Izh 2125

The Izh 2125 "Kombi" (Russian: ИЖ-2125 Комби, short for "combination") is a small family car produced by the Soviet/Russian car manufacturer IZh from 1973 to 1997. It is the first liftback of Russian/Soviet origin. It was based on an Izhevsk-modified Moskvitch 412, with the first prototype released in 1966 as a small family car. It was considered to be the first Soviet hatchback (released about a decade before the well-known Lada Samara), though the car actually possesses a station wagon body wherein the "D" pillar has its own support and does not gain from weight reduction (which would position the model more in the liftback family). In Russian literature the car is referred to as a liftback. For the same reason, the car was given the "Kombi" nickname, which in a way alludes to the Combi coupé (the word kombi itself meaning "station wagon" in German and Polish, while in Russian a station wagon is usually called "универсал" (universal)).

Izh 2125/21251 Kombi
Overview
Manufacturer	IZh
Also called	Moskvitch 1500 Kombi
Production	1973–1997
Body and chassis
Class	Small family car
Body style	5-door hatchback
Related	Izh 412 Izh 2715
Powertrain
Engine	UZAM 412
Chronology
Successor	Izh 2126

The Kombi was a notable sales success within the USSR between 1974 and 1980 due to its durability, off-road capability, and increased carrying capacity. It was the first Izh car sold for export. Its popularity was also helped by limited competition – station wagon variants of the Lada, Moscow-built Moskvitch, and Volga were in short supply and not as easy to buy as the Kombi. In 1982, the Kombi received a facelift, along with the IZh-produced Moskvitch-412 and Izh 2715 panel van and was then rebranded as the 21251. Among notable features improved seats and headrests.

The modernised Izh 2125 sold into the 1990s. As the Soviet Union collapsed, IZh was first privatized as the open joint stock company "Izhevsk" and slowly started converting their automotive production lines to other kinds of manufacture, such as firearms. In 1995–96, when AZLK's revenue decreased drastically, the company was partially reacquired by AutoVAZ and renamed "IZhAuto". AvtoVAZ managers then discontinued all of Izh's previous models and ran their own ones into production. An all-new hatchback was introduced, called the Izh 2126 "Oda," and it ultimately replaced the Kombi.

Kalashnikov CV-1

On August 23, 2018, the arms manufacturer Kalashnikov presented an electric car with exterior design closely based on that of the Izh 2125. The range on one charge was claimed to be 350 km, but nothing else was ever heard of this.

Gallery

• 
  Rear view. The rear was identical on all models
• 
  Pre-1982 Izh-2125, showing a metallic grille similar to that of the 412
• 
  Post-1982 Izh-2125, with recessed door handles
• 
  Post-1982 (21251) grille, where the outline was removed and the metal elements painted black

References

• IZh-2125, "Avtolegendy SSSR" Nr.54, DeAgostini 2011, ISSN 2071-095X (in Russian)