Reviews from owners about the Niva Bronto will certainly be of interest to those who are thinking about purchasing this car. The vehicle is produced on the basis of the Lada 4x4 and is produced in small series. All improvements and modifications are aimed at increasing the vehicle’s off-road capability. Let's look at the characteristics and features of this car.
History of creation
Before studying the reviews of Niva Bronto owners, let’s consider how the history of its creation began and the characteristics of the car. It produces cars, located in Tolyatti. The VAZ subsidiary has been producing special vehicles since 1993. They are distinguished by high cross-country ability with updated characteristics.
The company produces all mass-produced models, many of which are all-terrain vehicles and are designed for difficult operating conditions. All configurations are tested to ensure compliance with state standards. “Niva Bronto Lynx” (reviews confirm this) belongs to the group of cars that are tested under the most extreme operating conditions. The modification is in demand among different categories of consumers.
The vehicle was first presented in 2009. Each unit can be equipped with various types of additional equipment. Typically, users order air conditioning, a winch and a roof rack.
Salon
The interior of the car is still far from even up to the average level. The materials used here are the simplest, such as plastic and cheap fabric. The build quality is also not impressive. On the way, you will constantly be accompanied by the creaking of the dashboard and other interior elements. The noise of the wheels will also be heard, since there is practically no sound insulation. As before, the new Lada 4x4 Bronto 2022 model year will not be equipped with even the simplest multimedia system. All that users can be content with is a regular audio system.
It is unlikely that you will find anywhere else a simpler design of the center console than here. All that can be found here are a few small rectangular deflectors, adjustments for the heating system and a few switches that control off-road options and lighting. Everything ends with a compartment in which the audio system can be located.
The tunnel is almost completely filled with various elements necessary for off-road driving. Only the cigarette lighter hole, a small pocket for things and even a pair of modest cup holders are responsible for comfort here. The rest of the space is filled with the gear shift knob, parking brake, as well as the downshift and transfer handles.
The finishing of the driver's seat is also unlikely to impress anyone, although everything here is not so bad. The steering wheel, although it is finished with plastic or fabric, still feels pleasant in the hands due to its comfortable shape and small dimensions. There may be buttons on the spokes to sound a sound signal. The instrument panel is a panel on which there are several analog sensors that display various information on the state of the machine.
In total, four people can sit more or less comfortably in the cabin, although if desired, there is room for three in the back. The seats are finished only with simple fabric and filled with rather hard materials that will impress few people. Among the additional equipment, there can only be adjustment of the first row using mechanical drives in two directions, as well as head restraints. The second row can only be folded to increase luggage space from 265 to 585 liters.
Design Features
According to reviews from the owners, the Niva Bronto Lynx has received significant changes in terms of suspension. The front suspension of the car is equipped with shock absorbers with increased spring travel. This, in combination with reinforced elements, made it possible to reduce the impact load on the body, as well as increase ground clearance to 25.5 centimeters.
The rear counterpart is also equipped with shock absorbers with travel increased to 12.5 mm. The designers raised the rear spring supports to provide additional strength and increase ground clearance. The rear axle beam is reinforced and is maximally resistant to deformation.
The Lynx transmission unit has also undergone changes. A final drive gear with a larger gear ratio was installed. To increase cross-country ability, the unit was equipped with a self-locking differential. The vehicle in question has a screw type, which eliminates slipping with different road grips. Wheel size types are available in three variations: R15 (235), R16 (235), R16 (185). All tires have lugs.
In the body part of the Niva Bronto, reviews of the owners of which are given below, the main modification was rubber arch extensions on the wheels, which protect against dirt and other flying parts of the road surface. Improved visibility is provided by enlarged exterior rear-view mirrors.
Test Drive
The magazine “Behind the Wheel” shares its impressions of driving the Lada 4×4 Bronto in rough conditions:
In the city
:
Improved sound insulation (as on Urbana) does not save you from the usual howl of the transfer case, drowning out the roar of the engine and the hum of the “spikes”. And in other respects, this is still the same short-wheelbase Lada 4×4, but with increased ground clearance and high-profile tires: the steering wheel has a very conventional “zero”, the stern periodically tends to skid, and acceleration to city speeds in terms of heroism is comparable to the first attempts of mankind to overcome force of gravity.
On the sand
:
But on the sand, the Lada 4?4 Bronto is in its native element! Where a standard car would have already begun to dig in, this one rushes like a small proud tank? - praise be to self-blocks! The box office has huge ground clearance and toothy tires, although there is no need for spikes here. Bronto takes steep sandy slopes without any problems, you just need to first stick the lowering gear in and lock the center differential. The engine is catastrophically “not enough”: it’s easy to stall. Differential locks are a great help when driving in a straight line, but in turns the front “block” does not help in any way to screw the car inward - the turning radius increases noticeably.
In the snow
:
At the very first traffic light it became obvious that our Bronto was the fastest car in the city! Self-blocks show themselves in the most favorable light: while “under-drives” and even all-wheel drives with dead center couplings are kneading snow porridge, the “brontosaurus” shoots from a standstill and gloatingly squeals with a transfer case already at the next intersection. At the same time, if you don’t fool around, Bronto even walks along slippery curves very confidently - without trying to fall out of the turn. The degree of differential locking is chosen successfully: it helps to “rattle out” and almost does not impair handling. Bronto allows you to calmly drive where a regular Lada 4-4 would have long ago sat on the suspension or, in the absence of inter-wheel self-blocks and on simpler tires, would have stalled.
Lada 4×4 Bronto can be called an off-road Urban. This is a car that is easier to perceive by city dwellers, but is a real SUV that is prepared for tough off-road tests.
By the way, we previously compared the Lada 4×4 Bronto and Gelendvagen off-road. Would you like such a LADA for yourself?
Keywords: lada 4×4 bronto
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Modifications
The manufacturer presents several modifications of the machines in question on the market. The most popular of them are the following models:
- "Lynx-1". The car is a station wagon with three doors, produced on the basis of the Lada-21214 with a length of 3.74 meters.
- The five-door station wagon "Niva Lynx-2" has an extended wheelbase (4.24 m). Width – 1.71 m.
- The Lynx-3 modification is identical in parameters to the 2nd model, but has an increased width at the rear (1.85 m).
Hydraulic power steering, as well as electric front door window lifts, are responsible for driving comfort. The power unit for all variations is the VAZ-21214 gasoline engine with electronic distributed injection. Its power is 83 horsepower with a volume of 1690 cm3.
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This SUV is included in the AVTOVAZ model range, although assembly - in small batches - does not take place at the plant's facilities. Is it worth the money?
LADA > 4×4
Length / width / height / base
3740 / 1680 / 1640 / 2200 mm
clearance
205 mm
Curb / gross weight
1285 / 1610 kg
engine
, P4, 8 valves, 1690 cm³;
61 kW / 83 hp at 5000 rpm; 129 Nm at 4000 rpm Acceleration time 0–100 km/h
17.0 s
Maximum speed
142 km/h
Fuel/fuel capacity
AI-95 / 42 l
Fuel consumption: combined cycle
9.9 l / 100 km
Transmission :
permanent all-wheel drive; M5, low range in the transfer case, center differential with forced locking
Specifications
Below are the technical plan parameters for the Niva Bronto car, reviews from owners about which are mostly positive. Characteristics:
- The engine is a VAZ-21214 type power unit with a capacity of 83 horsepower.
- Steering – hydraulic booster.
- Transmission pair – 4.1.
- Chassis – 40 mm was added to the rear spring support, the movement of the shock absorbers at the rear increased by 50 mm.
- Transmission - self-locking helical differentials.
- The rear axle beam is a reinforced type.
- The body is equipped with polymer and sawn arches.
- Wheel track – 1.47/1.46 m.
- Ground clearance (front/rear/center) – 26/24/35 cm.
What is the difference?
If you are familiar with the Lynx, then you are familiar with the technical features of the Bronto in general terms. It has Val-Racing self-blocks at the front and rear with a blocking coefficient of 0.65. The main pairs have a gear ratio of 4.1 instead of the standard 3.9. The springs are reinforced (Perm production), the front shock absorbers are from a relative named Chevrolet Niva. Wheels with Bontyre Stalker M/T mud tires with dimensions 235/75 R15 are supplied by the Volga Tire Company. The standard 16‑inch spare tire under the hood is now positioned as a spare tire and is supplied with a corresponding sticker.
Camouflage coloring is offered in as many as 17 options. The most spectacular ones are “pixel” ones, the additional payment for them is about 50 thousand rubles. |
After the Urban version, the plastic bumper on the ex-Niva is no longer perceived as something out of the ordinary, but this one was clearly a success. I would like the wheels to be even larger, but larger ones will require serious modifications. |
“Niva Bronto Lynx-1”: owner reviews
Users note that despite all the advantages and good cross-country ability, the SUV in question has a number of disadvantages. They are a priori inherent in the domestic automobile industry. To be more precise, it is not always possible to solve the problem by replacing or repairing a specific part. Often it is necessary to change components completely.
Among the main disadvantages, owners note:
- Poor quality of enamel and standard rubber.
- Rust appears on most exterior metal areas.
- Frequent failure of control lamps.
- Oil leaking along the axles and gearbox shaft.
- Failure of radiator caps and windshield wipers.
- Broken distribution pins.
- Poor exhaust pipe fastening.
- Generator whistling and seat belt fastenings breaking.
The main advantages are the original appearance, good maneuverability and good handling.
For whom?
Lada 4x4 Bronto is an excellent second or even third car in the family. It’s as if dad was thinking about buying himself a quad, but realized that for the same money you could buy a whole new Niva, and even with special training. Moreover, from the dealer, with a guarantee and without headaches during registration. Although, if you take the Bronto at maximum speed, it turns out that dad was considering something very premium as an ATV: for a Bronto in the Style body kit, with foglights and camouflage paint, they are asking 740,000 rubles. Neither the fashionable “pixel” color nor the “Alligator” protective composition are listed in the factory price list yet, and each is capable of raising the price by another 50 thousand.
On the other hand, you can take Bronto in one of six standard colors and with simple rubber arch extensions instead of a spectacular body kit - for 676,000 rubles. Heated seats and mirrors, air conditioning, ABS - all this will be in the car. A regular Lada 4x4 with the same equipment will cost 508,000 rubles. It turns out that the expanded off-road arsenal costs 168,000 rubles. “Factory tuning” turns out to be no more expensive than independently modifying the car to a similar level.
From November to March, VAZ SUVs sell especially well, which means that right now the demand for Bronto is growing steadily. Every month, 100–120 cars are assembled in the VIS-Auto workshops - after finishing the bare body and sending it back to AVTOVAZ for painting. Each of the assembled cars has already been ordered by someone. There are corporate sales and even exports: last year, 25 of these cars, still under the name Lynx, were purchased by the Armenian customs service, and 20 cars were sent to Europe. So Bronto will find his groove - despite all the shortcomings inherited from the Niva.
Additional options
A number of additional equipment can be made upon individual order. It includes:
- Camouflage body paint.
- Installation of a hatch with a removable cover.
- Non-standard color enamel coating.
- Installation on the radiator trim with the “Bronto Niva 2017” emblem (reviews are given above).
- Equipped with arcs with additional light elements.
- Equipment with a removable front or rear winch with electric drive.
- Air conditioner installation.
- CV joint on front or rear driveshafts.
- Roof rack with deck.
- Bracket for the spare tire on the trunk.
- Installation of fog and additional headlights.
- Ceiling and tunnel cladding with improved materials.
- Front axle gearbox suspension in independent design.
Comparison of configurations
| Option | Standard | Standard Image | Standard Camouflage | Standard Image Camouflage |
| Decorative stickers on the sides | ||||
| Railings | ||||
| 15" alloy wheels | ||||
| Spare steel wheel for temporary use 16" | ||||
| Cigarette lighter | ||||
| 12V socket in luggage compartment | ||||
| Additional sound insulation | ||||
| Power steering | ||||
| Light window tinting | ||||
| Power windows for front doors | ||||
| Heated front seats | ||||
| Electric drive and heated exterior mirrors | ||||
| Air conditioner | ||||
| Audio preparation | ||||
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | ||||
| Daytime Running Lights | ||||
| Anti-lock braking system with emergency brake assist (ABS+BAS) | ||||
| Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) | ||||
| Reinforced springs and shock absorbers | ||||
| Reinforced rear axle | ||||
| Self-locking differential front/rear | ||||
| Additional anti-gravel protection for wheel arches | ||||
| Rubber flares on modified arches | ||||
| Plastic bumpers | ||||
| Floor sill trims | ||||
| Plastic extensions on modified arches | ||||
| Body painting in camouflage color |
Tuning
The first version of Lynx can be economically converted into Niva 3D. This will require a lot of time and money. However, reconstruction will amount to no more than a third of the cost of a new car. The average cost of converting a car with fuel injection and power steering will be about 300 thousand rubles. The final cost depends on the condition of the vehicle and the region of use. For tuning you will need a new lift kit, tires, main pair, locking blocks, reinforcement of the rear axle and installation of extensions.
Judging by the reviews of the owners, the Niva Bronto 2017 does not always perform as the manufacturers claim. According to them, the car undergoes mandatory certification and control testing. Nevertheless, this production car already after a couple of years of operation exhibits its weaknesses, which were indicated above. Of course, a lot depends on proper maintenance and driving style.
