Apal Jaeger: plastic "Niva" for Germans for 2,1 million rubles
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Apal Jaeger: plastic "Niva" for Germans for 2,1 million rubles

Among the many production and custom cars based on the legendary Lada Niva, the Apal Jaeger, also known in Russia as the "Stalker", stands out. This very rare model is the result of decades of experimentation and a challenge to traditional automobile manufacturing.


The Apal Jaeger turned out to be a rarity even in its homeland, not to mention export markets. At the same time, its price at the start exceeded the cost of the Lada Niva by 2,5 times, which made it even more exotic.

"Eger", aka "Stalker" - a bridge between the past and the future, between the Soviet engineering heritage and the European view of aesthetics and practicality. Let's study in detail the history, design and features of this model, which definitely deserves your attention.

How did you come up with this idea?


The history of Apal Jaeger begins in Tolyatti in the 90s, when the domestic auto industry was going through hard times. Against the backdrop of economic instability and limited resources, the Apal company decided to create its own SUV based on the Lada Niva and surprise the people.

Apal Jaeger: plastic "Niva" for Germans for 2,1 million rublesIt is not difficult to guess what inspired the designers when developing the polymer body kit. Photo: youtube.com

Initially, the company was engaged in the production of tuning kits for cars manufactured by VAZ. Their products were popular because they did not require serious intervention in the design of the car and were easily installed in the garage in one evening after a hard day at work.

Perhaps the most famous product of "Apal" was the rear shelf for the VAZ-2109 with a built-in central brake light, which instantly gained popularity among owners of "nines".

Inspired by the success, the company's engineers decided not to limit themselves to minor modifications and took on the task of creating a completely new car. It didn't work out from scratch, but as we will see later, not much remained from the original Lada Niva design.

Despite the serious design revisions, it was possible to maintain the resemblance to the original Lada Niva. Photo: youtube.com

Thus, in 2003, an ambitious project of an SUV with a light plastic body was born. It was supposed to become not just an alternative, but a full-fledged competitor for the Lada Niva and UAZ.

Technical concept


The idea was simple: make a lightweight plastic body on a welded metal frame, while preserving the original engine and suspension. This approach, according to plans, would reduce the weight of the car to 950 kg - this gave a good bonus to cross-country ability.

As is typical of the genre, there were problems on the way to implementing the project. The main difficulty was the lack of a reliable supplier of welded frames. This delayed the launch of serial production for years, and then decades. But the company continued to work.

A controversial decision was to replace the regular tailgate with a lifting one. Photo: youtube.com

In 2019, after almost two decades, the project was brought to the stage of small-scale production. The Apal company joined forces with a subsidiary of AVTOVAZ, VIS-Auto. It is known for its production of commercial vans based on the Lada Granta.

This cooperation allowed the company "Apal" to start producing the first SUVs, which, as expected, turned out to be much more expensive than the basic Niva. At that time, the price for one Jaeger was more than 1,2 million rubles, which was 2,5 times higher than the price tag for the Lada 4x4.

Entering the German market


The fate of the model could have ended in Russia, and not very brightly, considering the cost, but the project unexpectedly attracted interest in Germany. The company Made in Russia GmbH, which specializes in selling Russian equipment in Germany, bought most of the finished Apal Jaegers for subsequent sale in its country. This literally gave the model a new life.

The analog instrument panel will delight lovers of classics. Photo: youtube.com

In Germany, the SUV was rightly dubbed the "Russian Gelendvagen", thereby emphasizing the brutality and utility of the model. Despite the high price (in Germany, the model costs from 19990 euros or 2,1 million rubles), the car has gained popularity in certain circles.

Only a few dozen Jaeger SUVs were ever produced, although certification allowed for up to 150 units to be assembled. The reasons for the limited edition are not trivial: expensive components and the difficulty of organizing the production cycle. However, there is an advantage – due to the small number of copies produced, each Jaeger is highly valued by collectors.

Design and construction


The SUV resembles a smaller version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, but with emphatically rough decorative elements. Each exterior feature serves a utilitarian purpose, there is nothing superfluous that hangs on the body just for the sake of beauty.

The basis of the Jaeger is a space frame. It serves as a base for plastic body panels. The design is corrosion-resistant and lightweight - the weight of the car is only 950 kg, which is 200-300 kg less than the base Lada Niva.

There are no touch screens in the cabin, only hardcore. Photo: youtube.com

The body is made of polymer materials of the ZUROPLAST brand. Matte plastic is scratch-resistant and generally not afraid of scratches and other damage. This is a big plus considering that the SUV is designed for operation in not the most delicate conditions.

The body panels are connected to each other with rivets and bolts that protrude openly. This not only ensures the strength of the structure, but also gives the car a deliberately industrial and brutal look.

Instead of a regular trunk door, Jaeger has an original solution - the entire rear part of the body rises together with the glazing. There are also disadvantages: it was necessary to refuse heating of the glass, and the volume of the luggage compartment was reduced to a minimum, only a canister will fit.

The car turned out to be short, and this was done for the sake of cross-country ability in hard-to-reach places. Photo: youtube.com

In addition to the classic black body color, buyers are offered versions painted in khaki, silver, white and even bright orange tones. You can choose a complete set with both regular and off-road tires with alloy wheels.

What's in the interior?


The Jaeger interior design remains true to its utilitarian philosophy and logically continues the course taken in the design of the body. It combines minimalism, functionality and slight echoes of what we can see in the original Lada Niva:

✅ the front panel is original from Niva, but looks more massive due to the built-in cross tubes of the body frame
✅ The driver's seat is higher than the original, thereby creating a feeling of confidence behind the wheel and improving visibility
✅ the upholstery of the seats and panels is simple and not the most expensive, but it is easy to clean, which is only a plus for any SUV

Among the disadvantages of the interior, based on reviews, one can note poor sound insulation. The noise from the engine and gearbox is quite loud, but this is unlikely to scare off-road romantics.

Engine and more


Under the hood of the Jaeger is a standard 1,7-liter VAZ-21214 engine with a capacity of 83 hp. This naturally aspirated unit with multi-point fuel injection produces a torque of 130 Nm at 3600 rpm. The drive is all-wheel drive, there is a differential lock.

They decided not to mess around with the engine and took the original one from the VAZ-21214. Photo: youtube.com

The relatively low engine power is compensated by the car's lightness, so the lack of dynamics is not particularly felt. The engine works in tandem with a 5-speed manual transmission, which allows the driver to effectively use the entire range of engine speeds.

The Jaeger has a top speed of 130 km/h and accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in about 13,6 seconds. Quite modest, but other characteristics are important off-road. The fuel tank capacity is 42 liters.

The suspension, completely borrowed from the Lada Niva, deserves special attention. It is independent on the front axle and dependent spring on the rear. This combination is well suited for rough terrain. There are disc brakes in the front and drum brakes in the rear.

In general, the interior repeats the concepts implemented in the classic Lada Niva. Photo: youtube.com

The car turned out to be compact: the body length is only 3550 mm, the width is 1560 mm, the height is 1640 mm, the wheelbase is 2200 mm. Thanks to such dimensions, Jaeger easily overcomes narrow sections and has good cross-country ability in confined spaces.

Conclusion


Rough but attractive aesthetics, compactness and cross-country ability turned Jaeger into an object of admiration among European enthusiasts. Despite the relatively high cost and a number of inconveniences such as a small trunk, the car has become a symbol of severe simplicity and reliability in Europe. In Russia, it is not easy to buy Apal-21541 Stalker - the car is very exotic.
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