Diesel Niva VAZ-21215 lada 4×4 with Peugeout engine

To improve the performance of your car, you can install a Niva engine from a foreign car without modifications. The VAZ-2121 has long been considered one of the best domestic cars both in terms of engine power and driving performance. But now this car model has become outdated, and many motorists are trying to somehow improve it. What engine should be installed as an analogue to the 1.7 liter petrol injection engine?

Replacement problem

The fact is that to replace the engine on a VAZ-2121, you can choose almost a dozen different engines, but they are all from foreign cars. But the main problem is that you will have to do some additional work during installation, for example, install or change fasteners, add new parts. Because of this, it is not so easy to find a budget replacement option. The choice is significantly narrowed down to just a few options. For an engine to be suitable for installation, it must meet several conditions:

Which engine should you consider first?

Improved Niva

The injector installed on the Niva, although it reduces fuel consumption, is still not the most economical option in urban conditions with traffic jams and other delays. On the highway and during long trips outside the city, this is not felt so much, since the car works without stops and downtime. Due to the unprofitability of cars in urban environments, drivers are thinking about a good and effective replacement for the old injection-type engine in their car. The best option would be a diesel engine for the Niva. It has approximately the same power characteristics, but its fuel consumption is comparatively lower. Also, diesel is less capricious in terms of fuel quality. What options from this category of motors are worth detailed consideration?

The first and most worthy candidate is the XUD 9 SD from Peugeot. This engine was used to create a modified version of the Niva - model 212151 with a French engine. It can be installed on the Niva without any problems - the fastenings of the parts and the assembly are identical, the motor fits perfectly in size, and in addition, there are some advantages from its installation.

In fact, this is the only option that suits all parameters.

Do-it-yourself diesel for Niva

An affordable option is to independently replace the Niva unit with a diesel one. Let's look at how to do this and what kind of diesel engine can be installed on the Niva:

1. the simplest of all is the service of tuning service stations, where professionals will perform all fitting and installation work for your money;

1. the second method, self-installation, requires experience, knowledge of the structure of the units, and the availability of specialized tools.

In both cases, be prepared to register with the necessary authorities (for example, the traffic police), which is required after making such changes.

Modified options

Since it is not always possible to supply an engine of a certain foreign car, it is worth considering imported production options that require a little modification:

The first candidate will again be the French engine from Peugeot XUD 11 series. Since the power of this unit is higher than that of the previous model, some changes will need to be made to the design of the Niva - replacing the gearbox. An acceptable option is a gearbox from Fiat Polonez. In addition, a good solution would be to replace the front supports of the power plant fasteners, pan and exhaust system. It is also worth replacing the drive elements with similar parts from the Chevrolet Niva.

Gasoline engine on Chevrolet Niva

Not only imported engines are suitable for the Niva. Domestic production is also quite suitable. For example, a sixteen-valve power unit from VAZ can be easily installed without modification. It has lower fuel consumption than diesel engines and more power.

Car owners of such an engine are advised to change the camshafts for traction. There is no need to replace the gearbox. Engines from foreign cars require improvement. The next block will show which gasoline power units are suitable for swapping a Niva engine.

With modification

Niva is suitable for an engine from a BMW M42, M43 or Toyota, but gasoline. You will need to buy some parts for the swap, but changing the engine to one of these will give results that will surprise you. The car will become more maneuverable and will respond better to the accelerator pedal.

The fuel consumption of these power units is low. Therefore, you won’t have to spend money on them if you only follow the technical inspection rules and visit service centers on time.

No modifications

Many engines that are suitable without modifications for the Chevrolet Niva do not differ from the power unit that left the factory with the vehicle. Therefore, experienced mechanics advise installing an additional turbine if you want to increase engine power. The choice of gasoline engines is much higher than that of diesel engines.

A budget engine that will successfully fit into a Chevrolet Niva is Toyota’s 3S. There is no need to make major changes when installing this power unit. You can install a transmission from this car and a transfer case. Then Niva will become more powerful.

History of diesel engines on Niva

The desire to improve fuel efficiency and add strength to the model was undertaken more than once by the manufacturer itself.
Thus, in 2014, the engine from Fiat cars under the general name MultiJet was actively tested on the VAZ-2121. This power unit received the title “Engine of the Year” back in 2005, and it was actively installed on the Fiat Doblo. It is difficult to call the technical characteristics of the motor outstanding from the perspective of today:

1. Working volume – 1.3 l.
2. Torque – 180 Nm.
3. Installed power – 85 hp.

When testing the engine, it turned out that modernization of transmission elements is required, since a unit with a torque of up to 165 Nm can be installed on the Niva. Given the crisis in the country at that time, a good idea was postponed for an unknown period of time.

Another indirect example of attempts to introduce a diesel heart was the release of a trial batch of Chevrolet Niva to the market. The Togliatti company began installing diesel engines. They even managed to get permission to keep the trademark.

The Chevrolet Niva model received a set of two diesel engines - a naturally-aspirated diesel engine and an engine with a turbo prefix. The machine had the following technical characteristics:

1. Working volume – 1.9 l.
2. Torque – 195 Nm.
3. The installed power of the naturally aspirated engine and turbo is 100/120 hp. With. respectively.
4. Fuel consumption is about 7.5 l/100 km in mixed driving mode.

With such equipment, the Chevrolet Niva lost in dynamics, and the workmanship did not satisfy customers. Perhaps for this reason, such a machine was not widely used.

Hybrid Niva

We began to develop the official version of the Niva for integration into the engine compartment of a diesel engine in a tuning studio in Tolyatti. The legal entity has acquired a recommendation - permission from the plant -. Refinement processes began to adapt the Italian Fiat diesel engine along with the Aisin transmission, produced at one of the Japanese factories.

The competent installation of the Italian diesel engine was a success and showed positive results in test tests:

1. The power of the power plant reached 90 horsepower.
2. Peak torque stopped at 195 Nm.
3. For 100 kilometers the car required only 7.5 liters of diesel fuel.

In practice it turned out better than expected. The combined diesel Italian-Japanese Chevrolet Niva was a great success. In terms of the main technical parameters, the quality is very close to the factory assembly.

One bad news is that the cost of adaptation was high.

Practical advice for installing a diesel engine

When deciding to install it yourself, you should pay attention to the following experience.
Among the possible units that the designers of both the classic car and the Chevrolet Niva considered was the Peugeot engine with the index XUD-9SD. Not the most powerful unit (from 69 to 75 hp) is highly reliable. When planning such tuning, you need to be prepared to make some modifications:

1. Replace the gearbox. Among the options, a box from Fiat Polnes was offered, as it would work with such an engine. But it won’t be easy to find a unit from a car that is now rare.
2. Clutch mechanism. When searching for a box, they immediately select a clutch mechanism, which must ensure transmission of rotation and match in size.
3. Engine support points. When installing on the Niva, the front engine mounts required modifications.
4. Pallet shape. Taking into account the dense layout of the Niva’s engine compartment, the pallet requires an original shape, and was often made individually.
5. Exhaust system. Minimal modifications to the exhaust piping are required.

In some cases, to increase the safety margin, it is noted that it is necessary to install front-wheel drive parts from the Chevrolet Niva model. But with gentle operation, such modification is not necessary.

The serial Niva with this engine was produced until 2009 and was mainly exported. With a certain amount of luck, the car can still be found in advertisements for sale. A special feature of the car is its low dynamics. The car reaches the first hundred in only 25 seconds.

Serial Niva with diesel engine

From the very beginning, engineers at the plant tried to implement the idea of ​​​​installing a diesel engine on the Niva 2121 model. For the Niva it was planned to use a domestic version of the 1.5-liter turbodiesel engine. With such a unit, prototypes were unable to effectively cope with off-road driving due to insufficient power. The next step was the installation of a similar diesel engine on the 3- and 5-door versions of the Niva, but with an increased displacement to 1.9 liters. These attempts were not successful; the diesel Niva with the indicated internal combustion engines did not make it into the series.

Engine design: diesel, in-line, 4-cylinder, longitudinally mounted. Working volume: 1905 cm3 . One of the modifications of this diesel engine, when installed on the Niva, provided the vehicle with the following dynamic performance and performance characteristics:

The Niva with such a diesel engine turned out to be economical and performed well off-road, since the Peugeot xud9sd diesel engine provided the all-wheel drive vehicle with decent low-end torque. An additional advantage of the imported diesel engine on Niva was its reliability and relative ease of repair and maintenance.

As for the dynamics, the Niva 2121 with the Peugeot xud9sd engine accelerated to “hundreds” very slowly. The emphasis was placed on the main purpose of the car - increased cross-country ability on all-out off-road conditions. The Niva model with a Peugeot diesel engine was included in the series, but the car was produced in limited quantities and was also exclusively exported. In 2009, serial factory production of the diesel Niva completely ceased.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages are as follows:

• high power levels at low speeds, provide traction power that makes it easy to overcome off-road conditions;
• reduced fuel consumption. The price of diesel fuel is lower than gasoline, which also saves money;
• increased engine life compared to gasoline counterparts;

The disadvantages are:

• the weight of the machine increases;
• vibrations increase;
• the cost of repairs and maintenance increases (the engine and gearbox are imported);

Installing a diesel engine on a Niva

One of the available options is the independent installation of a diesel engine on the Niva. To do this, you can use the services of large tuning studios or private professionals who modify cars. You can also install a diesel engine on a Niva yourself if you have some experience and specialized tools. You need to be prepared for the fact that in order to legally operate the car after replacing the engine, you will definitely need to register the changes made with the relevant government agencies.

In the process of selecting a diesel unit, many people wonder which diesel engine to put on the Niva. There are a sufficient number of diesel engines that can be installed on this car. Diesel engines of Japanese and European brands are most often installed on Niva with their own hands. The main requirement is the suitable physical dimensions of the power unit for placement in the engine compartment of the Niva.

The need to make changes to the design begins with the mounting features of the diesel engine. The second nuance is the increase in load on the front axle after installing a diesel internal combustion engine on the Niva, since an engine of this type is often heavier. For this reason, it is necessary to further strengthen both the suspension and the body after placing the engine. Almost always, the standard gearbox will also need to be replaced.

The list of general changes to the design of the Niva for a diesel engine includes: replacement of front engine mounts, modified sump, changes to the exhaust system. The engine cooling system is also subject to modernization. The cooling radiator is often changed (a radiator from a GAZ Gazelle car is suitable).

Changes are also being made to the chassis, individual elements are replaced with reinforced ones. For a regular Niva, they can be borrowed from Niva-Chevrolet. As for the operation of diesel engines, it is separately recommended to install a diesel fuel heating system.

You can also install a Peugeot diesel engine with the xud 11 index on the Niva, but in this case the gearbox will need to be changed. The VAZ gearbox with this engine will not last long. The solution is a gearbox from the Fiat Polonez model. Additionally, you will need to install another clutch. No less often, diesel engines from Japanese cars are installed on the Niva. Units with the Toyota 3c/ct index with a power of 80 and 100 hp are suitable. To replace the gearbox, you can use a 5-speed gearbox from the Noah model manufactured by Toyota.

The best option would be a diesel engine and gearbox, which were originally designed to work in tandem. In this case, the task is simplified due to the correspondence of all attachment points, as well as the coincidence of the axes of the internal combustion engine and transmission shafts. This approach eliminates difficulties in the process of combining a diesel engine and gearbox, and also significantly increases the service life of the associated components. There is no need to calculate what torque a particular gearbox with different diesel engines can withstand.

Advantages of installing a diesel power unit instead of gasoline or LPG. Choosing a suitable diesel engine for GAZelle and UAZ (UAZ) to replace a gasoline engine.

Comparison of gasoline and diesel engines. Advantages and disadvantages of diesel, reliability of diesel engine, features of its maintenance and operation.

Why does a diesel engine have a higher efficiency compared to gasoline engines? Torque and speed, diesel fuel energy.

Why oil leaks from the engine breather: signs and main causes of such a malfunction. How to understand why oil is flowing through the breather, troubleshooting.

Causes of noises and knocks when operating a gasoline engine in different modes. Detonation, knocking of hydraulic compensators, ignition faults and other reasons.

Diesel engine power increase module. Types of chip boxes, features of connection and operation of these blocks. Advantages and disadvantages of a tuning box.

Niva-3 - with the engine across?

AvtoVAZ announced that the development process of the Lada 4x4 NG (New Generation), that is, the third generation Niva, is still at the platform selection stage, and most importantly, that this platform will quite possibly have a transverse power unit. This architecture, as AvtoVAZ says, “is a global trend in the 4x4/SUV segment with engines up to 200 hp.”

The press service reports that the final decision has not yet been made, but, according to unofficial signals from Tolyatti, the likelihood of the “third Niva” moving to a crossover platform is very high and it is obvious that AvtoVAZ, which had not previously commented on the development of the project, has now decided to prepare the ground before, than information will begin to leak outside the plant.

Parting with the classic layout should deprive the Lada 4x4 of a solid rear axle, front suspension with double wishbones and almost certainly also a range-shifter. The cost of the project and the task facing AvtoVAZ to increase production volumes speak in favor of parting with them. The set of units that the Lada 4x4 NG with a longitudinal engine requires is almost impossible to unify with other AvtoVAZ models, and the only exception could be the second generation Chevy Niva, but this project is still very far from completion.

In addition, the demand for serious SUVs is steadily declining, and AvtoVAZ, apparently, does not believe that the new Lada 4x4 with a “classic” transmission will be able to maintain a competitive price and become truly mass-produced. Today, sales of these SUVs are comparable to the results of the UAZ Patriot (20-27 thousand cars per year) and Chevy Niva (30 thousand cars per year), while the Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano together are almost twice as popular, and the Hyundai Creta crossover in less than six months showed a result of 21 thousand cars.

AvtoVAZ is faced with the task of entering the mass crossover market, which is at least 40 thousand cars per year. This is the only way to load the plant’s capacity. The press service reports that the project will be developed in close cooperation with specialists from the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which means unification with the alliance’s cars.

The transmission of the classic Niva is still controlled by three levers, although even the Chevy Niva has two

Will the “third Niva” turn into a modified Duster? According to Autoreview, AvtoVAZ is looking for original technical solutions in order to move away from the Duster scheme with plug-in rear-wheel drive and preserve serious off-road potential for the Lada 4x4, as well as eliminate the risk of overheating of the center coupling. However, neither AvtoVAZ itself nor the alliance’s arsenal today has transmissions that combine a transverse power unit with permanent all-wheel drive. Although technically such a scheme is possible: a transverse engine and center differential have long been used, for example, by Lexus RX and Toyota Highlander crossovers of previous generations.

In addition, we can recall the example of the Jeep Cherokee, which in 2013 changed the layout with a longitudinal engine and a connected front axle to a transverse architecture with reinforced clutches in the rear wheel connection unit (it can be completely locked like a differential) and with the ability to use a low-gear mode transmission ratio without a separate range multiplier.

It is not yet known exactly how the release date of the new Lada 4x4 will change if a decision is made to switch to a crossover platform. Previously, the estimated launch date for this project, according to unofficial information, was 2022.