Engines: 1.5–1.8 liters (91–98 hp).
Transmission: 5-speed manual.
Options: "standard" and "sport".
Price: from $ 10, 300.
Test car: 1.5 L, 91 L with., a complete set of "standard", $ 10 300.
The magazine wrote about the three-door “twelfth” three years ago (ЗР, 2002, No. 2). Then it was pre-production samples of VAZ 2112 3 with all the advantages and disadvantages inherent in prototypes. Now that the cars are on sale (by the way, take a look at the price!), You can safely talk about “one hundred and twenty-third” as an accomplished model. So, we judge her in all severity.
Prefabricated Solyanka
The life of the hatchback begins on the main assembly line of the VAZ, and one of the “court” firms (in our case, “Auto-Coupe”) completes the job. Original body parts - elongated doors, modified sidewalls and windows; bonnet and front wings - from the modernized “dozens” (ЗР, 2001, No. 11).
The three-door car from a distance looks quite aesthetically pleasing, especially against the background of the usual VAZ 2112. And near the hand-made flaws are striking: the body parts are crooked, the gaps between them are uneven, the plastic elements are poorly fitted. Like it or not, conveyor bodies are made much better.
It is convenient to sit on the front seats - a doorway wider than a meter wide will easily let in even a well-fed person. To get back, as in the three-door Samara, you fold the back of the front seat. But thanks to a different shape of the opening, getting on the VAZ 2112 3 rear sofa is easier. However, it is closer than in the five-door “twelfth” - a coupe already 65 mm in the shoulders.
… I did not have time to move away from the dealership - the backrest tilt handle broke. Bad start! Difficulties did not end there: it was not easy to fasten with a belt because of the central struts displaced backwards. You can only pull the tape down, otherwise it gets stuck in the skewed guide. In addition, the original profiled upholstery on the racks does not allow you to adjust the belt height.
HATCHBACK RECOGNIZED IN RIDING
Some manufacturers of three-door hatchbacks are guided by drivers who prefer an active driving style. Then they install a stiffer suspension, sharper steering and more powerful engines. If the developers from Togliatti went the same way, we would forgive the VAZ 2112 3 and build quality, and a meager set of additional equipment.
Alas, on the road, this coupe is almost no different from the five-door version. It is a comfortable car for a normal, non-aggressive ride. But in extreme situations, the three-door hatchback shows the very soft character inherent in the entire "tenth" family. The steering is rather sluggish, and the car reacts to delays in quick turns of the steering wheel with a delay and noticeably heels. The three-door structure theoretically has greater torsional rigidity. In our case, the difference could not be caught: judging by the reaction to sharp maneuvers, the VAZ 2112 3 body is not stiffer than a five-door hatchback.
However, manufacturers offer a charged modification - with a larger engine, power steering and sports suspension. But, apparently, due to excessive prices, dealers avoid such versions of the three-door hatchback. Sometimes cheaper modifications are equipped with sports seats, a leather interior, power steering and so on.
I pleasantly surprised the power unit of the test VAZ 2112 3 - a 1.5-liter sixteen-valve engine. Obviously, they conjured it over the motor. The characteristic is even, there is no step well known to the owners of the sixteen-valve "ten" at about 3, 500 rpm, to which the engine spins sluggishly. The motor picks up well from low revs and does not sour almost to the limiter.
PAYMENT HOUR
VAZ 2112 3 is almost 2.5 thousand dollars more expensive than its closest relative with a five-door body. Compared with the more popular and cheaper models of the "tenth" family, this machine has its pros and cons. It has at least one special quality, which practical people call a drawback, but adventurers - a virtue: it is a short run. Alas, our industry does not so often pamper with novelties, and any new model gathers a crowd of onlookers. For the sake of this alone, some lay out considerable amounts for the exclusive, without really thinking about what kind of quality it is.
… Returning from the shooting, I saw the “twelfth” at the traffic light with a plastic body kit, from which two young guys poked fingers admirably in our direction. It is possible that for some of them the next car will be the VAZ 2112 3 … Or is it a foreign car? Prices are comparable.
SUMMARY
VAZ 2112 3 - either a relatively affordable exclusive, or simply unreasonably expensive domestic car.
+ Attractive appearance, good engine performance, comfortable landing and disembarkation for the driver and front passenger.