Cheap Russian car Lada Niva is about to have a new version

The Lada Niva has gone through nearly 40 years without changing its design. The Russian carmaker said an upgraded version of the low-cost SUV was introduced in 2018.

When it comes to timeless car designs, names like UAZ are not impressive enough, because compatriot Lada is number one.

The Lada Niva has been on sale for 40 years and its design has not changed. Improvements are only visible on the inside, such as electronic fuel injection, electronic ignition, electric windows and air conditioning.

Lada Niva has a factory price of just over 7,000 USD. Photo: Autoevolution.

Even air conditioning and electric windows remained optional on the Niva. The name Niva was an abbreviation of the phrase “darling of the fields” in the local language where it was produced.

According to sources from the company, the new Niva will appear in 2018, with important upgrades and a more modern platform. The Russian car manufacturer may put a body-on-frame structure on the new Niva to enhance off-road capabilities.

The car's design has remained unchanged for the past 40 years. Photo: Autoevolution.

CarAdvice quoted information from AvtoVAZ Group (owner of the Lada brand) saying that the company continues to upgrade Niva based on the old version, alongside the new model.

This makes sense since automakers tend to build affordable cars for emerging markets.

The car's interior is quite basic, even air conditioning is an optional extra. Photo: Autoevolution.

AvtoVAZ has been receiving investment from the Renault-Nissan Alliance for many years, so the Niva is one of the products that has received investment and upgrades.

It is likely that the new Niva will be built on the platform of the Dacia Duster, which is due to be replaced by an all-new model in 2018. The base version of the Niva has an ex-showroom price of $7,700 in Russia.

According to Zing