Moskvich 6 review: first real test drive

“A bright, dynamic sedan” is the slogan on the official Moskvich website on the page dedicated to the “6” model. However, technically this is a liftback – it has a lifting rear door. So the registration certificate says: “Passenger combi (hatchback)” – just like the “Moskvich-2141”, the successor of which can be considered the new “six”. But a test drive of Moskvich 6 showed that it has yet to earn people’s love.

A little about the pedigree. The technological partner of the Moscow plant is KAMAZ, which works with the Chinese from JAC on the cargo topic, so the logical step was to expand cooperation in the passenger segment. The Moskvich 6 is based on the JAC A5 Plus liftback, updated this year. And from a design point of view, it turned out to be a good choice.

The first thing that catches your eye is the spectacular optics; the rear lights with voluminous “graphics” spanning the entire width of the body are especially good. And in the dark, good light pleases you – 142 LEDs and 5 lenses in each headlight are responsible for this. 17-inch two-tone wheels are already included as standard.

Source: Moskvich

Everything inside is also elegant – a 10-inch tablet in the center of the panel pleases with instant connection of smartphones via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay and high-quality images from all-round cameras. The interior is trimmed with leather and faux suede inserts, there is a sunroof in the roof, and in front of the driver there is a display instead of the usual instrument panel.

Space for storing small items is well organized: the “double-deck” tunnel has conveniently located cup holders, and there are a total of four USB sockets in the cabin, so you can charge several devices at once. Plus a separate connector near the mirror for connecting a DVR. For the comfort of rear passengers there is a folding armrest and ventilation system deflectors. And it’s comfortable to sit there – there’s enough space for both the head and the legs.

But then “shoals” come out. The instrument panel has three design themes, but none of them include classic dials; when a smartphone is connected, the climate control menu does not pop up on the main screen – there are separate sliders for adjusting the temperature and fan speed, but you can find out the exact values ​​only if you exit navigation and specifically go to the desired section. And the “climate” itself works through a stump – it’s cold inside (you need to set it to at least 24 degrees), then suddenly the windows start to sweat.

And the Moskvich 6 does not have reach-adjustable steering wheel, but, in fairness, it should be noted that this does not greatly harm the landing – a tall driver would rather rest his head on the roof than not reach the steering wheel.

Two power units have been prepared for the “six”. The base one is a 1.5-liter turbo engine with a power of 136 hp. The cylinder block is made of aluminum (with steel liners), conventional distributed injection and a variator as a transmission. Actually, this combination has long been known from the JAC J7 model.

Source: Moskvich

And on the test drive there were only flagship modifications of the Moskvich 6, where under the hood there is also a “one and a half”, but a different one – with a cast iron block, direct injection, two phase regulators (on the intake and exhaust camshafts) and paired with a six-speed robot with two clutches. 174 “horses” in the “power” column, 280 Nm of torque and 7.8 seconds of acceleration to hundreds hint at exciting handling.

Source: Moskvich

But the electronics do not like sudden starts and protect the clutch from overheating, so the Moskvich 6 takes off with a slight delay, but then quickly picks up speed, so that the rated maximum speed (210 km/h) does not seem unattainable – thanks to the good aerodynamic drag coefficient (0.26). However, during intense overtaking, you need to take into account the delay in downshifting – first the speed increases, then with a slight push the downshift is engaged. And at higher stages the engine spins only up to 4500 rpm.

And, despite its similar dimensions, the Moskvich is far from the habits of the Changan Uni-V liftback, which surprised us in the summer with its dynamics and, most importantly, controllability. When cornering, the Moskvich rides reliably, but without excitement, and the point is not in the strict ESP, which intervenes in the process even before the start of any sliding (it can be completely turned off!), but in the chassis settings themselves – by choosing the grip properties of the tires, it simply slides outward with the front wheels, practically not reacting to the release of the gas.

Although the steering is surprisingly informative (the Chinese don’t know how to tune only crossovers?) even on winter tires, the brakes did not cause any complaints. Yes, in the city they are too “sensitive”, which takes some getting used to, but the maximum capabilities are good, the pads do not overheat after a couple of intense decelerations.

Things are not so good here anymore. Yes, Moskvich 6 is based on the modernized JAC A5 Plus, so it is not as “oaky” as the previous version. The suspension handles both small bumps and large potholes better, but I would like a smoother ride, given that the rear suspension is multi-link. The main thing is to carefully monitor the coating, because the ground clearance here is very low. It is stated to be 140 mm, but on primers you are constantly scratching with plastic shields (they hang lower) in harmless places.

But the sound insulation is weak – the tires are especially loud on abrasive asphalt, and at high speeds the wind whistles. The Moskvich 3 crossover is noticeably quieter inside…

And “Moskvich 6” is deprived of “warm options” – there is no heated steering wheel, rear seat or windshield, only for the front seats. And in general, adaptation to our conditions has not yet been carried out. But the plant has resources – the ex-team of the Russian representative office of Renault partially remained at Moskvich, and we remember that they are capable of making a car that can cope with all the realities of our climate (take the Arcana, for example). So everything will depend on sales volume, which directly affects the Chinese interest in further improvements.

So far, prices have been announced for three versions. The basic “Comfort” with a 136-horsepower engine and CVT, excluding possible benefits for purchasing on credit and trade-in, costs 2,636,000 rubles and is more intended for corporate clients, taxis and car sharing, as well as government procurement. The rich “Business” package with the same engine will cost 200 thousand more. And the flagship Moskvich 6, which we tested, almost reaches the 3 million mark – 2,976,000 rubles. They are addressed to young people who do not want to drive a boring crossover.

Source: Moskvich

And, of course, this is expensive for a Russian-made car – the same Changan Uni-V in the top configuration now costs 2,929,900 rubles, although it is imported from China. But Moskvich will soon begin full-fledged production of the Moskvich 3 crossovers with welding and painting of bodies, and the same thing will happen in the future with the Moskvich 6 liftback. And perhaps this will give a reason to reduce prices. Or, at least, to improve the car itself by making changes ordered by Russian specialists. By the way, another version of Moskvich 6 is expected next year. Will she have fewer flaws?