Some cars become legends, others are a thing of the past. Sometimes a lack of interest in the car is unjustified. Today we’ll talk about the Chevrolet Viva, which did not become a legend and is simply forgotten, although this car is very, very good.
History of model creation
The fault of the failure of the model is the manufacturer. In fact, the Chevrolet Viva is a morally obsolete version of the Opel Astra G, which was, in principle, a good workhorse at the time. But the manufacturer made a mistake in pricing. Chevrolet Viva was almost like a new generation Opel Astra, that is, the Opel Astra H. The model was focused on the Russian market. But our man cannot be fooled. The model lasted only four years and was removed from the assembly line due to extremely low sales. The release of the model was in the period from 2004 to 2008. There was still a limited series of models, more on that later, it was produced in 2005. Chevrolet Viva was supposed to become a competitor to domestic cars in Russia. But it was perceived by society as a release to the market of an old model of a foreign car at a very high price.
Engine and suspension
The Chevrolet Viva was offered with a single gasoline engine, which had four cylinders and 16 valves, an engine displacement of 1.8 liters. The engine was not a special development for the model; it was the good old Opel FAM1 Ecotec Z18XE. The suspension was also not developed or finalized; it was entirely taken from the Opel Astra G. Disc brakes.
Options
At the buyer's choice were two trim levels: L and GLS. The second grade is richer. We will focus on it. Chevrolet Viva GLS is a car with an electric power steering, ABS, with electric windows in the front windows. There is a possibility of adjustment of a wheel on a departure. The driver's seat can be adjusted in two planes. Installed heated front seats. The mirrors had heating and electrical adjustments, the mirrors themselves were painted in body color. Air conditioning and standard front fog lights were also installed. On the headlights there was a washer. The car was equipped with a full-time car radio.
Not too rich, but for a competitor to the Russian auto industry of those years, it’s quite a thing for itself, if not for the price. Also, several special packages for Russian roads were offered at the buyer's choice.
Chevrolet Viva Adrenaline
It was an attempt to revive sales of a failed model from the manufacturer. In 2005, the Chevrolet Viva Adrenaline was offered, which was a kind of top-end version of the car, with a daring sporty body kit. Changes affected the interior. Then a new leather steering wheel and seats with lateral support appeared. Naturally, the price of this "sports car" was even higher than the classic version of the Chevrolet Viva. This version of the car was produced in the amount of 50 cars (30 yellow and 20 red). Little is known about the fate of these cars. But it seems that they did not settle in the personal collections of car connoisseurs.
Chevrolet Viva: reviews
There are few reviews on the Web due to low demand for the car. It can be assumed that if the car is a copy of the Opel Astra G, then the reviews on the cars are approximately similar. Does the car deserve attention? If you find an option in the secondary market in good condition and with an adequate price, then this is quite a decent device.
But a reasonable question arises as to why someone took this car new. Why buy an obsolete car at the price of the next generation? No answer.