In these dynamic times, true blue off-roaders are dying out in numbers we don’t like. Many car makers stray away from these machines as they find more sense in making hatchbacks on stilts and calling them SUVs. Russian manufacturer Lada though, has different ideas. Here is their 2021 Lada Niva Travel, a plucky little off-roader for the new world.
Renamed but little changed since it first launched 40 years ago, Lada’s legacy model remains the brand’s defining model as it makes a comeback to Middle East markets. Formerly known as the Niva, the diminutive Lada 4×4 is both precursor to the crossover segment and a highly capable off-roader. With uni-body construction, rugged four-wheel-drive, and coil spring double wishbone and live axle suspension, it was designed as an affordable people’s car for city streets and rugged rural Russian winters alike.
It is all over for the 2107, as Lada confirmed last week that they were ceasing the production of their long-standing model, which is also known as the Riva. It began touring the roads of Russia since the 1970s, and is known to have Fiat origins.