(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – The new Lada Niva is one of the most exciting projects in the Russian automotive industry in recent years – and at the same time one of those massively slowed down by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Originally, the successor project was still developed under the direction of the Renault Group, which was then the majority owner of AvtoVAZ and thus the Lada brand.
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The goal was to fundamentally modernize the traditional Niva technically and visually without giving up its rustic character. Already in August 2018, AvtoVAZ showed the Lada 4×4 Vision Concept, a study that gave clear indications of the future design language. Especially in profile, clear parallels to the later Dacia Duster were already visible. However, the distinctive body elements around the wheel arches were considered too complex and expensive for series production.
Therefore, Renault further developed the concept and oriented it more towards a retro design – similar to the later Renault 5 E-Tech Electric. As part of the “Renaulution” strategy plan, Renault finally presented a sketch of a new Niva with a clearly visible model badge in the grille and clear references to the original Niva from 1976.
Renault and the plans
At the same time, Renault planned a closer integration of Lada and Dacia. Both brands were to be based on the flexible and cost-effective CMF-B platform in the future, which is also used by the current Duster. The strategy aimed to reduce four platforms to one and reduce the number of body variants from 18 to 11.
Renault wanted to significantly increase production per platform and introduce seven new models by 2025, including two vehicles in the C-segment. Lada was to remain robust and affordable, while Dacia was to be more emotionalized. Additionally, the group apparently planned a larger SUV as a counterpart to the Dacia Bigster.
The new Niva was originally announced for 2024. In fact, only the new Duster debuted this year. Presumably, the Niva would have received a 100 hp LPG turbo engine from the Renault group. Non-official renderings already indicated a strong visual similarity to the Duster at that time.
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War changed strategy
Then everything changed on February 24, 2022. After the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Renault withdrew from Russia. On May 16, 2022, the Russian state took over Renault’s shares in AvtoVAZ, although the group kept a buyback option open. The Niva project was thus initially considered practically ended.
Photo series: New Lada Niva, patent images
However, there are increasing indications that the off-roader could still become a reality. The reason is patent images that, according to Carscoops, were already submitted in December to the Russian Federal Institute for Industrial Property (FIPS) but only recently surfaced publicly. The shown vehicle strongly resembles the original Renault designs based on CMF-B and combines Dacia elements with a distinct retro look.
The patent images show a robustly designed off-roader with a large skid plate and high ground clearance. The headlights are deeply recessed into the body and connected over the grille to better protect them from damage off-road. The turn signals are conspicuously positioned at the front edge of the hood.
Template Duster
Added are massive bumpers, flared wheel arches, roof rails, and visible tow hooks. The rear door handles move to the C-pillar. Even the taillights recall the current Dacia logo with their graphic elements.
The dimensions are likely based on the Duster and thus around 4.3 meters in length. A possible market launch is currently mentioned no earlier than 2028. However, it remains open whether AvtoVAZ has the financial means to actually develop the vehicle to series maturity. The powertrain is also unclear. There is speculation about using the Vesta as a basis. The only certainty is that possible drives would hardly meet current EU emission regulations. This would probably make a new Niva not road-legal in Germany.
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