i have been using 3.8 gasoline pneuma for exactly a year, mileage 50,000 km
at the very beginning of operation, I replaced the standard AMOs with converted ones and put other springs in front under the converted AMOs. The shock absorbers were altered in Vladimir, the springs were made in St. Petersburg. The bottom line is that the standard suspension is American, "soft", designed for good asphalt ... That is, on the "comb" the car after 100 km / h drags and throws, and on the waves chatters "Mama Don't Cry". It is noteworthy: there is one test - you slightly accelerate and slow down sharply - before you make several pecks, after alteration - one ... In general, it fits with an interference fit for the city, but on the track, especially ours, full of sh * t ... In Vladimir there is an office that prepares sports cars, i.e. prepares them for competitions, incl. and remodel the suspension. This is where one of the owners of Mojave remade the regular Amo. The alteration consisted in giving more rigid characteristics of the work of the AMO. When I changed the standard AMOs to the converted ones, I compared them. So, the relatives are really soft, you can pump them almost on the weight with both hands, and the converted ones already have to be put into something and strain to pump them! After I put the tuning AMOs on, the car went, no comb, no waves, no matter what, like on rails, only in front of it became very hard, all the small irregularities in front of hard tapped ... And again we found a solution. Native springs had almost the same rigidity along their entire length, and they were also closed around their axis. In St. Petersburg, they made new springs with immense stiffness under the Mohav and the limited Amo: the ends are softer, the middle is stiffer and one turn smaller. I changed the standard springs to St. Petersburg ones and everything fell into place. Small irregularities pass smoothly and at the same time holds the road, it has become much more comfortable to ride. In general, "sharpened" the suspension for Europe. All this is discussed on the mohavod.ru forum. In addition, in cars with pneuma, there were problems with position sensors, they were periodically out of order. As it turned out, they came out mainly because of salt and reagents on the roads, contacts on the sensor connectors were oxidized, which are practically not protected. This problem is solved by sealing the connectors, someone does it with heat shrinkage, but I did it with a sealant, missed the place where the connector was joined and poured the wires at the entrance to the connector. In general, the car is very decent. We have it in terms of $ 50,000. In this price range, we have no competitor to Mojave. Top-top grade (leather, 3-zone climate, heating with ventilation, etc.), only in our Republic of Kazakhstan they sell only gasoline 3. 8 version and there is no navigation in the head, but there is not bad Infiniti 5 + 1 music. In addition, I put a Pandora sigalok with all GPS, GPRS, etc., put monitors with a player in the headrests, and so on, headlights, tumanki and the front edge of the hood, booked with film. I liked the standard soundproofing very much, it is ... In terms of driving performance, although the car is on the frame, it is still more a crossover than a jeep, although in principle it can go on a dry land. The dynamics are excellent, the main drive is rear. The side mirrors were a little confused, they are spherical, i.e. cheat. Motor - timing chain, very quiet running, 275 hp, enough in abundance! Consumption at 100 km / h 10-10.2 liters, 120 km / h and above from 11.5 liters, city 18-21 liters. Lew strictly AI 92.

And we went to Altai. It happens so: representative offices of brands invite journalists not to the "premiere show", but to consolidate what they have learned. Why not?

The last time I drove a Mohave was in the very first Russian test drive of the model in 2009. It just so happened. That was a different time and a completely different me. Since then, hundreds of thousands of kilometers have been covered and hundreds of pieces of equipment have been tested. Well, I myself somehow, albeit slowly, but develop. I hope so, at least ...

Then we traveled on Mohave more than 2 thousand kilometers from Astana to Baikonur along roads and without them, through mountains, dry lakes ... It was a glorious hunt, if you know what I mean. The trip in our circles has long been overgrown with legends and is considered almost a textbook. If you describe everything that happened there, you need to open a separate heading "Tales from the Mojave".

For example: I flew somehow along an asphalt road, somewhere within a radius of a couple of hundred kilometers from Temirtau. The road, though shabby, but smooth, and allowed to calmly keep 150-160 km / h. Was in a hurry to get to the hotel before dark. I listened to the new (at that time) album The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die, listened loudly, plunging into the compositions of Liam Howlett "headlong". My partner, who was sleeping before, distracted me: they say, answer the radio that it hiss ... That is, the swinging breakbeat did not bother him, but the radio woke the unfortunate man ... Ok, turn off the music, turn up the volume in the radio. From there, the then PR man of Kia, Andrei Matveev, yells with good obscenities: “Zhenya, what are you fucking doing? Take care, mother, grind the car! We still have to ride it from Mother's rewind Baikonur ”… And at that very moment I see his face protruding from the passenger window of another Mohave, which bypasses me in the oncoming lane. If I drove 160, it’s scary to even think how long they drove ... I immediately informed him of these calculations, to which I received the answer “Why? I am the organizer, I have to be at the finish line before all of you, mother-crush "...

In 2009, Mohave was awesome. He knew how to connect to an iPod! True, a special cable was needed, at one end of which there was an old Apple 30-pin connector, and on the other - a 3.5 mm jack and USB (in one plug). Mohave no longer understands modern iPhones: Bluetooth does not support the A2DP protocol, so it will not work to stream music to the head unit. And when connected to USB using a regular cable, nothing happens at all. Not even charging. Here it is, age!

Just kidding. These are all toys. The main thing is ergonomics and behavior on the road. And here ... no, you can still feel the age. And in design, and in the layout, and in the quality of finishing materials ... But first things first. I put my 2 meters behind the wheel with a little difficulty. Over the past 7 years, I also did not waste time in vain, I was systematically growing - not in height, so in width. But, in principle, it is possible to get a job behind the wheel. Yes, the interior is simple, but we must pay tribute to the Koreans - the salon is decorated in a classic mood, so the language does not turn outdated to call it obsolete. He is calm. I'm sure many people like it.

The main thing is that even for me there is a place for an adult passenger! Perhaps this is the main achievement of Mohave in the field of interior space improvement. Navigation is simple, it lags a little and slows down, but it works, the buttons are pressed, the steering wheel is spinning ... Normal car.

The main thing is the motor. Three-liter turbodiesel with 250 hp. at a moment of 549 Nm. This is a little more than enough. The gearbox is a new 8-speed "automatic". By the way, when we went to Baikonur, those cars had 2 steps less. So: Mohave has enough foolishness for three, but coping with it is a completely different calico.

Traction - the sea! In any gear, the SUV accelerates briskly, which is very pleasant. There is no lack of power both in the city and on the highway. But age makes itself felt: Mohave drives very ... how to put it diplomatically ... reluctantly. High center of gravity, soft shock absorbers, "long" steering wheel - not the best properties when it comes to driving qualities. So it is better not to tempt fate and use the traction potential of the motor on straight lines - then the gray hair will not be added.

In 2009, in the steppes of Kazakhstan, we easily maintained a pace of 120-140 km / h on broken asphalt. Either there was less filler in the skulls, or the cars were tuned differently, but the current Mohave sways on the waves of asphalt so that it is not far from seasickness. This is due to the shock absorbers: they are too soft, easily compressed to rebound and poorly dampen small vibrations. By the way, on the forums of "mohavodov" I read: almost half of those operating Mohave change shock absorbers immediately after purchase. And everything is good with them.

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But we have to drive a standard car, and if you go off the asphalt onto the dirt road, you should look both ways: Mohave does not like deep potholes and works them out with dull blows to the body. So we go a little quieter than we would like ... And if you keep a moderate pace, the car opens up: it is quiet in the cabin, vibrations on the steering wheel - at least, roll yourself, and look out for holes.

One of the sections of the route was off-road. Moreover, our crew got on it by accident: having accelerated along the Chuisky tract to near-sonic speeds, we missed the turn to the forest stage, therefore, when we had already reached the intermediate finish, we were offered to drive up the mountain - they say, the view there is absolutely incredible. Indeed, the sight deprived both me and my partner, who does not shut up in principle, of speechlessness for a few minutes, having reduced the lexicon to obscene interjections that literally fell out of open mouths.

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Mohave drove confidently along the track "trodden" by UAZs - it didn't even have to turn on the "lower". But the absence of inter-wheel locks did not allow us to climb one very picturesque mound: Mohave hung out one wheel and could no longer go further. Sorry. He could have made an electronic imitation ...

But ... As soon as I began to get used to this device, colleagues treacherously took it away, forcing us to change to. I wrote about this new crossover not so long ago, and I wrote kind of positively. So: after fifty kilometers along the same Chuisky tract, I am again ready to assert: the Sorento Prime has an amazing chassis. Better balanced than Mohave.

What's the bottom line?

Yes, the car is slightly behind progress and is not ready to compensate for this with such charisma as, for example, a new one, so what? But owning it is not burdensome. While we were trying to set speed records on gravel, a three-liter diesel engine modestly digested about 11 liters per 100 km (at least, that's what the board computer said).

You should buy a Kia Mohave if:

• You love the calm, "no-one" design
• Your day is wasted if you don’t get enough of your 250 diesel power
• You like to look down on life
• You have 2.1 - 2.4 million rubles

You shouldn't buy a Kia Mohave if:

• You have a new iPhone
• Your children get very sick on bad roads
• You expect an SUV to be able to drive through virgin lands and taiga
• It seems to you that only girls go through sharp turns at less than 60 km / h

Mohave will live!

Guess from three times why Mohave has not experienced a single restyling for so many years? It's simple: since 2011, this model has been sold in rather modest quantities only in the markets of Asia, the Middle East and Russia. In the US, they were taken off the market two years after the launch, and in Europe they were not even more so. The experience of creating a large SUV is considered unsuccessful.

But representatives of Kia have officially announced that the development of the second generation of the model has already begun. True, it is not known whether it will keep the frame, but the fact itself gives hope. At the very least, it will be interesting to see the implementation of Schreier's design concept in a really large car.

Materiel

Dmitry Yurasov

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Kia Mohave is a rare case today when cars of this brand are not clones of one or another Hyundai model. Quite the opposite: Mohave can be called a kind of antipode to the large Hyundai ix55 crossover, which appeared at about the same time, which had very similar dimensions and the same power unit.

If he was a typical "SUV" with a monocoque body and a McPherson front suspension, then here is a classic "two-lever" mounted on a frame, to which the body is attached on eight rubber-metal pillows. True, the rear suspension is almost "light", independent multi-link, except that the big moves give out the "rogue". It can be either spring or pneumatic, in the latter case - with the effect of leveling, plus the "stern" can either be raised by 40 mm to overcome obstacles, or lowered by the same amount to facilitate loading or docking with the trailer. This is in the order of things for Americans, to whom Mohave, or rather, Borrego, was first of all addressed - under this name the model was sold in the USA.

By the way, in the States, the top-end power unit was a 340-horsepower 4.6-liter "eight" of the Tau family, while only six-cylinder engines are available to us. The 3.8-liter petrol V6 (factory designation G6DA) belongs to the "all-aluminum" Lambda series, which combines motors of various displacement with four valves per cylinder and camshaft chain drive, all of which are made in America. The Mohave engine is, in fact, a "bored" version of the 3.5-liter engine with variable intake and exhaust phases, which was installed on the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe. As for the more popular three-liter turbodiesel of a similar architecture (G6EN), this is the only representative of the S series today, which is the first Korean diesel "six". An extremely powerful engine with common rail injection and piezo injectors was created especially for the Kia Mohave and Hyundai ix55.

Despite the smaller displacement, the maximum torque of the turbo diesel is much higher than that of the petrol V6, which is mated to the Jatco JR507E five-speed automatic transmission used on many Kia, Hyundai, Nissan and Suzuki models. Therefore, initially the diesel modification was equipped with a six-speed gearbox of the ZF brand with the designation 6HP26 - the same one that was installed on the American eight-cylinder Kia Borrego, as well as on powerful cars of the brands Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Bentley, Maserati, etc. However, for the recent update of Mohave, the Germans have prepared a successor to the 6HP, an eight-speed series with a logical index of 8HP - such “automatic machines” were used to rearm both the mentioned models and the diesel Mohave.

But the all-wheel drive system remains the same: the Borg Warner transfer case transfers torque to the front wheels through a multi-row toothed chain and an electronically controlled multi-plate friction clutch. An interesting design feature of this unit is the planetary type reduction gear, which has a very high gear ratio of 2.4: 1.

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Our motorists love large SUVs. And this is despite the fact that it is extremely inconvenient to drive such cars in tight megalopolises. Nevertheless, huge "crooks" both used and are in considerable demand. It's a shame, but the new SUVs are quite expensive. And then there is nothing left to do but pay attention to the secondary market. There are offers for every taste and budget. One option is the Korean Kia Mohave SUV.

As a concept car under the name HM, the SUV was shown in Detroit back in 2005. This model, in the opinion of Koreans, was supposed to become the flagship of the brand in the future and position itself one step above the notorious Kia Sorento. Three years later, the serial Mohave went on sale in the American market, and in 2009 the car reached South Korea and Russia.

Engine and transmission

Technically, the Mohave is similar to its sister Sorento and the Hyundai ix55 SUV. In 2012, the Korean SUV was equipped with a new 8-speed automatic transmission, which had a positive impact on the car's economy. But as for the third row of seats, thanks to which the Mohave can be moved in seven ways, it was offered from the very beginning of the production of this model.

It is interesting that in our market Kia Mohave appeared immediately in a restyled version. Two engines were available for the car: a 3-liter diesel with 250 horsepower and a 3.8-liter gasoline unit.

The latter is rare on Mohave. So it's hardly worth focusing on it when buying a car. Moreover, the much more economical diesel engine turned out to be extremely successful. In the hands of a caring owner who changes the oil every 10 thousand kilometers, a diesel engine will not give cause for concern until a run of 200-250 thousand kilometers. I am also glad that diesel can digest our not the best fuel. So there is no need to be afraid of frequent replacement of expensive injectors.

Sometimes in the secondary market there are Mohave brought from the North American market. These cars will probably have a 6-speed automatic. But whatever one may say, and eight steps in an automatic box, which were installed on the car after restyling, allow you to go faster and consume less fuel.

If the "automatic" suddenly began to change gears with jerks, first you should go to the dealer and figure out what the matter is. It is possible that expensive repairs will not be needed at all, and unpleasant shocks will disappear after flashing the box control unit. But the words of servicemen that the oil in the “automatic machine” should not be changed, it is better not to listen. If you want to drive for a long time and without problems, then it is better to change it every 60 thousand kilometers.

Interior and suspension

Kia Mohave owners have different opinions regarding the quality of the finishing materials and the accuracy of the interior assembly. Someone complains about "crickets" and constant squeaks, someone assures that there is nothing to complain about inside. Perhaps the current situation speaks of the unstable build quality, so it's definitely worth taking a ride and listening to extraneous sounds before buying a Mohave.

Equipped with a Korean SUV well. It even occurs on many cars. But she will surely become the source of the headache. The camera turns off every now and then, forcing the owners of Mohave to contact the company service. But the new camera won't last too long. After a couple of years, she again begins to shut down spontaneously.

Another complaint about the Korean SUV is the quickly peeling steering wheel, which gives many potential Mohave buyers the impression that the mileage has been seriously adjusted before the car is sold.

At the heart of the Kia Mohave's design is a powerful frame. the Korean SUV has independent, four-wheel drive. The latter is connected either automatically or forcibly. Interestingly, the Mohave rear suspension is used. On many crossovers and SUVs, they have proven themselves not in the best way, but not on the Kia Mohave. The body position sensors are more likely to fail than the pneumatic struts themselves will fail. Sensors rarely fail. In our conditions, the wiring going to them is the first to rot. Examining the suspension, it will not hurt to pay attention to a considerable number of unprotected components and assemblies. And this means only one thing - to consider the Kia Mohave a serious SUV and you cannot constantly use it on rough terrain. Rather, it is simply a large, spacious car that allows you to move comfortably on relatively flat paved roads.

On the first Kia Mohave sold in our country, you can find small rust spots, but there are not many such cars. Most Mohave owners have never even heard of corrosion. As well as the fact that this car is being stolen. The criminal world of Kia Mohave is of little interest. But car enthusiasts dreaming of a large and unpretentious SUV are looking towards the "Korean" more and more often. They are quite understandable. For a reasonable price, Mohave offers a robust design, a spacious interior and good ride quality.

Video: Kia MOHAVE test drive

To establish a starting point, you need to formulate the main question that buyers will ask themselves. What do we want from a large SUV worth at least one and a half million rubles? Surely more than just the ability to move from point A to point B? Then - point by point.

... decent dynamics

Choose: a 250-horsepower three-liter turbodiesel with a 6-speed automatic transmission or a 274-horsepower 3.8-liter gasoline engine with a 5-speed one. We started with a diesel engine and we were right.

There is always enough power, the engine is especially good at accelerating on the move, overtaking can be done with one jerk. True, the adaptive "automatic" after a long uniform movement does not immediately adapt and when the gas is pressed sharply for half a second, "freezes", but this is compensated by the subsequent powerful acceleration. The rest of the time, the switching is almost imperceptible, you just press the gas, and the car goes, the manual mode of the gearbox had to be used only on mountain slopes off-road. The gasoline engine is not inferior to the diesel engine, except that it is a little noisier and the gear changes are more noticeable by ear (there are five gears, not six, and there are more steps between them). So in this discipline Mohave gets credit.

... comfort

Springs or pneumatics? The pneumatics seemed to us better. It at least smooths out small irregularities. On the springs, small “ripples” reach the salon much stronger. But in either case, the energy intensity of Kazakh roads is not enough, and on gentle waves (and there all the roads are like an ocean after a storm), the car begins to swing dangerously. The compression stroke of the rear suspension is small, which is why the feed of the car often gets a kick from the limiters and strives to take off. But it was worth getting to a freshly built section of the road (far from settlements in the middle of the steppe, 30 km of happiness was discovered, more like a mirage), as it turned out that the suspension was excellent. On more or less smooth asphalt, Mohave rushes at a speed of 170 km / h, quite humming with the engine, rustling tires and practically not annoying with aerodynamic noise. Since the Russian roads, albeit worse than the American ones, are smoother than the Kazakh ones, it seems that the characteristics of the suspension can be changed under our conditions, and the company representatives promised to deal with this issue. Otherwise, there are no complaints about comfort: really good noise isolation, a very decent audio system Infinity, climate control, which even reaches the third row of seats, allow you to endure long trips in Mohave without any problems.

Driver "s seat 2

…facilities

The largest wheelbase among competitors also affects the stock of interior space. Even in the third row of seats, adults may well fit, but the seats themselves cannot be rated "excellent". In the driver's seat, the lateral support rollers are too dense, the seat is not wide, which is why the place where the legs lose their proud name quickly begins to numb in oversized people. The seat cushion in the second row is low, you have to sit with your knees raised rather high, and your feet do not fit under the front seat. On a long journey, all these little things spoil a good overall picture. It is gratifying that the second-row seat backrests are adjustable in length and tilt, the interior transformation is easy and simple, the trunk does not cease to be such even with three rows of seats, there are comfortable armrests and cup holders. Finally, after three days of racing on Kazakh highways, the back did not stop unbending, which in other cars happens at much shorter distances, covered on much better roads.

... passability

We tried that too. The organizers laid out several special stages, including a 100-kilometer raid on steppe dirt roads, riding along the bottom of a salt lake, rocky descents and ascents, deep ruts and crawling along loose sand and gullies on the banks of the Syr Darya. Despite the frame structure and the presence of a lowering row in the transmission, Mohave is more of a crossover than a rogue. Off-road feats should not be expected from him, but he is quite capable of overcoming a shallow ford, climbing a broken track, climbing a steep slope. Moreover, you can turn on the assistance systems during the ascent and descent and calmly observe how the car neatly performs mountaineering exercises. On loose sand, it turned out to be not so good, but this is mainly due to the asphalt tires. If he were shod in something "toothy", he could easily walk on the sand, the power and transmission capabilities would be enough for him. But in exercises for geometric cross-country ability, it will not be so good - the suspension moves are too small, and only the central clutch is blocked, the blocking of interwheel differentials is imitated by brakes.

... security

On slippery roads, all-wheel drive with a multi-plate clutch, if necessary, sends up to half of the torque to the front wheels, will come in handy. As well as the stabilization system and traction control system. Of course, there is ABS, which, together with independent suspension, which allows the tires to better track irregularities in the road, helps the rather big SUV to get off from a speed of 100 km / h in just 42.6 meters, which looks very good against the background of classmates. In Europe, Mohave was not hit by barriers, but in the States, where it is planned to sell the bulk of these cars, it received five stars according to the results of crash tests. There are only six pillows, but you need to understand what this means "only". The Mohave's side curtains open to the full length of the cabin, protecting even third-row passengers. There are no knee pads.

... reliability

Even after one and a half thousand kilometers of brutal tests that fell to the lot of test machines, it is too early to talk about a resource. But the build quality and durability pleased us without any reservations. On broken roads, among which there were hundreds of kilometers along the steppe dirt roads; 250 kilometers of gravel road - with all its charms; another hundred of such asphalt that we had to drive along the sides, which were smoother - we kept an average speed of 100 km / h. Almost all the way from the shaking, the interior was shaking, the settings of the mirrors were lost, suitcases were jumping in the trunk, and those who were "lucky" to sit in the back tried to break through the ceiling with their heads. On many SUVs, we would not have dared to take such a ride, fearing for the safety of the suspension arms and steering rods. And Mohave not only did not break anything, but also did not rattle - as soon as we drove onto decent asphalt, the cabin became as quiet as it had been before these frantic races. Only one of the cars had a loose rear door lock. It was enough to put the screws on the thread glue, as is done in sports and in aviation, and tighten them - it became quiet again.

What happened?

Representatives of the company in relation to their new flagship try not to use the word "premium". And I tend to agree with them for two reasons. Firstly, this concept itself has been erased to holes, everyone is now striving to become "premium" with or without reason. And secondly, KIA Mohave is just a solid big car, comfortable, powerful, roomy and quite strong, while without unnecessary pathos. Such cars are loved in the States, but the salons of American classmates sometimes disappoint with their simplicity. You can't say that about Mohave.

Among the main competitors, KIA representatives name Nissan Pathfinder, Mitsubishi Pajero, Ford Explorer, and partly Hyundai ix55. Prices start at 1,459,900 rubles, for this money you can buy a gasoline car with a spring suspension, a combined fabric-leather interior, a simple dashboard, steering wheel adjustment only in height. KIA says they deliberately made the prices the same as those of competitors in similar trim levels. True, for others it is mainly cars of 2008, and Mohave, by definition, of 2009. Who will buy these cars? First, those who want to replace the Sorento with something bigger. Secondly, those who just want to buy a big roomy SUV for a reasonable price, but here Mohave will face stiff competition. Is he ready for her? The inertia of thinking is quite strong: many are simply not morally ready to purchase a large Korean SUV instead of the famous Japanese one, and this is a trump card in the sleeve of competitors. At least for now. But otherwise, the KIA Mohave is quite competitive.

And they called him ...

Mohave is the name of the California desert where the KIA Proving Grounds are built. As conceived by the creators, this name should symbolize endurance, equanimity and reliability, the new SUV should become the embodiment of KIA's technological power. As they say, let him calmly and reliably embody this very power.

But we make rockets