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Lada Niva Will Get New Generation In 2018, Just Four Decades After Launch

When timeless styling is involved, Bauhaus has to take the second place, because Lada is number one.
Lada Niva Urban 6 photos
Photo: Lada/ AvtoVaz
Lada Niva UrbanLada Niva UrbanLada Niva UrbanLada Niva UrbanLada Niva Urban
The Niva has been sold in the same basic shape for 40 years, and incremental improvements included imperialistic amenities like fuel injection, electronic ignition, power windows, and even an air conditioning system.

The latter two elements are still optional equipment on some trims of the Niva, which stands for “darling of the field” in the native language of its makers.

According to multiple reports, the Niva will get a new generation in 2018, which is expected to come with a more modern platform. The Russian company might keep the body-on-frame construction, and the Niva should keep its off-roading credentials in spite of the modern elements that it will accept.

The Australians at CarAdvice believe that AvtoVaz, the corporation that owns the Lada brand, will continue to make the old version of the Niva alongside the new model.

This practice would not be new in the automotive industry, and it is usually exercised in emerging markets by companies that will continue to offer an affordable car as a cheaper option to its replacement.

AvtoVaz has received consistent investments from the Renault-Nissan Alliance over the years, and the Niva has been a product that was being discussed to be considerably renewed.

Some think that the new Niva will get the platform of Dacia’s Duster, which will get an all-new generation in 2018.

The Russians at AvtoVaz are not at their first Dacia-sourced platform, so the Duster-based Niva would not be a surprise, especially since the Romanian SUV is ages away from the current product offered by Lada.

Selling a Mk1 Duster-based Lada Niva would provide the modernized off-roader that Lada was probably reflecting in the first place, without the costs of developing a new platform from scratch or attempting to modernize a 40-year-old design.

In the Duster’s defense (not like it would need it), the Romanian SUV offers an excellent balance between cost and capabilities, and it is known for its abilities once paved roads end.

The Duster's only limitations are the road tires, which do not have a profile suitable for deep mud/sand, but it drives like a sports car on the road when compared to a Lada Niva.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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