The spring sun, almost summer weather, the track without snow - all this pleases any motorists. And owners of Izh Oda 4x4 cars will be bored under these conditions. Another thing is ice, loose snow and other vagaries of the weather. Here, this machine is able to prove itself completely. The car has repeatedly proved that it is very strong in winter, on impassability, in general, wherever four driving wheels are needed. What is this machine, we will consider in our article today.
Ode: The Story
The Izh Oda 4x4 car was the last hatchback among the four mass models that were created in recent years of the USSR. The car has an unusual story. Whereas at most automobile factories (and this is VAZ, AZLK, ZAZ) they tried to get away from the archaic rear-wheel drive to the front, Izhmash went the opposite way.
Initially, an experimental hatchback Izh-13 "Start" was created at the plant. That was in the mid-70s. The ministry of transport praised the car with a cold. Perhaps the front-wheel drive then was still not considered so promising, or certain people in the ministry simply lobbied AvtoVAZ so that no one could take the front-wheel drive championship from the Volzhsky Plant .
Front-wheel drive - not a panacea
One way or another, the plant’s designers started the development anew and managed to discover an interesting thing - in the few years that have passed since the creation of the Start, the automotive world has already overestimated all the advantages that front-wheel drive has. It turned out that the smaller mass, efficiency and handling are not as great as they thought. Most of the innovations were not related to the front-wheel drive at all. This is a hatchback type body, MacPherson strut, steering rack.
Izhmash engineers saw a huge number of advantages of
rear-wheel drive. This made it possible to use the nodes and parts used on previous models, as well as the developed strength calculations, to create a replacement for Izh-2715, one of the most popular car models then.
First prototype
The prototype, which was born in 79, was distinguished by rear-wheel drive, a galvanized hatchback-type body, a steering system with a rack, a five-speed gearbox, and a dual-circuit brake system.
Also, the engineers were able to choose a good layout - the engine and gearbox were shifted to the right. This allowed to free up space and remove the pedal assembly on one level with the motor. Due to this, the engine compartment turned out to be very short. So, with its dimensions, Izh had a very spacious interior - from the pedals to the backs of the rear seats, the distance was the same as that of the Volga.
Recommended for production
Five years after minor modifications, Izh-2126 was approved for production. Initially, the model received the temporary name "Orbit". But later it was renamed "Ode".
The advantage of this machine was the great unification of components and assemblies with other major manufacturers of the USSR. So, the car was unified with VAZ-2106, AZLK-2141, M-412 and other models. Such an approach allowed Izhmash to significantly save on development, as well as increase maintainability. The appearance of the Oda was greatly spoiled by the front optics from the VAZ-2108.
The release was very sluggish, since the start of production fell on the years of perestroika and the post-perestroika period. By the year 95, only five thousand cars were assembled. The plant’s specialists themselves knew that the quality was not too high, even though most of the assembly equipment was purchased in Japan, as well as in other developed countries.
When the production started, it turned out that there were a lot of fans of this car with rear-wheel drive, and the assembly was more stable. Having created the basic version, the factory decided to realize all the features of rear-wheel drive. So the pickup was born on the basis of "Ode" - "Version".
"Ode": four-wheel drive and other modifications
And finally, the Izh Oda 4x4 car was further manufactured - it is a crossover that is a descendant of the Muscovites and Victories with all-wheel drive.
The transmission system was installed by Niva. In this version, the soundproofing of the cabin was significantly improved. On the basis of the Oda, several more cars were further created. So, the latest mass car is the universal Izh "Oda Fabula" 4x4 with rear and all-wheel drive. A luxury version of the popular Nika hatchback was also produced.
The release of "Oda" was established in small volumes, finding demand among ordinary people who prefer to repair a car with their own hands. The car was able to compete with the classic VAZ models. People bought cars Izh "Oda" 4x4. Reviews about them then were only positive - no one has done this in Russia yet.
End of model release
In 2005, Russia switched to the Euro 2 environmental standards, and for the production of the Oda, it would have been necessary to change the engine from a carburetor to an injection one. The plant management decided that this move will affect the cost of the car and lead to a decline in sales. Therefore, in 2005, the model was discontinued.
Specifications
Izh "Ode" 4x4 was made in the hatchback. The length of the body was 4068 mm, the width was 1650 mm. In height, the car reached 1450 mm. The clearance for the crossover is small - only 15.5 centimeters. Wheelbase - 2470 mm.
As for the engines, there were several. So, the engine from the VAZ-2106 with a volume of 1.6 liters and a capacity of 80 liters was used. from. Along with it was installed UZAM-331 with a volume of 1.7 liters and a capacity of 85 liters. from. There was another AvtoVAZ unit - the VAZ-2130. The volume of 1.8 liters and a capacity of 79 liters. from. This unit was equipped with the Izh Oda Fabula 4x4 car. The injector was not used here - only a carburetor. The two-liter engine UZAM-3320 had a capacity of 115 liters. from.
A five-speed manual transmission worked with all these motors. The car could accelerate to 175 km / h - this is the passport maximum speed. Acceleration to hundreds took an average of 13 to 20 s, depending on the brand of engine. The 4x4 razdatka installed on Izh Oda was taken from the Niva.
In the snow, on ice and in the mud
This is the native element for the domestic crossover. But while the wheels are smooth and dry asphalt, the machine will not show any special abilities. Engines do not pamper the owners with frisky acceleration, the cabin is quite noisy, the stiffer suspension is also not very happy. Many do not like the pedal assembly of the car Izh "Oda" 4x4. But as soon as the snow begins, the car turns into a leader on the road. While the surrounding cars travel at speeds up to 40 km / h, Oda travels at the same high speed.
While the road is dry, the car will not be the first in traffic races. If you evaluate the fuel consumption of the car IL IL "Oda" 4x4, technical specifications, then you can forget about dynamic driving. But you just have to go beyond the asphalt, and the potential of the machine will be fully revealed. Izh will pass where many ordinary cars begin to slip. The owners of the four-wheel drive "Ode" are not worried about the cross. Reviews say that the stiffer suspension does an excellent job with potholes, pits, a tram track. You don’t even have to carry a shovel with you - it is not needed with all-wheel drive. Landing a car in an urban environment is almost impossible.
On a slippery road, the car also proves worthy. Patency at the level of the SUV, despite the 15-centimeter clearance.
These are serious advantages for the car Izh "Oda" 4x4. Owner reviews all this fully confirm. The only negative, according to the owners, is the high fuel consumption, especially in winter. But you can put up with it - only expensive all-wheel drive jeeps have such abilities. This is not available to everyone.