Chevy Niva Is Most Stolen Car

Moscow Times ^ | Thursday, January 27, 2005 | Carl Schreck

[jb6]

Chevy Niva Is Most Stolen Car

By Carl Schreck Staff Writer

Mikhail Novoselov / Vedomosti

Chevy Nivas, shown on the assembly line, are popular for their hard-to-find parts.

The film world is abuzz with speculation on which films will clean up at the U.S. Academy Awards next month, but if the Russian crime world were to bestow similar honors, there would be no doubt about which car would drive off the stage triumphantly in the "Most Stolen Automobile" category.

The Chevrolet-Niva 4x4 was the most stolen car in 2004, according to a survey of insurance companies, Izvestia reported.

More than 5,000 Chevy Nivas have been stolen since production of the off-road vehicle started in 2002, the newspaper noted, without providing precise figures. It said some 80,000 vehicles have been built.

Countrywide, car theft rose almost 1 percent last year, with 71,164 registered heists compared to 70,529 in 2003, according to the Interior Ministry's web site. The increase, however, was minor compared to that in 2003, when car theft jumped by 16 percent.

The models preferred by car thieves differ by region. In Primorye, for example, the Toyota Lexus is a popular target due to the Far Eastern region's proximity to Japan.

Moscow actually saw a drop in car theft last year, with 15,920 vehicles stolen compared to 16,900 in 2003, RosBusinessConsulting reported, citing statistics from the city traffic police.

Cars produced by AvtoVAZ -- namely Ladas and Zhigulis -- make up 40 percent of all cars stolen in Moscow, while German imports Audi and Volkswagen share second place with 10 percent apiece, Izvestia reported last year.

The Chevy Niva is built by a GM-AvtoVAZ joint venture, which rolled out its first cars in September 2002.

Igor Morzharetto, editor at the automobile magazine Za Rulyom, or Behind the Wheel, said it is no mystery why the off-road model is so popular among thieves. "It's really very simple: Unfortunately, AvtoVAZ doesn't produce spare parts for the Chevy Niva, and if something breaks down and you try to exercise your warranty, you have to wait several days or even weeks," Morzharetto said. "So they steal Chevy Nivas to strip them and resell the parts -- not because they like the car."

City Crime Statistics

Jan. 19 - 25

Crime Total Solved

Murder 14 9

Assault 21 17

Robbery 654 149

Rape 3 3

Theft (total) 859 331

Apartment burglaries 148 12

Fraud 73 59

Car theft 52 14

For the Record

Car accidents 140

a) killed 18

b) injured 153

Public drunkenness 4,543

a) detained overnight 1,207

Suicides 20

Missing persons 57

Bodies discovered 75

Source: Moscow police

The best protection against theft is to insure the car and install a satellite tracking device, said Alexei Bakhromeyev, spokesman for the city police's criminal investigations department. While the devices can be pricey -- a quality one does not cost less than $1,500, Morzharetto said -- most insurance companies offer reduced premiums for car-theft coverage to drivers who install the tracking systems.

[jb6]

Whoops, typed in link instead of img tags.

[exit82]

A Chevy Niva?

Reminds me of my Plymouth Dister.

[thoughtomator]

Steal American?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Reminds me of my Plymouth Dister.

Yeah..hehe. Or my Chevy Cirvette.

[Enterprise]

Reminds me of my Silverlardo.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

N-O-V-A. It's spelled Nova, not Niva.

[Rocky]

I bet it's almost as popular as my Volkswagen Hobbit.

[phoenix0468]

Or is that Disaster?

[investigateworld]

Is there hope for my Yugo?

[martin_fierro]

I'd like to drive a Subaru Britt.

[Rca2000]

Or my Oldsmoblie Tornado, Tofeeo, that I used to own(LOL!)

Or maybe, my Chrysler Torn And county minivan.

[Graybeard58]

Is there hope for my Yugo?

Learn how to spell it. It's a YIGO.

[xm177e2]

N-O-V-A. It's spelled Nova, not Niva.

Wrong. See the picture in post 2. Remember, it's being sold in a foreign country...

[jb6]

Nivas are named after the River Niva. They are a brand of Russian small SUVs (Yup, russians like SUVs). This one is a joint project with Chevy (which has something like 3 plants in Russia, all built after Putin put down 25% import tariffs).

[Cowboy Bob]

The Nivas have been around for quite a while. I drove one from '93-'95 while working in Kazakhstan. There was not much to them, but they got you around. I think the JV with Chevy began about 4-6 years ago.

[jb6]

True, seat belts and radio big options. :) But the new ones cost $3K, something the average Ivan could and can afford, since average salaries are $280/month.

[digger48]

My "72 Mistang

[Cowboy Bob]

But the new ones cost $3K

They cost about $3K way back then too. We bought about 200 in one shot. None were drivable when they came in. All had to be serviced, and were usually missing a part or two! You couldn't leave windshield wipers on them overnight, or they'd be stolen.

[Larry Lucido]

"N-O-V-A. It's spelled Nova, not Niva."

They tried to market that in Mexico under that name, until they realized that No Va means "Doesn't run" in Spanish.