Little Lada Niva still alive
The Russian Lada Niva 4x4, of which a hand full were imported to SA, is still around and making off-road tracks in many parts of the world.
OLDER off-road enthusiasts will remember the boxy Lada Niva, a small Russian 4×4 of which a few were imported to SA in the late 80s and early 90s.
Lada Nivas had a reputation for being almost indestructible and extremely capable off-road, and one of these vehicles won the 1987 Roof of Africa Rally.
Those imported to SA had a 1.6-litre, 56kW petrol engine which was mated to a four-speed gearbox and a proper transfer gearbox.
CAR Magazine tested the vehicle in its February 1988 issue and found the vehicle to be extremely industrial with noise and vibration levels being off the charts.
A search on Gumtree revealed a number of these vehicles offered for sale in the R20 000 range and at least two are seen on Zululand roads on a regular basis.
New Lada Niva
The latest news is that the Lada Niva 4×4 is still making tracks in many parts of world and that the Russian automaker is planning to launch the third generation vehicle in 2018.
Being still in its second generation since the first car was produced in 1973, speaks volumes on the Russian’s take on the car industry.
It will be sold alongside the recently-unveiled Lada Vesta sedan and Lada XRAY hatchback.
Lada says for the 2018 Niva it will ditch the current 83Kw, 1.7-litre petrol engine for ‘something better’.
This statement suggests that an old Peugeot or Citroën engine will probably be sourced.
The transmission however, will stay the same with a five-speed manual working alongside a transfer box.
To broaden its appeal across the struggling Russian car market, the new Niva is tipped to be offered in both three- and five-door guises.
