In February, sales of a crossover under the Moskvich 3 brand will start in St. Petersburg. Dealers promise that the selling price will be in the range of 1.5-2 million rubles, but what gadgets the car owner will receive for this money is not yet specified.
Fontanka has already taken a ride in the car, which will soon change into the nameplate of the Moskvich, and found out what kind of animal is hiding under its hood.
Let’s discard sentimentality and let’s not beat around the bush: the prototype of the Moskvich 3 was the Chinese car JAC JS4. Yes, and the “prototype” sounds too loud. As auto experts assure, now the “conveyor” works as follows: the JAC JS4 car assembled in China is disassembled, arrives in Russia, is assembled here again, receives the Moskvich nameplate and goes on sale. Not far off is the stage when spare parts will go to Russia, and the car will only have to be assembled. The time will come when the production of all spare parts will be established in Russia. True, while this information has not been officially confirmed by anyone.
The choice for the JAC brand was not accidental: along with Changan and Chery, it is in the top 3 of the Chinese market and has existed for more than 60 years. Reliable and unpretentious in repair, JAC has proven itself well in other CIS countries, in particular, the JAC S3 “on the handle” was adopted by the police of Kazakhstan. The brand’s lineup is wide, but at first positioning itself as “Moskvich 3” will be the JAC JS4 crossover. By the way, good news for fans of the old school – Moskvich will produce cars not only with automatic transmission, but also with a manual transmission.
A turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine with 136 “horses” allows you to accelerate to hundreds in 9.6-10 seconds. In addition, experts explain, the turbine helps to minimize fuel consumption, as it allows you to quickly accelerate to speed.
The JAC JS4 drive is only front-wheel drive, there are no all-wheel drive in this brand and, they say, will not be in Russia yet.
There is nothing superfluous in the “brains”: Android Auto and CarPlay – for navigation and connecting the phone, works when connected directly via wire, clickable and intuitive car settings, multimedia and climate control are placed on the steering wheel. It is possible to talk on the phone and listen to music, connecting with multimedia via Bluetooth.
The car is equipped with four power windows, mirrors fold and unfold automatically even when the car is closed, there is a rear view camera. But instead of the front camera, alas, so far only a dummy, however, with the possibility of retrofitting this element. Here it is, the lack of components.
The harsh Russian climate is taken into account: rear-view mirrors and heated rear window, as well as the driver’s seat and front passenger seat. The designers refused to heat the windshield – aluminum chips that conduct current tend to refract light, and at night the high beam of oncoming cars dazzles drivers for a fraction of a second and increases the accident rate.
A ground clearance of 200 mm will appeal to fans of curb parking. Body length
One of the problems of random Chinese cars, users note the material of the body, sarcastically emphasizing that cars are made of foil in the Middle Kingdom. In JAC JS4, the strength of the metal is estimated at 1500 micropascals, which, experts say, exceeds the norm.
JAC JS4 engineers reasoned that there was no point in inventing a wheel if it existed, and took the path of least resistance. An independent MacPherson suspension, invented in Japan, is installed at the front, a conventional maintainable lever suspension, a Belgian box, Bosch versions of ABS and ESP are installed at the back. Italian specialists took part in the development of the design. Here is such a community of international thought, which was married in one car. Multimedia systems are installed in China, but who said that they need to go far for this? Management is placed on the steering wheel.
Security at a level that Chinese competitors never dreamed of – 6 airbags: four side and two frontal.
The only “fi” in the track width is that the car is wide, and the wheels are narrow, which affects road stability. True, this characteristic, experts say, is so sophisticated that the buyer rarely asks about it.
A separate advantage is keyless access: the doors are opened by pressing a button on the handle, no key is needed to start.
Of the bells and whistles – 17-inch wheels, dual-zone climate and cruise control, rear view camera, rain sensor. Another song is a sunroof, which, in the conditions of St. Petersburg cloudiness, is rather even a plus and a chance to see the sun a little more often. But whether there will be a hatch on Moskvich, we will find out only in February, when sales start.
The position of the driver’s seat is regulated by mechanics, it is enough to raise the lever under the seat, the backrest is driven by the handle on the side. You can also adjust the steering wheel for yourself – both in height and in extension.
The only thing that cannot be adjusted is the rear view: in the upper third of the mirror, the driver sees the roof of the passenger compartment, in the lower third, a row of rear seat head restraints, so you will have to watch the maneuvers of those who move behind like in a tank.
Often the owners of Chinese cars note the caustic spirit in the cabin, which exude finishing materials, it would be untrue to say the same about the JAC JS4. The finish looks budget, if not modest: fabric seat upholstery, plastic and something similar to velor are combined on the front panel. True, with a specific sound – I’m driving, and he rustles. Yes, not a “crocodile”, and not even leather, but it’s hard to want more from a car that is now being sold at a price of 2.25 million rubles.
Turned the steering wheel Natalya Vyazovkina, Fontanka.ru