A compact, monocoque off-roader that AvtoVAZ built for Soviet farmers and ended up selling across five continents: permanent four-wheel drive, a lockable centre differential and a high/low transfer case in a body no bigger than a hatchback.[1] It has been in continuous production under one name or another (Niva, Lada 4x4, and since 2021 Niva Legend) since 1977, outlasting the original Land Rover and the Defender that replaced it. A second, unrelated model line also carries the Niva name today: Lada took over GM’s Chevrolet Niva in 2020 and renamed it Niva Travel, which this entry does not cover.
Nameplate
Lada Niva
Lada Niva (VAZ-2121 / Niva Legend), 1977-present
- Produced
- 1977–present
- Generations
- 2
Generations
Each generation is its own entry, with its own specifications and sources.
Sources & confidence
Every figure above carries a status. Nothing on this page is estimated without saying so, and nothing missing has been filled in with a guess.
- Last verified
- 2026-09-24
- Review status
- Compiled from cited sources
References
Every sourced figure and every cited claim on this page, numbered. Wikipedia articles record the revision they were read at, because the article will have changed by the time you check it.
- [1]
Lada Niva. Wikipedia · revision 1372659556 · read 2026-09-24
WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0
Covers the model now called Lada Niva Legend, formerly VAZ-2121/Lada 4x4; the unrelated Lada Niva Travel (ex-Chevrolet Niva) is a separate article.