Recently, the following trend can be observed on the Russian car market - more and more popularity in our country is called big cars, the so-called SUVs. It costs more than a passenger car, even if in the same configuration, but it has some advantages that are hard to argue with.

First of all, they have a large ground clearance, or clearance, so that you can easily overcome a rather impressive hole on it. Car manufacturers realized that not everyone could afford to buy an SUV and began to produce compact, urban SUVs - crossovers. they do not have such a large cross-country ability, but still it is more powerful than a regular passenger car.

Availability high clearance is an undoubted plus, because the quality of roads in our country is very far from ideal. However, if you want, you can increase the ground clearance on a passenger car. Increasing the clearance of the Chevrolet Lacetti - consider this issue. The first option to increase the ground clearance of the Chevrolet Lacetti is to increase the diameter of the wheels.

However, in our case it is difficult to apply it, because it is necessary to make changes in the structural part of the Chevrolet Lacetti, and this is undesirable, malfunctions may occur. So at least the change in the dimension of the wheels is the most in a simple way if you look at it from the technical point of view, its efficiency is minimal.

It will be much more effective to modify the chassis of the Chevrolet Lacetti, or rather to modernize the shock absorbers. Spacers are inserted between the coils of the shock absorbers and this provides an increase in ground clearance. The spring travel is reduced, and the shock absorber travel is reduced accordingly. In this case, the ground clearance increases by 1-3 cm, while the suspension becomes more rigid, and the movement in the cabin is less comfortable.

Another way to increase ground clearance is to install a non-standard spring. There are also some drawbacks here. the most negative of which is the failure of shock absorbers. The relatively safest and most correct way to increase the clearance on the Chevrolet Lacetti is to increase the space between the struts and the car body.

In this case, the suspension does not wear out, the body is not subject to deformation. The only point is that the handling will deteriorate slightly. Mounting a spacer between the strut support and the body increases the clearance between the roadway and the body. The thicker the spacer, the worse the handling becomes, so it is not recommended to use a spacer that is too thick. The best option is to increase the clearance by 3 cm. Great attention should be paid to the material from which the spacer is made.

The most popular material is polyurethane. However, it must be borne in mind that during movement, the polyurethane is in constant contact with the metal reinforcing bushings. It follows that the spacer is compressed and the body is deformed by the bushings. The ideal material is rubber or ABC-plastic, they are the most durable and do not deform the body, plus they are not subject to oxidation.

The five-door Chevrolet Lacetti hatchback, introduced in South Korea in 2003, was supposed to debut on the European market some time later. However, the inhabitants of the Old World were not very impressed by him compared to how the Koreans reacted to him. It's not so much about the budget and well-tuned suspension, but about the design and dimensions of the car. Indeed, the eponymous hatchback looks beautiful, but in fact there is nothing provocative in its appearance. The shape of the car body is original, but at the same time it does not cause any attraction to itself. The car itself is a typical representative of the class B, in which the ball is ruled by the "Volkswagen Golf" in a two-box body. Interestingly, the length of the Chevrolet Lacetti hatchback is several tens of millimeters longer than that of the invincible Golf. Despite this, it cannot be said that both cars belong to the same segment. The fact is that their cost is too different. Besides, "Golf" is a completely different level with its pros and cons, which Lacetti never dreamed of. In this regard, the cars can be considered a rival to the more budgetary Renault Sandero of the previous generation, which is quite consistent in size.
Surely readers already understand that this article will primarily affect the external characteristics. To begin with, you should pay attention to the body. As previously mentioned, from the point of view of design, the car does not stand out from its competitors, which is confirmed by the size of the car, which fully corresponds to the dimensions of its classmates.
Body parameters Lacetti and other characteristics
So, the dimensions of the Lacetti are as follows:

• Body length - 4295 mm
• Height - 1445 mm
• Width - 1725 mm
• Front and rear track - 1480 mm each
• Wheelbase volume - 2600 mm
• Clearance - 145 mm
• Luggage compartment capacity - 275 liters or 1045 liters with the rear seats folded
• The volume of the fuel tank is 60 liters.

Now it's worth taking a closer look at each of the parameters. The length of the body was already mentioned earlier, but now it will be very interesting to talk about the height. And the height of the Lacetti, by the way, is one of the lowest in the class, which is both a plus and a minus of this popular car. The advantage of the low body height lies in the relatively high acceleration parameters. The fact is that thanks to this, the Lacheti body has a high aerodynamic resistance to wind gusts. This allows the car to keep more confidently in a straight lane and not to swoop from side to side. The car drives like a glove on the highway. In addition, the high aerodynamic drag reduces fuel consumption, as the driver needs to apply less effort on the accelerator pedals to accelerate. The reverse side of the low-body coin is mediocre practicality and inability to "family" operating conditions. But hardly any of the owners of the Lacetti will say that it is inconvenient to climb into or out of the hatchback back seat. However, when compared with competitors, the difference is obvious. Take, for example, the same Sandero, which has a body length of more than 1500 mm - almost like an SUV. In general, we figured out the height of the hatchback.


The wheelbase is also an important parameter that you should pay attention to when buying a Chevrolet Lacetti. First of all, the volume of 2600 mm is not impressive, but not repulsive either. Nothing outstanding. However, there are no miracles in the budget class. It is relatively spacious for people of average height to sit in the back seat of a Chevrolet, and the tall ones rest their heads against the low ceiling (again because of the low body, just like in the VAZ-2107, by the way!) And knees on the backs of the front seats.
The hatchback ground clearance of 145 mm is also a very important criterion, especially when it comes to buying a supported version of the Lacetti. The fact is that the former owners can change the car's clearance for themselves. Basically, this parameter is reduced for the sake of reducing roll in corners and better stability when cornering. At the same time, it can be assumed that the alteration of the suspension springs in this case was carried out at home, and this is quite risky and not always of high quality. In such cases, suspension service is recommended to be carried out exclusively at a service station. Therefore, before buying a supported Lacetti, kindly ask the owner to visit the service together.
As for the width, in this parameter, the hatchback of the same name has long lagged behind more modern competitors with a body width of 1800 mm and more. The current trend is that cars are getting wider and lower. Thanks to this, the cars look more beautiful and sportier, and also boast good acceleration dynamics and a wide cabin that can accommodate three people of various sizes. However, no one says that the "old man" Lacetti should be compared with modern cars. It would be much more correct to correlate the width of the Chevrolet body with the width of the first generation Romanian Dacia Sandero. This hatchback, despite its record height, has a rather narrow interior - a little more than 1700 mm. In this regard, we can say that by the standards of the mid-2000s, Lacetti is not an outsider at all. By the way, here you can recall the large Czech liftback Skoda Supereb of the second generation (model of the early 2000s), which had a body width of only 1765 mm. And this is even despite the fact that it belonged to the business class. It turns out that some dimensions of the Lacetti can be compared even with the more prestigious cars of those years, and in a sense this is one of the advantages of the universal Lacetti body.
As for the Lacetti trunk, its volume, in fact, also cannot be called champion, like the other Lacetti parameters in the hatchback body. The 275-liter trunk will only fit a few travel bags, instead of which you can also put sports equipment that can be folded. However, the Lacetti Hatchback trunk has important advantages. For example, the compartment has the correct shape, which ensures the correct and even placement of the load, which at the same time will never be damaged on a long journey. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the fairly high-quality trunk upholstery. The material, pleasant to the touch, is very practical and is practically in new condition if properly cared for. In addition to good upholstery and the correct shape, the Lacetti trunk has one more, one might say, the most important advantage. It is the function of folding the second row of seats, which allows you to increase the capacity of the trunk by four times. At the same time, the car from a youthful, perky and nimble hatchback turns into a delivery mini-van. In this case, the small length of the hatchback will fade into the background. After all, the car is so versatile enough in its capabilities. And given such high level practicality, the hatchback will appeal to a young audience, as well as family people, summer residents, fishermen and even small entrepreneurs who need a small sports van at an affordable price.

Vehicle clearance is the distance between the road and the lowest part of the vehicle. To be more precise, the clearance is considered, according to the norms, from the threshold of the vehicle to the road. Ground clearance affects the vehicle's aerodynamics as well as streamlining.

What is the clearance of the stock Chevrolet Lacetti

Measurement of clearance.

Usually, car manufacturers set different ground clearance for different body types. But, if you take the Chevrolet Lacetti, then in this case, the manufacturer installed the same ground clearance for all three body types: hatcheck, sedan and station wagon .

This figure is according to factory standards - 145 mm.

Ground clearance on the station wagon

Ground clearance on the station wagon in front.

Since station wagons are subjected to more powerful loads (loads, strollers and other belongings), then the ground clearance can significantly decrease over time.

What decreases the clearance?

When additional equipment is installed, the ground clearance will change.

So, if you set engine crankcase , then the indicator will decrease by almost 15 mm , and will average 130 mm. And if the car lends itself to external revision, then the ground clearance can be 50 mm. Therefore, motorists often adjust the ride height using special means.

Methods for increasing ground clearance on the Chevrolet Lacetti

Since the road surface on the territory of the CIS countries, basically, leaves much to be desired, many motorists are trying to increase the clearance height on the Chevrolet Lacetti in order to avoid damage to the protective elements of the body, such as bumpers and door sills.

This can be done in several ways, but the most common is the installation of spacers or springs with shock absorbers.

Let's consider both options.

Spacers

Spacer kit.

Spacers are rubber-metal plates that are inserted between the body and the shock absorber to increase the vehicle's ride height.

These rework parts can be purchased at car markets or auto dealerships. Since the cost is much lower than shock absorbers and springs, spacers are preferred by most motorists.

The length of the drain spring = 350 mm, and to increase the clearance - 385 mm

Another way to increase ground clearance on the Lacetti is by installing high shock absorbers and springs.

To do this, you need to find a chassis kit to increase the ground clearance. Usually, motorists go to the car market to buy this type of spare parts.

The height of the ground clearance of the Chevrolet Lacetti is increased here.

Installation is straightforward. Old parts are dismantled from the car, and new ones are easily installed on the old seat... So, there is no need to alter or customize anything. The only caveat is that there may be large fastening bolts that need to be cut after installation on the car.

conclusions

The clearance of the Chevrolet Lacetti for all body types is one and is 145 mm, according to the technical documentation provided by the manufacturer. So, to increase the ground clearance, motorists use different ways... The most common is the installation of spacers.

The passenger car "Chevrolet Lacetti" has been known in Russia for a very long time. For all its considerable period of existence, many people liked it for its reliability, unpretentious maintenance, interesting design and many other qualities. However, despite the excellent inherent "Chevrolet Lacetti" specifications, the ground clearance of this car is not the best for Russian roads. This, perhaps, remains the main obstacle to acquiring it on the Russian market. And so that at one point not to damage the bottom along with the suspension parts, many motorists increase the ground clearance.

"Chevrolet Lacetti" has 145 millimeters, and if we count together with the protection of the crankcase, which is simply necessary on our roads, then all 125. Agree, 12.5 centimeters is a negligible clearance for Russian roads. And in order not to suddenly "catch" a hole when leaving the yard, below we will consider several ways to increase the ground clearance.

We put tires of larger diameter

This is one of the most popular tuning methods, which in some way can solve the problem with clearance. Styling enthusiasts often mount large 17-inch wheels in place of standard steel wheels.Yes, it will look quite impressive outwardly, but if you miscalculate the size (and most of these tires are wider than standard ones), you can play a cruel joke with handling. When installing wheels with a larger diameter, there is a risk that they simply will not fit into the wheel arches or the steering wheel will be difficult to turn. Therefore, it is very important here to calculate all the nuances and dimensions.

We modernize shock absorbers

This method will be more effective and efficient than the first, although it does not make adjustments to the appearance of the car. If our task is how to increase the clearance of the Chevrolet Lacetti, we need to insert gaskets between the turns of the shock absorbers. At the same time, the spring travel is significantly reduced, which means it will increase by at least 2-3 centimeters. But at the same time, it must be remembered that if the spring travel is reduced, the suspension will be very, very stiff, therefore, only desperate motorists consider this method as an option. Although the effectiveness of this method is obvious.

How to increase the clearance of "Chevrolet Lacetti" by installing rubber spacers

This is, perhaps, the fastest and, most importantly, the most harmless way for the car's driving characteristics. Such inserts can be purchased at almost any store or market for a very affordable price. They are installed in the car in 20-25 minutes, while the increase in the clearance of the Chevrolet Lacetti is from 3 to 8 centimeters, depending on the chosen spacer. They are made of durable and wear-resistant rubber, which is based on metal. This achieves maximum strength and durability of the spacers. They hold at least 50-100 thousand kilometers, after which they sink a few centimeters. As an option, the installation of such spacers can be considered, especially if the clearance of the Chevrolet Lacetti is 14-12.5 cm.