Apal-21541 "Stalker" is an all-wheel drive SUV that combines a brutal design, an archaic interior, a proven technical "stuffing" and high off-road potential ... It is addressed, first of all, to fans of outdoor activities and cross-country rides, for whom in the car cross-country ability is especially important, not comfort or safety ...
The Stalker SUV was developed by the Togliatti company Apal on the Lada 4 × 4 chassis and began its history back in 2003 - it was in the fall of that year that the SUV (then still with a cloth top) was first shown to the general public at the stands of the motor show in Tolyatti. But then, as they say, the matter did not go beyond words ... They started talking about the car again only in the spring of 2017, when Rosstandart issued a fresh OTTS for the release of a batch of 150 "crooks", but its sales on the Russian market started only in July 2019.
Outside, "Stalker" is distinguished by a really brutal look, somewhat resembling a reduced copy of the legendary "Gelendvagen", and in general it looks quite harmonious - an unpretentious front end with round optics, a simple radiator grill and a neat bumper, a "square" silhouette with a short hood, trapezoidal wheel arch extensions and a steep stern, an unremarkable rear with rectangular lighting units and a suspended spare wheel.
The length of the Apal-21541 is only 3550 mm, of which the distance between the wheelsets extends by 2200 mm, the width reaches 1646 mm, and the height does not exceed 1751 mm. The ground clearance of the SUV "rests" at 200 mm, and the size of the front and rear track is 1440 mm and 1420 mm, respectively.
When equipped, the car weighs 1170 kg, but at the same time it is capable of towing trailers weighing up to 1500 kg.
Inside the Apal-21541 "Stalker" is made in an archaic way - a large four-spoke steering wheel with a "flat" rim, a laconic instrument cluster with four analogue scales and a pair of small monochrome displays, an outdated center console in all directions, which is crowned with a pair of rectangular ventilation deflectors, three sliders the usual "stove" and several large keys of secondary functions.
It is quite logical that only budget finishing materials are used in the interior of the SUV, and the quality of workmanship leaves much to be desired.
According to the passport, the “Stalker” decoration has a four-seater layout, but only children can be more or less tolerable on the back “bench” - there is very little free space here, and the sofa itself has a too flat profile, and there are no headrests. Front riders rely on seats with unobtrusive lateral support and sufficient adjustment ranges.
The trunk of the Apal-21541 is purely formal, since its volume hardly exceeds 200 liters, and to access the compartment it is necessary to raise the entire rear part of the roof (fortunately, there are gas stops here).
Under the hood of a compact SUV is a four-cylinder gasoline "aspirated" VAZ-21214 with a working volume of 1.7 liters (1690 cubic centimeters), which meets the environmental requirements of "Euro-5" and is sharpened for gasoline with an octane rating of at least 95, which has an in-line layout, distributed fuel injection and an 8-valve timing structure. The engine generates a maximum of 83 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 129 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm.
By default, "Stalker" is supplied with a 5-speed "manual" gearbox and a permanent all-wheel drive system (in normal conditions, the thrust is divided equally between the axles) with a two-stage "razdatka" and a center differential lock.
How long it takes for the car to accelerate to the first "hundred" is not reported, but it can reach a maximum of 132 km / h. In the combined driving mode, an SUV “destroys” an average of 10.8 liters of fuel for every 100 km of run.
Apal-21541 "Stalker" is based on the Lada 4 × 4 chassis, but at the same time it has a three-door body of frame-panel construction with a load-bearing "cage" welded from steel pipes of standard rectangular cross-section and outer panels molded from ABS plastic.
At the front, the SUV is equipped with an independent suspension with a multi-link architecture and a transverse stabilizer, and at the rear - a dependent system with a rigid twisted beam. As standard, the car is equipped with front disc and rear drum brakes, as well as hydraulic power steering.
On the Russian market, Apal-21541 "Stalker" can be purchased at a price of 1,233,000 rubles (although this cost refers to a specific instance).
The list of its equipment includes: power steering, fabric interior trim, standard immobilizer and 16-inch alloy wheels.
