Lada Niva 2.0? Da or Nyet?

How did this awesome Lada Niva concept pass us by? After 40-odd years of slight updates, it looks like the Russian icon is about to get a makeover.

Not that the Niva (or its more offroady sub-model, the Cossack) has been a common sight on Kiwi roads since they all rusted away in the 90s. But as far as quirky imports go, the Niva remains an automotive oddity that many New Zealanders will remember as a bare-basics option in the compact 4x4 stakes before they were really a thing.

They hit the local market in the mid-1980s after the New Zealand Dairy Board agreed to letting the Soviet Government partially pay off trade debts by supplying Nivas for sale.

That quaint arrangement seems like the stuff of Victorian times. And, underscoring just how far things have come in terms of vehicle design too, here’s the Lada 4x4 Vision concept.

It was penned by Lada design chief Steve Mattin; a Brit who has designed all manner of motors, from the Mercedes-Benz ML to the Volvo XC60. So, he has chops when it comes to designing good-looking SUVs.

The cool thing about the 4x4 Vision is that you can see some original Niva lines in the socalled “X” design language on the side-profile. There’s something about the short body length and those exaggerated, high wheel arches that instantly reminds of the original Niva. The Russian flag detailing in the side vent is a nice addition too.

Mattin wouldn’t be drawn on whether the 4x4 Vision Concept will ever see the light of day. Without any representation in New Zealand (unless Fonterra is interested?), it’s unlikely we would see a model for sale in our part of the world anyway.

Although these days AvtoVAZ Lada is a subsidiary of the almighty Renault-Nissan Alliance, so you never know . . .