Design
Grand Theft Auto IV
In Grand Theft Auto IV and Episodes from Liberty City, the Chavos appears as a late-1990's mid-size sedan with a Japanese-European look to it, appearing to be a cross between a European-market 1998-2003 Honda Accord sedan and a 1999-2004 Peugeot 406. The headlights and grille are taken right off of the facelifted Nissan Silvia S14, and the rear fascia seems to be influenced by a second generation Nissan Altima or fifth generation Toyota Tercel. The overall appearance of the Chavos bears a resemblance to the 1995-2000 Honda Integra sedan.
The Chavos may or may not have a black-tinted roof, similar to that of the Imponte DF8-90. The vehicle is equipped with a GPS system with a female voice, but only if the player leaves the "selected cars" (default) option in the audio menu. In game, it shares the rim design with the Pinnacle. Curiously, all Chavoses come with alarms.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
In the DS edition of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the Chavos assumes a boxy, 1980s-style body design, similar to the Hakumai, which is based on a 1987-1991 Honda Accord. On other platforms, the Chavos' design is more faithful to its GTA IV rendition.
Current Design Gallery
Version History Gallery
Performance
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Chavos (bearing a VO5 badge) is powered by a twin-cam Inline-4, coupled to a 5-speed automatic gearbox in a front engine, rear wheel drive configuration. Power is slightly above most other sedans in the game, making acceleration above average and giving it a high top speed.
The vehicle has a very soft suspension and body roll is evident. There is noticeable under-steer which may catch inexperienced drivers off guard. With enough effort though, this can translate to drifting, not to say easy and professional looking ones. In the hands of a good driver, this can make up for its weak construction as it can drift around corners at speed while pursuers may have to slow down.
Due to the soft front suspension, not only is the ride comfortable, but the car won't easily be flipped by curbs and other road hazards. In a collision, the cabin holds up well, but the roof does deform a bit. The trade off with the suspension is that handling is poor in extreme driving, and steering feel sometimes is vague, lowering driver confidence. The car is also prone to fishtailing at high speeds. Its engine sound and horn are shared with the Sentinel and Sultan RS.
GTA IV Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) | Top Speed (mph / kmh) | Gears | Engines | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) | Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 90 / 145 | 5 | N/A | RWD | 1550 / 3417 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | FR DOHC Inline-4 (In-game model) | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the vehicle has very downgraded performance. Acceleration is underwhelming, but it has a decent top speed. Coupled with average brakes and mundane handling, it's a good car to drive around calmly around the city, but it is not good for missions.
Image Gallery
Add a photo to this gallerySpecial Variants
- A blue-and-gray variant of the Chavos is used as a gang car for the Korean Midtown Gang in GTA Chinatown Wars.
Locations
Grand Theft Auto IV
- Usually found around Hove Beach, Broker.
- Sometimes found around Chinatown, Algonquin.
- Sometimes found around Middle Park, Algonquin.
- Occasionally found all around Bohan.
- Rarely found all around Alderney.
- Spawns most right after waking up in the Hove Beach Safehouse without getting into any other vehicle (besides other Chavos' of course)
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
- Common around Midtown Gang territory. Also around Bohan.
Trivia
General
- "Chavos" is a slang term for "Money" and young men. "Chav" is also a slang term for British youths, who typically wear tracksuits (often football related) and Burberry caps.
- In Max Payne 3, there is a police car with almost the same profile as the Chavos, albeit with different details.
- The default radio stations in the Chavos are:
- GTA IV: The Beat 102.7 or The Classics 104.1, but the pedestrians in Hove Beach listen to Vladivostok FM.
- Episodes from Liberty City: The Beat 102.7.
- GTA CTW (PSP, iOS, iPad): Truth & Soul
- The Korean variant plays Alchemist.
Grand Theft Auto IV
- If the player takes Vlad's Blista Compact in the mission Ivan The Not So Terrible and puts it in the parking spot, the car will be replaced by a red Chavos.
See Also
- MK GT9 - the tuned version of the Chavos in GTA Chinatown Wars.
