A campervan built on the Niva chassis emerged from a wish to travel with greater comfort. As car tourism grows in Russia, many travelers prefer sleeping indoors rather than in tents and cooking over an open fire. The SAMPO TV 360 channel presents a story about a new prototype introduced by the Karelia project team led by Petr Gruzdev. The first iteration used a Largus base, but the latest version built on the Niva promises more space and practicality for extended trips.
The interior is laid out to hold gear and essential equipment without clutter. In particular, the design features two beds. One bed is raised to a height of 2400 mm, while the other is created by lowering the dining table to 2100 mm, providing flexible sleeping arrangements for passengers and creating usable daytime space when needed.
In Europe, motorhomes based on Niva and Granta models from the Karelia project are already on sale. The Russian version, however, will differ in several ways. Components will be sourced domestically, reflecting a preference for locally produced parts. Another notable difference is the dual fuel arrangement: alongside a gas system, the camper includes a 90-liter gas cylinder to improve long-distance travel efficiency across Russia’s vast landscapes.
Current development is focused on road testing. The route from Togliatti to Sortavala and PetroZavodsk has been completed, and a summer journey to the Ural region is planned. After that, certification documents are expected to pave the way for nationwide production in Russia. Winter testing is also on the agenda, and only after successful completion will the Niva motorhome move into mass production and become available to buyers.
- News about ongoing production of the Niva Legend SUV, the base for this motorhome, is expected to resume soon.
- Insights and updates can be found on Odnoklassniki under the project section.
Source material from the Karelia project is available through the team’s YouTube channel for those seeking a behind-the-scenes look [Citation: Karelia project YouTube].