About Lada Niva

Manufacturer AvtoVAZ
Also called Lada 4x4
Lada Sport
VAZ-2121
Production 1977—present
Assembly Togliatti, Russia
Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan[1]
Class Mini SUV
Body style(s) 3-door and 5-door SUV
Layout Front engine / four-wheel drive
Engine(s) 1.6L I4
1.7L I4
Transmission(s) 4-speed manual
5-speed manual
Wheelbase 2,200 mm (86.6 in)
Length 3,740 mm (147.2 in)
Width 1,680 mm (66.1 in)
Height 1,640 mm (64.6 in)


The Lada Niva or VAZ-2121 (Russian: Лада Нива, Niva (нива) is the Russian word for "crop field") is an off-road vehicle built by Soviet/Russian automaker AvtoVAZ. The car is very popular in its home country. It is also popular in Canada (though withdrawn from sale in 1998), South America, Europe, and other regions where the terrain requires a robust and tough car for a reasonable price. In Australia, popularity is limited as the vehicle is manufactured for a very different climate and as such items such as air conditioning were omitted from the specifications, limiting its appeal.

The car was also called the Lada Sport in Iceland.

It was one of the first mass production off-road vehicles to feature a unibody architecture, independent front suspension and coil suspension, and is a predecessor to current crossover SUVs which nearly all follow this format. Before it was introduced to the UK, it was referred to by some in the motoring press as the 'Russian Range Rover'.