The simple SUV underwent a few name changes.
The VAZ-2123 was originally launched in 1998. In 2003, the small off-roader became a Chevrolet Niva as part of the joint venture between General Motors (GM) and AvtoVAZ. GM pulled out from the deal a few month ago and agreed to sell its 50% stake to the Russian automaker. This capable little SUV will be back in 2021 with the Lada badge and Niva Travel name as well as some styling tweaks.
We haven’t seen interior images, but it seems that the interior has been essentially transferred. The powertrain is a 1.7-liter gasoline engine that produces 80 horsepower and 127 Newton-meters (94 pounds-feet). It’s channeled to both the front and rear axles via a five-speed manual transmission. The Nurburgring won’t let you break any SUV records as the Lada Niva is able to travel at a speed of 62 mph (100 km/h), and tops out at an impressive 87 mph (135 km/h).
It is worth mentioning that the Niva switched to the Lada badge in July after the GM decided to end the joint venture. The facelifted version of the model is now available, just a few months after its original release. The pricing details are not known, but the price of the model before was 720,000 rubles ($9600), and rose to 860,000 rubles ($11 500) for the flagship trim.
The 2021 Lada Niva should not be confused with the old off-roader. This no-frills model, which is sold with the “4×4” brand and hasn’t changed much since its 1977 launch, still bears this name. The all-new Niva was shown at the Moscow Motor Show 2018, where AvtoVAZ presented the 4×4 Vision concept. However, we are still waiting for the production model.