Industrial Technologies, also known as Promtech, based in Nizhny Novgorod, has been producing commercial vehicles derived from the Lada lineup for several years. The plant expanded its portfolio with a Grants-based model line and introduced a seven-cubic-meter isothermal van built on the Niva platform. To accommodate the isothermal cabin, the base length was extended by half a meter. The rear suspension features additional air springs, enabling a payload of 750 kg on the Niva and nearly a ton on the Grants variant.
The Grants Prima is priced from 1.6 million rubles, which remains competitive for a seven-cubic-meter delivery van with a 900 kg payload. The Niva version shares the same cargo volume but offers a higher loading height of roughly a meter, with initial costs around 1.7 million rubles.
Changes
Both vehicles use identical isothermal cargo bays constructed from 25 mm thick sandwich panels. The cargo area presents a neat appearance, and interior lighting is included. The rear doors fold open to 270 degrees, and the locking mechanisms are straightforward and reliable. The side door opens 180 degrees, though users should be mindful that the folded lock can collide with the passenger door. On the Niva, the loading height is notably high due to significant ground clearance.
Inside the Grants, the standard interior remains, without a rear-view mirror in the cabin and no major changes. A partition wall prevents the driver’s seat from sliding too far back, while the Niva’s seating adjustment remains unaffected by the wall behind the backrest. A parlor mirror remains in place for some reason.
Both vehicles retain a common structural scheme. The floor spars are reinforced and extended, large stiffeners sit in the sills, and a roof frame connects the front of the body with the cargo area and partition. While the vehicle does not offer the same passive safety level as a conventional passenger Grant, the balance of strength appears higher than in the VIS-Auto semi-frame isothermal versions.
The original Grants rear suspension elastic beam has been replaced with springs, and to preserve ground clearance under full load, in-cabin air springs were added. A pressure gauge and compressor control are mounted between the seats to manage these air springs.
The Niva’s rear suspension also received springs and pneumatics. The prop shaft has been upgraded, as the standard length proved insufficient. The front shaft remains unchanged, while the rear shaft borrows from the UAZ and crosses with VAZ joints. The result is a wider range of motion along the spline joint, effectively twice that of the standard Niva.
How are they performing?
The standard 1.7-liter engine of the heavier Niva version is not ideal for a van of this size. It becomes evident that a high center of gravity and strong wind forces amplify body roll, making high-speed driving uncomfortable. The main challenge, however, is on the road and under load. In testing, the vehicle could not achieve a significant top-end acceleration in third gear on ordinary roads. Even with an empty cargo area, the vehicle tended to require a lower speed for stability, behavior that would likely become more pronounced with a loaded van.
Isothermal cabins hold seven cubic meters of cargo, or four standard Euro pallets, giving a practical sense of space for urban and regional deliveries.
The green rocker switch controls the luggage compartment lighting, and in the Grants the location is more intuitive. In the Niva, performance appeared somewhat cumbersome at times.
The seven-cube Grants exhibit a stable power supply. The test vehicle was equipped with a VAZ-21126 engine featuring 16 valves (98 hp) and an automatic transmission. Unlike the Niva, the Grants Prima performed confidently when climbing in third gear, demonstrating steadier acceleration and better overall performance.
FROM THE MANUFACTURER
The Lada range also includes commercial models based on Grants, produced at the VIS-Auto facilities, a division of AVTOVAZ. In addition to the commercial variants, the Niva Bronto is in production.
Ordinary airborne Grants, available both as an open platform and with a plastic cargo cover, are priced around one million rubles (refer to the pricing table). Isothermal vans with sandwich-panel bodies are priced higher, from 1.1 to 1.5 million rubles, which remains more affordable than Grants Prima. However, their cargo capacity is nearly half as large. Freight compartments can carry two Euro pallets versus four for the Prima.
Business perspective
The Niva Prima’s traction shortfall dampens its appeal in some scenarios, and it is not expected to deliver high efficiency in challenging conditions. Yet this is a vehicle designed to excel beyond paved roads, with advantages that stand out in off-road use alike.
Granta Prima seems to offer better prospects. After extensive testing, it is tempting to regard Granta Prima as on par with the Largus for many practical purposes. The control system feels responsive, which is a strong point when compared to Largus. However, automatic transmission is not available in the current market configuration. Even without it, Granta Prima hits the mark financially, being roughly 300 thousand rubles cheaper than the Largus with the same seven-cube cargo van configuration.
| Lada Granta on board | Lada Granta from | Lada Granta Prima | |
| Length / Width / Height / Base, mm | 4450 / 1710 / 1700 / 2845 | 4510 / 1710 / 2000 / 2845 | 5040 / 1730 / 2370 / 2976 |
| Weight, kg | 1185 / 2100 | 1280 / 2100 | 1260 / 2160 |
| cargo box dimensions, mm | 1860 x 1620 x 1060 | 1910 x 1650 x 1130 | 2510 x 1680 x 1560 |
| The volume of the cargo platform, m3 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 7.0 |
| Initial MSRP | 1,030,000 | 1,059,000 | 1,600,000 |
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