Lada Niva

[Ilovejapcrap]

Just seen a late break video on YouTube. I didn’t realise they still made them.

Seems a bloke in London imports brand new ones with warranty etc.

Is it just me or is the simplicity of them appealing to anyone else? Just a shame they don’t do RHD.

[coppice]

Lada....

[Truckosaurus]

Ilovejapcrap said:

...Is it just me or is the simplicity of them appealing to anyone else? ....

It's like buying a brand new classic car.

Similarly, I see that Mahindra are selling their knock off Jeep in the States and market it as an off road toy rather than a road car.

[BroadsRS6]

Tiny market i would think but dad had a new one way back when and it was quite capable.
Is the new one any real improvement over the old one? The engine would need to be better surely?

[biggbn]

Wonderful off road, I'd love one

[bungz]

BroadsRS6 said:

Tiny market i would think but dad had a new one way back when and it was quite capable.
Is the new one any real improvement over the old one? The engine would need to be better surely?

Inline 4 1.7 with a whopping 80HP

So no.

The idea of spending 18K or so on one imported is slightly insane but they are cool.

https://lada4x4.co.uk/specs-%26-pricing-1

[snowandrocks]

A friend had one years ago at the same time as I had Land Rover 110 V8. The Niva was definitely better off road than the 110 and was surprisingly comfortable on it. The engine was a bit weak but otherwise it was great.

I'm not sure I'd buy a new one but could be tempted by an UAZ 452 van. Amazingly capable and characterful little things that are also still available new.

[oakdale]

The specification say 1690cc engine producing 83 bhp, fuel consumption 12.1ltr per 100k, this equates to 19.4 mpg.


eta, that's U/S gallons, UK = 23.3 mpg

Edited by oakdale on Monday 28th June 11:24

[Shnozz]

There is definitely something very cool about them and in the world of Jimny's being desirable, who knows?

[nikaiyo2]

Shnozz said:

There is definitely something very cool about them and in the world of Jimny's being desirable, who knows?

A mate of mine had one when we first learned to drive, so v late 90s early 00s, his was white with green and purple NIVA decals. It was new (or newish) but was basic by the standard of everyone elses hand me down first cars.

I vaguely remember going to a party a few hours away in Dorset and taking my K reg Polo 1L with wind up windows, because it was more comfortable!

It was vastly more cool than an NHS hearing aide beige Nova or faded pink Polo.

[austinsmirk]

You want to have a word with Barry and his wife Tatiana.

They import them. 🙂

[Shnozz]

nikaiyo2 said:

Shnozz said:

There is definitely something very cool about them and in the world of Jimny's being desirable, who knows?

A mate of mine had one when we first learned to drive, so v late 90s early 00s, his was white with green and purple NIVA decals. It was new (or newish) but was basic by the standard of everyone elses hand me down first cars.

I vaguely remember going to a party a few hours away in Dorset and taking my K reg Polo 1L with wind up windows, because it was more comfortable!

It was vastly more cool than an NHS hearing aide beige Nova or faded pink Polo.

Aha, but that was then and this is now. When a Prada model would most likely sport a beige hearing aid on a Milan catwalk...

As someone who first got on the road in 1995 as a 17 year old I quite agree these were the most uncool things going, but now, with time, I kind of think they were so uncool they have become retro cool. And as to the functionality of it, you will no doubt be right, but I bet the 90's ones look no different to todays and are also all still plodding along at the same (low) speed they did when brand new

[Zetec-S]

A guilty pleasure of mine is watching a few YouTube videos of them being driven through various Eastern European swamps

https://youtu.be/edaa6lZ7U50

[bobtail4x4]

we had one in the mid 80s
dreadful on road, the stopping distance was huge,
off road it was great.

every time you stopped you had to turn off everything you had turned on, wipers, radio, heater fan etc

[GT03ROB]

Great little things, understandably all over the place here.

Didn't realise you could still get them in the UK..

[WAVman]

I used to sell these in the late 80's at the start of my motor industry career.
We did some 'Target' special editions, pop-up sunroof, side stripes and a cassette player!
We also took a couple to a place in Blackpool and had them 'decapitated' and turned into convertibles, they were fun!

[Hippea]

snowandrocks said:

A friend had one years ago at the same time as I had Land Rover 110 V8. The Niva was definitely better off road than the 110 and was surprisingly comfortable on it. The engine was a bit weak but otherwise it was great.

I'm not sure I'd buy a new one but could be tempted by an UAZ 452 van. Amazingly capable and characterful little things that are also still available new.

I’ve wanted a UAZ 452 for a long time, I haven’t seen many imported into the uk

[AngryPartsBloke]

I have memory's of childhood summer holidays in the back of a Lada that could not get up hills.

So it's a no for me

[Fishlegs]

Not just you. It's very appealing. I have no use for one, but I'll smile if I ever see one on the road.

[MustangGT]

I ran one for 2 1/4 years when I lived in Hungary in the early 2000s. Averaged 30mpg and are brilliant off-road. Built like the proverbial brick outhouse, the metal is far thicker than 'normal' cars. Used it to take the dogs out for walks with plenty of green-laning and more.