AvtoVAZ is moving toward a single technical platform for the Lada Niva Travel and Niva Legend SUVs, aiming to complete the unification by 2025. This plan comes from a Telegram channel called Autopotok, which aggregates information from the company’s various resources. The gist is a shared chassis across the two models, with the best engineering solutions being adopted into one common design. For instance, the classic VAZ-21214 Niva Legend already benefits from a modernized front suspension that uses double-row bearings, while the Niva Travel has seen improvements in transfer case control through a simpler, single-lever setup. These micro-advances signal a broader integration strategy rather than a simple facelift.
Looking ahead to 2025, AvtoVAZ engineers are considering fitting the Niva family with a 90-horsepower 1.6-liter eight-valve engine that originates from front-wheel-drive models already in use within the lineup. Along with the new engine, changes are anticipated for the gearbox, transfer case, and rear axle to ensure a cohesive driving experience across both models. While insiders point to a complete update slate, the company has not publicly confirmed every item on the proposed list of changes. Initially, there was chatter about deploying this new engine in the Lada Niva Sport as well, but the debut of that variant was pushed back by a year, with a goal of revealing it around September 2024.
As part of ongoing development, AvtoVAZ conducted a test program in August that focused on the Niva equipped with the 90 hp engine. Tests took place at a proving ground near Sosnovka, a village located close to Samara. The eight-valve power unit, which received modernization in 2021, has already found installation in several other models under the Lada umbrella, including the Largus, Vesta, and Granta. These trials are part of the automaker’s broader push to streamline the Niva family while aligning it with the more modern engine and chassis technology present in newer vehicles.
In a broader market context, it is worth noting that Volkswagen has recently introduced a new generation of the Tiguan crossover. This parallel move by a major competitor underscores how compact SUVs are evolving with fresh powertrains and chassis ideas, a trend AvtoVAZ appears eager to respond to with its own unification strategy and incremental performance improvements across the Niva range.