Russia’s AvtoVAZ has begun testing a new variant of the Lada Niva SUV equipped with a 90-strong engine labeled 11182. This move was reported by Public Avtograd News on the social network VKontakte. The test program involves two vehicles located at a factory site near the village of Sosnovka, and they appear outwardly identical to standard stock models. According to the post, all changes to the engine bay, particularly bracketry and mounting points for the power unit, were implemented manually within the facility’s resource complex. (Public Avtograd News, via VKontakte attribution)
Discussions around timing suggest there is no official conveyor date yet for the Lada Niva with the new engine. For context, in the Largus, Vesta, and Granta lineups, a modified eight-valve 1.6-liter engine now delivers about 90 hp and peak torque around 143 Nm after an update in 2021. This context helps illustrate how a similar powerplant might integrate into the Niva platform and what performance ambitions AvtoVAZ may be pursuing with the 11182 configuration. (Industry recall note, cross-model context attribution)
Earlier reports indicated that Dongfeng would begin producing auto parts for AvtoVAZ in 2024, a development that could influence supply chain dynamics and local manufacturing capabilities for the company as it explores engine modernization and localization strategies. (Industry update attribution)