.
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In the sixties, both the 912 and 911 Porsche were offered with a targa body. A number of German, Italian and American manufacturers produced small quantities of cars with a targa body - as a rule, these were sports cars. In addition to Porsche, such brands as Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Toyota, Honda and Nissan were seen in the construction industry.
In addition to the roof design, the two-door car was distinguished by an unusual design of the rear part, which in appearance resembled the arithmetic mean between the VAZ-21099 and VAZ-2115 sedans, as well as the Czech Lada Bohemia convertible. It is interesting that already in 1988, on the prototype VAZ-2108 Targa, so-called “long” wings and a hood were installed, which reached the headlights. An important detail is the presence of a longitudinal jumper that enhances the rigidity of the open body (the so-called T-Top or T-Roof). This solution was found on many cars with a targa body. In addition, on the VAZ concept, large sliding windows were replaced with shorter ones, and small triangular window windows were adjacent to the windshield frame.
“Targosamara” looked very nice, and in this form the car had every chance of gaining popularity in the West - for example, among Mediterranean buyers. However, only one car and one body were produced. According to reports, the body was scrapped in 1992, and a little later the car itself suffered the same fate.
Mythical station wagon
The front-wheel drive Samara became the only VAZ passenger car, the range of modifications of which did not include a station wagon body. If the Zhiguli had a “two-room” and a “four”, then the front-wheel drive first-born had only hatchbacks and a sedan, while all later families ( "ten", Priora And Kalina) acquired five-door “cars”.
Indeed, the terms of reference for the Gamma project family ( VAZ-2108) did not provide a station wagon body. Most likely, this was due to the great technological difficulties that would arise when converting a hatchback into a station wagon, while all Samar models were as unified as possible in terms of bodywork. Secondly, all the experience in “universal vehicle construction” by that time among VAZ engineers came down to crossing the rear part of the VAZ-2102 body with a “five-wheel” front end. In addition, at the time Sputnik entered the market, work on the Quartet had just been completed, and the model itself was just being put on the assembly line. That is, there was no particular need to produce another station wagon.
However, since the beginning of the 2000s, various images of station wagons both based on the VAZ-21099 and based on "fifteenth" model.
Despite the fact that images of Samara with a station wagon can be found on the World Wide Web, no one has actually made such a car.
We have to disappoint fans of this type of body - all these “cars” are just a figment of imagination and the result of “Photoshop”. In reality, station wagons based on Samara were not produced.
It is interesting that some representative (!) sedans of European production had similar “unexpected” modifications - and not fake drawings in graphic editors, but very real copies! Thus, the body shop Wolters Stein converted... the BMW seventh series into a station wagon ( E23), and Binz carried out a similar upgrade the legendary "one hundred and forty-rocket"!
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Hundred and Forty Rocket Barn: the CADFORM company developed a station wagon based on the Mercedes S-Class in the back of the W140, which was produced in several dozen copies by BINZ. No matter how unnatural it may look in the photo, it really existed in reality! While the author of this article has never encountered “live” station wagons based on the “chisel”.
Self-made “coupes”
But in reality, two-door sedans have repeatedly come across - a kind of symbiosis of the VAZ-2108 hatchback and the four-door VAZ-21099 with a three-volume body. It’s not for nothing that we put the word “coupe” in quotation marks in the subtitle - even after the modification, the two-door Samara cannot be classified as this body type. For such cars there is a special term “tudor” - it refers to cars with a two-door sedan body that have the same wheelbase as a platform hatchback or a four-door sedan.
A real coupe differs from other body types not only in having fewer doors, but also in having a shorter wheelbase. At the same time, the trunk must be separated into one volume not only visually, but also structurally - that is, the rear window must be rigidly fixed to the body, and not rise along with the trunk lid. That is why, for example, the Hyundai Coupe, despite its name, is just a three-door hatchback and not a coupe.
However, let's return to our “chisels”. Unlike cars based on the “tenth” family, two-door three-volume Samaras, like station wagons, were never produced by AvtoVAZ itself, so any “coupe” is homemade.
There were two options, using both the VAZ-2108 hatchback and the nine-nine four-door sedan as the initial “donors”.
When “cutting the eight”, the rear part was cut off and the rear of the sedan was welded, and the roof panel was changed to ensure the transition to the third volume and create a rear window opening. At the same time, the “zero-eighth” side windows no longer fit into the rear sidewall.
Owners of “ninety-ninth” bodies converted them into two-doors by welding a fragment of a VAZ-2108 sidewall with a central pillar into the body and merging it with the original rear wing. And the “short” front doors were replaced with “long” ones from the “eight”, which fit into their sidewall, like family ones.
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The homemade two-door looked at least no worse than the regular VAZ-21099.
Of course, the rigidity of the body in both the first and second cases raises questions - at least in those places that were connected by non-factory seams... However, several copies of such “pseudo-coupes” can be found both in Russia and in Ukraine, and some owners of exclusive versions were even puzzled by their legalization, that is legal registration of modernization body
Some Ukrainian owners even legalized the conversion of the G8 into a two-door sedan, combining it with the installation of the front end from the VAZ-2115.
Often, the owners did not limit themselves to alterations, but also modified the exterior and interior to make the unusual model look even “cooler.”
Shuttle – unusual for the sake of functionality
Unlike previous “fantasy-style projects,” the VAZ-1706 double van with its own name “Shuttle” was actually produced at AvtoVAZ from 2000 to 2003. As you can easily guess from the side doors, the G8 was used as a platform donor, but the rear suspension was borrowed from the VAZ-2111 station wagon. Despite the short rear overhang, an impressive cargo platform with a volume of over two cubic meters was hidden under the fiberglass cap of the Shuttle.
The car was also produced by VIS in two versions - VIS-2347 based on Samara, as well as VIS-2348, created on the VAZ-2115 platform.
Of course, these are not all interesting versions of Samara - you can recall, for example, four-wheel drive Tarzan- a kind of symbiosis of the G8 body with components and assemblies from the all-wheel drive Niva. However, in this material we wanted to remember not so much those cars that definitely existed, but rather, find out which Samaras never existed in reality - so to speak, dot the i’s, separating fantasy from reality.
The appearance of the first domestic serial front-wheel drive vehicle is a milestone in the history of the Volga Automobile Plant and the entire Soviet automobile industry. It is symbolic that the start of production of the VAZ-2108 coincided with a significant date celebrated in November 1984, the 60th anniversary of the USSR automobile industry. And two years later, a pilot production batch of 159 VAZ-2109 five-door hatchbacks based on the G8 rolled off the main VAZ assembly line. The new “nine”, which inherited all the technical innovations “ older sister”, immediately won the recognition of car enthusiasts: its competitive advantage was the “right” number of doors. And yet, the three-door modification was the first to hit the assembly line. Why? Indeed, in a country where a personal car was considered a luxury, and the transport problems of their relatives and friends fell on the shoulders of the happy owners of their own cars, the classic three-volume sedan best met the needs of the car enthusiast.
For decades, all production passenger cars in the USSR were produced with just such a body. More practical station wagons, produced in small quantities, went on sale only at the end of the 60s and remained in terrible short supply. There was no talk of other body types: the heads of the car factories did not even try to experiment, rightly believing that projects of such cars would not meet with support “at the top.” However, in the case of the “eighth” family, everything turned out exactly the opposite. At the end of the 70s, Europe was swept by the fashion for hatchbacks. And VAZ, trying to keep up with the times, when designing a new model line, included in it, in addition to the traditional sedan, three- and five-door hatchbacks that were completely new to the Soviet industry. The appearance on the foreign market of a new car, created taking into account global trends, was supposed to strengthen VAZ's export position. The Ministry of Automotive Industry cooled down the ardor of Tolyatti engineers somewhat, considering
it is impossible to finance the production of all three models. It was realistic to free up only one thread of the factory conveyor for the assembly of two unified modifications. The “lucky” ones were hatchbacks that had the maximum number of common body parts, as basic version the cheaper three-door model was chosen, and two years later it was joined by a five-door. The VAZ-21099 sedan was launched into production only at the end of 1990. However, this delay to some extent turned out to be to the benefit of the plant: if the sedan had appeared at the same time as the hatchbacks, it would certainly have competed with them. Excessive demand on the VAZ-21099 is further confirmation of this.
Your face
Despite identical dimensions and general style, the “eight” and “nine” turned out to be conceptually different cars. The unusually wide doors and massive central pillar of the VAZ-2108 added to the appearance of the car
"sporty touch" On the VAZ-2109, the width of the front doors was reduced from 1264 to 1025 mm, due to which the designers managed to fit 885 mm wide rear doors into the sidewall of the body. In the design of the “nine” one could still discern the swiftness of the lines, but “sportiness” faded into the background, giving way to practicality. Compared to the G8, the VAZ-2109 became a little heavier from 900 to 915 kg. By the time the VAZ-2109 series was launched, the factory workers had the opportunity to add space for deflectors exhaust ventilation. On a VAZ-2109 early years release, small grilles were located in the lower corner of the fixed side windows. Since 1991, external deflectors were abandoned in order to unify the hatchback with the VAZ-21099 sedan. The side windows of the sedan were smaller, so the ventilation grilles were placed at the ends of the rear doors. The same solution was used on the VAZ-2109, and the abandonment of external grilles made it possible to slightly increase the size of the windows.
Before the production of the VAZ-2108, the notorious mask caused dissatisfaction among bodybuilders. In their opinion, the cladding going up set very strict parameters for installing the hood. The criticism was not taken into account, but life proved the body engineers right, and changes had to be made during production. By abandoning the mask, the designers were able to lengthen the front fenders and hood, thereby noticeably “rejuvenating” the car’s appearance. The place of the unsightly beak is
In 1988, the VAZ-2109 took a leading position in the family, surpassing the Eight in terms of the number of cars produced
directives to the design of the front-wheel drive platform. In January 1987, VAZ mastered the production of gas tanks made of plastic - much lighter and easier to manufacture than steel ones. Both models of the family were equipped with both plastic and steel gas tanks. However, later plastic tanks were abandoned due to problems with the permeability of fuel vapors. On the “nine”, a new backlash-free clutch drive was also used, which ensured clear disengagement of the clutch.
Thanks to new parts and systems, vehicle safety has increased. The standard equipment of the VAZ-2109 included a rear windshield wiper and washer system, and the volume of the washer fluid reservoir was doubled. All “nines” were equipped with a hydraulic headlight corrector, and some cars were equipped with a brush headlight cleaner. The “thinner” central pillar of the body forced designers to look for something new
Controversial point
In 1989, factory workers began the first modernization of the VAZ-2109, which lasted for several years. During this time, motorists mastered the mass production of the 1.5-liter BA3-21083 engine, and the designers slightly refined the front part of the body. Restyling of the exterior consisted of a transition from “short” front fenders to “long” ones. The most controversial element in the design of the 2108 and 2109 models was the so-called front mask, a rather complex body part in shape, adjacent to the hood and front fenders. An integral part The mask had a beak, a protruding radiator lining. Along the edges of this intricate design are block headlights. Such a clutter did not add elegance to the car, and the distinct lines of connection between the cladding and the wings simply hurt the eye. Still in preparation
There was a new grille with two longitudinal stripes in a massive frame. Later it was replaced by a version of three wide stripes without any frame. The “wing extension” epic coincided with the introduction of the 70-horsepower BA3-21083 engine, the most powerful engine provided for the “eighth” family. Technical data of the 1.5-liter engine were published back in 1987 simultaneously with the presentation of the VAZ-2109, but serial production, as usual, was late. Together with the 1.5-liter engine, the car was equipped with a five-speed gearbox (for the first time in the history of domestic passenger cars) and a main gearbox with a changed ratio of 3.7 versus 3.9. The “nines” equipped with such a power unit received the index BA3-21093. During 1989-1990, “ninety-thirds” rolled off the assembly line with the old front design of a mask and “short” wings. With the launch of the VAZ-21099 sedan into production at the end of 1990, “long” wings began to be installed on the BA3-21093. The final transition to the restyled version was completed only in the mid-90s, when 1.1 and 1.3 liter engines were excluded from the engine line, and the 1.5 liter engine began to be equipped with a fuel injection system.
Already in 1988, the VAZ-2109 took a leading position in the family, displacing the VAZ-2108 in the percentage of cars produced. VAZ-2109 “Sputnik” became the 11 millionth (February 23, 1988) and 12 millionth (July 6, 1989) car produced by the Volzhsky Automobile Plant.
From Moscow to Lisbon
One of the most striking moments in the biography of the VAZ-2109 was the trans-European marathon Moscow-Lisbon, organized by the magazine “Behind the Wheel” in September 1988.
The history of this unusual motor rally began in July 1986, when journalists from Portugal K. Finu and N. Vashko arrived in Moscow in an Austin Montego. The travelers covered the route from Lisbon to Moscow in 51 hours and 30 minutes, an excellent result! The Austin crew returned to their homeland, and soon the Union of Journalists of the USSR received an invitation to pay a “return visit”. For the Portuguese, a motor rally “against the clock” was nothing more than an exciting sports competition. In the Soviet Union, such an event could only be considered as a “duel between two state systems”: socialism and capitalism. Naturally, without the right to lose! The editors of Za Rulem, the country's main automobile magazine, were entrusted with defending the honor of the country in this non-standard marathon. The organization of the marathon immediately reached state level: suffice it to say that the pilots’ diet was developed at the Research Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the USSR Academy of Sciences. However, the success of the run depended primarily on technology. The main question had to be resolved: which Soviet car was capable of withstanding a high-speed rally from one end of Europe to the other. The answer suggested itself: of course, the newest model of the most modern VAZ-2109 plant. By the summer of 1988, when preparations for the marathon were underway, VAZ had already tested (but had not yet mass-produced) the same 1.5-liter BA3-21083 engine. It was decided that just such a car would be launched, powerful and at the same time economical (due to a five-speed gearbox). Especially for the record run, two identical “nines” were assembled at VAZ, which were then transferred to NAMI for testing. Only after both cars, driven by specialists, had clocked up 2,000 km. maximum speed, the best car was chosen. Despite the understandable desire to play it safe by replacing some of the parts in the car with imported analogues, this was not easy to do; component manufacturers in the West, for obvious reasons, did not think about unifying any units with those used in Soviet cars. As a result, the “record” car was content with only a remote high-precision speedometer, a Bosch electronic ignition system, four additional Helta headlights and Michetin tires mounted on light alloy wheels. To be fair, it must be said that the success of the run largely depended on the tires: none of the serial tire models produced in the USSR at that time were designed for long-term driving at high speeds.
Early in the morning of September 14, 1988, a cherry “nine” with three “Behind the Wheel” journalists on board took off from the square
50th anniversary of the October Revolution in the center of Moscow. Forty-five hours later, the Soviet crew finished at the gates of the Portuguese capital, having covered a distance of 4811 km with average speed 107 km/h. This was a real triumph! To the credit of the “nine”, the car never caused any trouble to the pilots, although a good third of the journey was covered at a constant speed of 150-170 km/h (the autobahns of Germany and the expressways of France allowed driving in this mode without violating the rules). There were some force majeure situations, but they were caused not by technology, but by the human factor. Having made a mistake on the border of three countries, the crew of the “nine” ended up in the Netherlands instead of Belgium. The second curiosity happened at the entrance to Lisbon: at six o’clock in the morning the city gates were locked, and in order to get to the Belem Tower, the starting point of K. Fin and N. Vashko, the race participants needed the help of the press attache of the Soviet consulate in Portugal.
Initially, counting on the success of the event, the Ministry of Automotive Industry provided for the possibility of participation of the marathon “nine” at the Paris Motor Show. The “combat” car, already familiar to foreign car enthusiasts from television reports, took pride of place at the stand of the VAZ importer in France, the company “Pok”. Just before the opening of the exhibition, a funny incident occurred - noticing
There is a “1500” plate on the body of the car, the head of “Pok” ordered to replace it with a “1300” plate. Monsieur's logic So far was this: until the 1.5-liter modification goes on sale, potential buyers should not know about its existence. The expansive Frenchman’s request was granted, and the secret of replacing the nameplates was made public only twenty years later.
Distant relatives
FIAT RITMO (1978-1988)
In 1978, when VAZ was just beginning work on the future front-wheel drive family, the Italian company Fiat launched the Ritmo model, a compact family car with front-wheel drive and a transversely mounted power unit. Thanks to an innovative assembly system using robotic technology, it was possible to reduce the cost of the model, thereby increasing its competitiveness. Over ten years, almost 1.8 million Fiat Ritmo cars were produced. Three- and five-door hatchbacks were produced under the general name “Ritmo”. In 1983, the model range was replenished with a platform sedan called Regata. The Fiat Ritmo was equipped with gasoline engines of 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 liters (60.65 and 75 hp, respectively), and since 1980, also with a 1.7-liter diesel engine with a capacity of 55 hp. With. In 1985, a restyling was carried out, and in 1988, the Ritmo was replaced by the no less successful Fiat Tipo.
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Early VAZ-2108 and VAZ-2109 cars had identical instrument panels Interior heater control sliders were not considered obsolete in the mid-80s Locking lock backrest sofa The steering wheel on the Sputniks not only looked good, but also fit well into the ergonomics of the cabin, without blocking either the instrument cluster or the steering column switches |
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The main disadvantage of the hatchback body on the VAZ-2108 and VAZ-2109 is the large loading height at the fifth door: loading luggage into such a car is more difficult than in a classic Zhiguli with a station wagon body. You could find out about the engine installed on the car from the sign on the fifth door: if it says “1300”, it means there is a 76-horsepower base engine, and if “1500” it means a more powerful 82-horsepower engine. With. Molded plastic door trim was new in the 1980s, but consumers embraced it half-heartedly as being unpleasant to the touch and also very noisy. No wonder “eights” and “nines” were called “rattles” Fuse and relay box under a transparent plastic cap |
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Specifications VAZ-2109 “Sputnik” (BA3-21093) |
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Number of places | |
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Maximum speed |
148 (155) km/h |
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Acceleration to 100 km/h | |
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Fuel consumption at a speed of 90 km/h |
6.1 (5.9) l/100 km |
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Electrical equipment | |
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Accumulator battery | |
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Generator | |
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Voltage regulator | |
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Sensor-distributor | |
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Spark plug |
A17-DV-10 (A17DVR, FE65PR, FE 65 CPR) |
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Tire size |
165/70R13, 155/80R13 175/70R13 |
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Weight, kg |
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equipped | |
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complete, including: | |
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to the front axle | |
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to the rear axle | |
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Steering gear |
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rack and pinion |
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Ground clearance, mm |
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to the clutch housing | |
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to the engine sump | |
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Smallest turning radius, m |
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along the track axis of the outer front wheel | |
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Front suspension |
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independent, McPherson type, with shock absorbers, coil springs, lower wishbones with braces and anti-roll bar |
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Rear suspension |
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on longitudinal interconnected arms, with coil springs and shock absorbers |
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working: front disc, rear drum, with automatic clearance adjustment; hydraulic drive, double-circuit, diagonal, with vacuum booster and brake force regulator |
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parking on the brake mechanisms of the rear wheels, cable drive |
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Clutch |
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single-disc, dry, with central diaphragm spring |
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Transmission |
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mechanical, five-speed, with synchronizers in all forward gears |
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Gear ratios |
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I 3.636; II 1.96; III - 1.357; IV 0.941, V 0.784; reverse 3.53 |
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main gear |
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cylindrical, helical, gear ratio - 3.9 (3.7); The wheels are driven by shafts with constant velocity joints |
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Engine |
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VAZ-2108 (BA3-21083), in-line, carburetor, four-stroke, four-cylinder, overhead valve |
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Cylinder diameter, mm | |
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Piston stroke, mm | |
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Working volume, cm 3 | |
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Compression ratio | |
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Engine cylinder operating order | |
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Carburetor |
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2108-1107010-78 (DAAZ 21083-1107010 Solex type) |
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Maximum power |
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63.7 (71.6) l. With. at 5600 rpm |
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Maximum torque |
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9.66 (10.85) kgf.m at 3400 rpm |
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From "Samara" - to "Samara-2"
Having barely completed the development of the entire model line of the Samara family, the plant was faced with a new problem: yesterday’s new products began to rapidly become obsolete. In the early 90s, smooth, rounded shapes came into fashion, and the angular architecture of the “eight” began to look archaic. To maintain demand in the foreign market, it was decided to modernize the models of the front-wheel drive family. The project approved in 1991 was named Samara-2. This time, preparations for production went in the reverse order: the VAZ-2115 sedan was the first to hit the assembly line, followed by the five-door hatchback VAZ-2114, and the last was the restyled version of the V8 BA3-2113. It is curious that the appearance of models “2115” and “2114” for a long time had no effect on the fate of the VAZ-21099 and BA3-21093: having managed to separate old and new generation cars into different price niches, the plant produced them in parallel until 2004. All three models of the Samara-2 family are still in production today.
VAZ-2109-90
The modification of the “nine”, equipped with a VAZ-415 rotary piston engine, was produced in small quantities, mainly by order of the special services. Compact two-section Wankel engine with a volume of 1308 cm 3 and a power of 140 hp. With. allowed the car to reach speeds of up to 200 km/h and accelerate to “hundreds” in just eight seconds. Like most rotary piston engines, the service life of the VAZ-415 engine was short, which is explained, firstly, by the design features of the unit, and secondly, by difficult operating conditions. But this was compensated by outstanding dynamic characteristics, unattainable for the standard VAZ-2109. The VAZ-415 power unit was also installed on the VAZ-21099 sedan. In 2004, the “rotary” SKB at VAZ was abolished.
BA3-21093-22 (Lada Samara Baltic)
The export version BA3-21093 was produced by the Finnish company Valmet. Among the external differences of this modification, it is worth noting the voluminous bumpers with fog lights, a different radiator lining, and alloy wheels. The car’s equipment included electric windows, a radio, an anti-theft system and a new model of the Torpedo, the so-called “European panel”. The export modification of the Samara failed to revive interest in the model in Western markets. Before appearing in model range VAZ cars of the Samara-2 family had a practice of re-exporting the Lada Samara Baltic: due to the higher quality of assembly and painting, these cars were valued higher than the usual BA3-21093. From 1996 to 1998, Valmet produced 14,048 cars.
Lada Samara Diesel GLX
A modification of the Samara with a diesel engine was produced by the French importer VAZ in 1995-1997. This version of the "ninety-third" model was officially sold in several European countries, such as France, Belgium and the Netherlands, where the purchase of diesel cars was encouraged by the state in the form of low vehicle tax rates. Lada Samara Diesel was equipped with a diesel engine from the French concern PSA (1527 cm3, 43 kW/58 hp). The same engine was installed on Peugeot 106 and Citroen Saxo cars. “Nines” with a diesel engine were practically not imported into Russia and the CIS countries, perhaps fearing difficulties with servicing the imported power unit.
The VAZ 2109 model first began to be produced in 1988. The predecessor of the VAZ 2109 is the VAZ 2108, from which it differs in a more elongated body with five doors. It was the presence of five doors that made it possible to safely use the VAZ 2109 as a family car.
Technical characteristics of the VAZ 2109: at first, only carburetor cars with a 1.1-liter engine and a power of 54 horsepower were produced. Later, modifications with 1.3 and 1.5 liter engines appeared, and since 2001, cars with an injector have also been produced.
As for the maintenance of this model, it is as economical as all AvtoVAZ models. Servicing a VAZ 2109 car after the end of the warranty period can be carried out at minimal cost. Repairing a VAZ 2109 with your own hands is not at all difficult if you have the skill and desire. Thanks to the low cost of the car, as well as the low cost of components for the repair and operation of the VAZ 2109, this model has become truly popular, and even though this car has not been produced for more than 7 years, it is still very often found and will continue to be found on the roads of our country.
Technical characteristics of VAZ 2109
| Engine | 1.3l, 8-cl. | 1.5l, 8-cl. | 1.5l, 8-cl. |
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| Length, mm | 4006 | 4006 | 4006 |
| Width, mm | 1650 | 1620 | 1620 |
| Height, mm | 1402 | 1402 | 1402 |
| Base, mm | 2460 | 2460 | 2460 |
| Front wheel track, mm | 1400 | 1400 | 1400 |
| Rear wheel track, mm | 1370 | 1370 | 1370 |
| Weight in running order, kg | 925 | 925 | 945 |
| Gross vehicle weight, kg | 1350 | 1350 | 1370 |
| Permissible total weight of a towed trailer with brakes, kg | 900 | 900 | 900 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| Trunk volume min/max, l | 330/640 | 330/640 | 330/640 |
| Wheel formula/drive wheels | 4x2/front | ||
| Car layout diagram | Front-wheel drive, front engine, transverse | ||
| Body type/number of doors | Hatchback/5 | ||
| engine's type | Petrol | ||
| Supply system | Carburetor | Carburetor | Distributed injection |
| Cylinder diameter, mm | 76 | 82 | 82 |
| Piston stroke, mm | 71 | 71 | 71 |
| Compression ratio | 9,9 | 9,9 | 9,9 |
| Engine displacement, cm 3 | 1288 | 1499 | 1499 |
| Maximum power, kW/rpm | 64/5600 | 68/5600 | 78/5400 |
| Maximum torque, Nm at rpm | 95 / 3400 | 100 / 3400 | 116 / 3000 |
| Fuel | AI-92 | AI-92 | AI-95 |
| Fuel consumption in the urban cycle, l/100km | - | 8,7 | 9,9 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 148 | 154 | 155 |
| Acceleration to 100 km/h, s | 16 | 14 | 13 |
| Transmission | With manual control | ||
| Number of gears | 5 forward, 1 reverse | ||
| Steering | Rack type, without amplifier | ||
| Tires | 175/70R13 5Jx13; | ||
| Fuel tank capacity | 43 | 43 | 43 |
