The Chevrolet Niva is a sport utility vehicle (SUV) marketed by GM-AvtoVAZ, a Russian joint venture between General Motors and AvtoVAZ, from 2003 to 2020.
History of the Chevrolet Niva
The Chevrolet Niva is manufactured by GM-AvtoVAZ, a partnership between AvtoVAZ and GM. While still in the concept phase, the vehicle was referred to as the VAZ 2123. It has a modernized body and a gasoline engine that can go up to 1.7L and has direct fuel injection. The engine, gearbox, and most mechanicals are carried over from the outgoing model, the VAZ 2121. Built for the harsh tundra terrain, it excels in off-road performance compared to many modern low-cost SUVs. Since 2003, Aisin has contemplated making a four-wheel drive export model with a reinforced hull, a 1.8L Opel Ecotec Family 1 gasoline engine, and an Aisin all-wheel drive. Although GM finished most of the engineering work, the release was repeatedly postponed. Even though GM-AvtoVAZ had planned to construct a new engine factory for the local production of Ecotecs, General Motors revealed in July 2005 that the project was scrapped, along with the plans for the long-awaited "export" Niva. However, in the fall of 2006, the manufacturer restarted the project, and they produced a new Niva FAM1 trim level for the 2007 model year. The market potential of this trim is unclear, given the price has roughly doubled.
Chevrolet Niva Concept (2014)
In late August of 2014, GM-AvtoVAZ debuted a concept car for a next-generation Chevrolet Niva at the Moscow International Automobile Salon. Recent rumors have indicated that the production version was going to be built on the Renault Duster platform rather than the 1.8L PSA Peugeot Citron EC8 engine and 5-speed manual transmission originally planned. Manufacturing of the new model was supposed to begin in 2016. However, no updates have been made available since Chevrolet halted sales of its popular models in Russia. It was reported in September 2018 that General Motors had ceased all efforts to develop a replacement for the Chevrolet Niva. The Chevrolet Niva was rebadged as the Lada Niva in August of 2020 after Lada took over production from Chevrolet.
Price
Since GM-AvtoVAZ didn't go for the production version of the 2014 Niva Concept, we just wrote the MSRP of the Lada Niva (the rebadged variant of the Chevrolet Niva). Pricing for the new Lada Niva begins at less than $25,000. That's not a lot to pay for your convenience and ease of use.
Specs and Performance of the Chevrolet Niva
The Chevrolet Niva version 1 has only offered a single engine option. A domestic SUV was powered by the company's dependable atmospheric gasoline engine, which features a standard four-cylinder layout and a 1.7L displacement. The engine also features a 16-valve gas distribution and dispersed fuel injection system. The engine meets Europe's strictest environmental standards, with 80 horsepower and 127.4 Nm of torque (Euro-4). Without much choice, the company's specialists settled on a five-speed manual gearbox to complement this power plant's manual controls. Fixed all-wheel drive is standard on every Chevrolet Niva. It uses a chassis with an inter-axis locking differential and a "dispenser" that can distribute torque in two distinct ways. The vehicle's all-wheel drive system, high ground clearance, and compact dimensions give it excellent geometric cross-country performance. It can tow trailers worth up to 1,200 kg and is stable when cornering on slick roads. They also offered this engine in a FAM-1 (or GLX) variant between 2006 and 2008, which is worth noting. The Opel Z18XE engine displaces 1.8L and generates 122 horsepower. These vehicles also included the Aisin 5-speed manual transmission with integrated transfer gearbox, widely recognized as standard equipment in the Suzuki Grand Vitara.
Release Date
The Chevrolet Niva was marketed and released by GM-AvtoVAZ from 2003 to 2020.