fact, the 1500 is still cheap enough well located by four radius arms to be considered as astonishingly and a Panhard rod. The steering is good value for money: the British by a worm and roller system. the equivalents, considering the levels brakes are 10 in discs at the front of equipment and overall size, are and 9.8 in drums at the bad with a all more expensive. The Avenger vacuum servo, dual circuits and a GLS costs £2321. the Marina 1.3 load-sensitive pressure-relief SDL £1971. for example. valve at the rear. This Russian model represents a The 1500 model is easily distin· lot of car, both in engine size and guishable from its cheaper stable· interior space, for the money. In mate by the twin headlamps and addition it is very well equipped different grille at the front. Most expensive of the East European imports. with such items as red warning modified tail-lights at the back. Roomy interior and lavish equipment add up to a lights in the trailing edges of the and other exterior trim. It is also doors. inertia reel belts. a much plusher inside. lot of car for the money. Performance and laminated screen, a light under the The engine is not the same a! economy mediocre; handling safe but uninspiring. bonnet and a very comprehensive any of the units normally fitted to Finish still not up to European standards though toolkit. It is also fairly quiet at low the Fiat 124. In either the 1200 or speed. However. performance and 1500 versions it has an over· head economy are rather ordinary, camshaft driven by a chair rather while the heavy, stiff steering, the than a belt and acting or the valves WHEN THE Eastern Bloc Shigulis, renamed Ladas for the pedal layout and the finish via fingers. Thus it differs from countries became more consumer European market, are imported (particularly around the glove both the push rod and the ohc orientated they decided to into the UK, and it is the most compartment) are not up to engines made by Fiat Both units leapfrog the usual growth expensive of the latter, the 1500. European standards. share a common bore 76 mm - but processes and went shopping in that is the subject of this test. Technically the 1500 is. like the the 1500 has a long stroke, 80 mm the West for up-to-date Until the advent of these cars, 1200. based in the main on Fiat compared to 66 mm thus giving technologies. For their motor East European models were 124 mechanicals but with the larger engine ~ capacity of industry they found a ready and generally characterised by three modifications to suit the Russian 1452 cc. In this form it develops willing supplier in Fiat, who features - poor engineering, poor market and climate and to 7~ bhp DIN at 560C rpm and 77.5 provided them not just with quality and a very low price. The modernise it slightly. The body lb ft torque at 350 rpm, 13 bhp and modern designs based on current Polski Fiats and the Ladas have at shell is a three box structure but 11 lb ft more respectively. than the or barely obsolete models. but least partly changed this situation, with a floor pan and exhaust 1200. In spite of the claimed extra with factories, plant, and all the for they now measure up much system made from a heavier gauge horsepower the performance 01 management tools - quality better to other European cars - steel, with other chassis the 1500 is virtually the same a! control, production techniques and although quality still has some reinforcements including the the 1200 we tested in 1974. TOI so on - that a brand-new motor way to go - while retaining the shock absorber mountings and a speed is up by just over 2 mph industry would require. benefits of a low price. comprehensive rust protection. from 89.7 mph to 91.8 mph (under We thus have such cars as the At first sight the Lada 1500, The suspension, too. is similar wind conditions the fastest Zastava (a hatchback l28) from now costing £1798 after a recent straightforward - though the quarter mile of the two around Yugoslavia, various Polski Fiat price increase. looks, if anything, ground clearance is high - being MIRA's banked circuit was models (they make versions of the rather expensive compared to the independent at the front via coil covered at identical speeds 94.7 125. 126, 127 and 132) and the 1200 (£1360, or £1555 in ES - springs and wishbones with an mph). Accelerating through the Shigulis from Russia. Of these more luxurious - form) and the anti-roll bar and at the rear there gears the 1200 was actually only the Polski Fiat 125P and the Polski Fiat 125P (£1449). But, in are coil springs and a live axle quicker to 60mph, taking 14.7s warm-up was rapid but the engine though the car will generally be tended to stutter occasionally until fitted with Russian-made radials it reached its working tempera- upon which we cannot comment. ture. It was never (even when Discs at the front, drums at the warm) really clear of hesitations rear, dual circuits, a pressure limit which occurred usually without valve and a vacuum servo add up warning, although there was one to a good braking specification but predictable flat spot when acceler- the system is nevertheless a little ating at about 50 mph in top. disappointing. Not because The engine is quite smooth right (unlike some other Russian cars up to the 6000 rpm red line and we have tried) the brakes behaved feels very willing. But it is not badly, just that they felt wrong, quiet when extended, being rau- their action being both cous over 4000 rpm with a Fiat- unprogressive and over-servoed, like hammering rasp. In general, making smooth stops difficult. though, it is less temperamental For £1800 you get a lot of car in than the 1200 engine, and subjec- that it is a full five-seater for tively somewhat quieter. Because people of average height (if of the low gearing and a speedom- perhaps with rather limited width eter that becomes wildly optimis- across the back seats) given a little tic at higher speeds the 1500 gives judicious sharing of legroom the impression of being brisker between the driver and rear seat than the figures indicate. passengers. Only tall drivers of 6 Like the performance the fuel ft or more will find leg and consumption is similar to that of headroom restricted. The low the 1200 - the 1500 achieved 25.5 waistline and sensible body shape mpg overall, 29.8 touring, the give a light and airy feeling to the 1200 26.1 mpg and 31.8 mpg re- interior which enhances the spectively. These figures are about impression of spaciousness. average for a car of this size and The boot, a deep one lined with capacity, but note that the admit- a rather cheap looking plastic, tedly smaller Honda 1500 (the took 10.7 cu ft of our Revelation only car in the rivals, section with suitcases. The only intrusions are a similar capacity) gave 29.5 and the covered spare wheel and the 37.2 mpg respectively. toolkit, strapped to the high rear One of the better features of the panel. Inside there is Considerable car is the gearchange, which is oddment space, with a non-lock- pleasant, light and precise, even if ing glove compartment on the pas- the synchromesh can be beaten on senger’s side, a tray beneath it, a rushed changes and reverse small tray on the centre console graunches occasionally. The ra- (into which the lighter intrudes) tios, however, have two faults: and soft pockets in each of the they are all too low — the gearing door. is such that first is only good for Comfort levels are generally 26 mph, second for 43 mph and third for 66 mph — while there is quite good, the only disappoint- compared to the 1500's 15.4s, and The seats are comfortable and have a gap between third and top which ment being the ride on good or it is really only in top that the cloth inserts. The standard of finish is becomes obtrusive when driving average surfaces. The car 1500 shows any advantage: even better than that f most East European briskly. In addition, the gearbox of “checks” and jerks on undulations so its 30-50 mph acceleration time cars and we found the driving position our car was quite noisy, and a dis- and there is a lot of slow-speed, is only 0.7s faster, though a re- more comfortable than that of the Fiat tinct transmission rumble on the low amplitude harshness. But it spectable 10.6s. But the advantage on which the Lada is based overrun was sometimes notice- will also smooth out bumps that does open out at higher speeds, the able. severely jolt passengers in more 1500’s 60-80 mph time being 3.5s The worst feature of the han- softly sprung cars, and without the quicker than the 1200’s. dling is the steering which is not suspension crashing through. Perhaps our 1200 was a particu- very light about the straight-ahead The seats elicited neither praise larly good example or our 1500 position and stiffens up quite con- nor criticism, the cloth-insert PVC was too new and tight (it had siderably on lock. So it is tiresome upholstery covering a reasonably barely covered 3500 miles at the to drive briskly on twisty roads soft cushion that lacks a little in time of testing) to develop its full and in town.