After 50 years the Lada Niva is finally getting a successor
Russia’s rough and ready 4x4 looks set for a new generation as patent images appear
America has the Ford Mustang, France the Citroen 2CV and Britain the Mini - but the Russians? Since 1977, the no-nonsense workhorse that is the Lada Niva has perhaps been Russia’s defining automotive achievement, developing a cult status at home and abroad. Now it looks like a second-generation model is in the works.
New images of a new Lada Niva have just surfaced on Russia’s patent registration website, showing a compact, rugged-looking SUV - much like the current Niva, which remains in production.
This isn’t the first time a new Lada Niva has been dreamt up. In the early 2000s General Motors got involved and came up with the Chevrolet Niva - rebranded to Lada Niva Travel in 2020 when Lada bought out General Motor’s stake in the company. During that time, the original Niva remained on sale, marketed as the ‘Niva Legend’.
Whether or not the new Niva will replace or run alongside the old car remains to be seen, though it bears the ‘Niva’ name on the grille. Elsewhere the hidden rear door handle in the C-pillar clearly aims to emulate the three-door bodystyle of the original Niva.
The new Niva project began when Lada sat under Renault Group ownership with a view to the car sharing parts with the likes of the Dacia Duster. It looks like some parts have been retained from this period, such as the lower grille and wing mirrors that look suspiciously like the ones found on the latest Duster. This is despite the fact that Renault withdrew from the Russian market back in 2022, selling the Lada brand for one euro in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Unsurprisingly, given its traditional focus on low costs, the new Niva will come with a combustion engine - evidenced by the exhaust tip. While the original plan seemed to involve using Renault Group engines, the current Niva still utilises a 1.8-litre unit with around 90bhp from Lada’s parent company AvtoVAZ and it’s likely the new Niva will do the same.
Looking for a cheap, robust SUV? We have used Dacia Dusters starting under £3,000 - check them out on the Auto Express Buy A Car service here.
