AvtoVAZ designers proved that they had some original ideas when the VAZ-2121 Niva was introduced in 1978.

Based on the success of the Niva, the design department prepared a new family of front-wheel drive models by 1984, which was of a completely domestic design.

In the USA they were never sold due to the cold war, but they were available in Canada ( where the Niva was quite popular ).

GM-AvtoVAZ, a joint-venture with General Motors, adopted an updated version of the Niva, VAZ-2123, that was considered for production since the 1990s.

The restyled Sputnik range was renamed Samara, but the Niva and the Oka retained their names.

The Niva ( 2121 ) was described by its designers as a “ Renault 5 put on a Land Rover chassis .” It was Lada's ( VAZ / AvtoVAZ ) first non-Fiat based model.

In some markets a 1. 9L Peugeot XUD diesel powered Niva was sold.

In 1974, when VAZ 2121 development was almost finished, the engineers from Tolyatti began working on an amphibian off-roader, VAZ 2122 ' Reka ' (' River ') based on VAZ-2121 ' Niva ' underpinnings.

Each Niva accumulated in excess of off-road during its employment, and after construction had been completed in 1993, the fleet was sold off to a local dealer.

In Brazil, the Niva was the best-selling off-road vehicle during the early 1990s.

In fact, the Niva was so cheap that even with the 85 % importation value tax, it was less expensive than Brazilian cars such as the Envemo or Gurgel.

Although the GM-AvtoVAZ considered building a new engine plant for the local production of Ecotecs, in July 2005 it was announced that the project was cancelled, along with plans for the long-anticipated " export " Niva.

However, the project was revived in Fall 2006 and the " Niva FAM1 " was introduced as a new trim level for the 2007 model year.

It was the second autonomous design from AvtoVAZ ( the first was the Niva SUV ), and the first one not based on the Fiat derived mechanics.

He took part at the battle of Nezhatina Niva, soon after which was killed somewhere in the Kipchak steppes ( Desht-i Qipchaq ) on August 2, 1079.

The Carajás, which had been Brazil's best selling SUV, was taken out of production in early 1991 as the Lada Niva arrived in the Brazilian market.

Ladas were first imported into Australia in 1984 with the Niva compact 4WD, and in 1988 the Samara three-door hatchback was introduced.

The Lada Niva 4WD was also offered as a ute / pickup truck on an extended wheelbase and a two-door soft top of which only 100 were believed to be imported to Australia.

After the breakup of USSR, Lada was reorganized and faced hard competition from Asian brands forcing it to out of the market in the late 1990s and grey market imports of mainly the Niva continued.

Later, the Lada Niva, a 1. 6L 4x4 Lada, did very well, with over 12, 000 sold in Canada in its first year of import.

It was first published serially in the popular weekly magazine Niva in an effort to raise funds for the resettlement of the Dukhobors.

By 2007 other car models were also being imported: Lada 110, Lada 111, Lada 112, Lada Kalina ( sedan ), Lada Niva 2121 ( 3-doors ), Lada Niva 2131 ( 5-doors ) and Lada 2107 nicknamed " Clasico " ( Classic ).

In the Brazilian market, a used 1991 Niva in good condition costs about R $ 6, 000.

Competition and higher importation value taxes forced the Niva to be retired from the Brazilian market.

However, the Niva continued to be strong in the off-road market, even having a limited edition exclusively for the Brazilian market ( Niva Pantanal ).

In fact, in Brazil, a 1991 Niva in very good condition can cost as much as R $ 11, 000 or US $ 5, 500, which is far more than the average price in the Brazilian used car market for a car of that year.

The normal price for a Lada Niva made in year 1991 or 1992 is about R $ 6, 000 ( about US $ 3, 000 ) in Brazilian used car market.

Lada Niva also made a presence in the 4x4 market.

By 1969 Rostselmash produced 1 000 000 combine harvesters. The SK Niva combines, introduced in 1973, remain in production for the Eastern European market.

The Lada Niva enjoys a small cult following in Australia ; it is the Lada model most often seen on Australian roads.

The Niva jeep got a cult following for its robust and inexpensive DIY car, Lada Samara sold less.

The Niva was adopted by several British police forces and attracted something of a cult following within the 4x4 enthusiast fraternity in the UK and elsewhere.

It produces nearly one million cars a year, including the Kalina, Lada 110 and the Niva off-road vehicle.

File: Lada Niva front 20080228. jpg | Lada Niva / VAZ 2121

The Niva has also been available with 1. 9 L Peugeot sourced diesel engine.

The Niva is still in production.

The VAZ-2120 Nadezhda minivan is based on the original Niva and has been in low-volume production since 1998.

A five-door version of the Niva, the VAZ-2131, has been in production since 1995.

Though the original Lada, and as of the early part of the new millennium, the Samara, have now been withdrawn, the Lada 110 and the Niva are still sold in certain Western European markets, as are the more modern models.

Named Chevrolet Niva, it's being built on the venture's plant since 2001 and is exported to Europe and Latin America.

There are other experimental cars, such as the VAZ-210834 Tarzan SUV concept, VAZ-1922 monster truck and VAZ-2359 pick-up, all based on Niva.

In May, 2009, Putin bought an AvtoVAZ Niva SUV to show his support for the hard-pressed domestic producer.

Self-portraits and family members were her most frequent subjects, as seen in such paintings as Self-Portrait ( 1554, Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna ), The Chess Game ( 1555, Muzeum Narodowe, Poznań ), which depicted her sisters Lucia, Minerva and Europa, and Portrait of Amilcare, Minerva and Asdrubale Anguissola ( c. 1557-1558, Nivaagaards Malerisambling, Niva, Denmark ).

The Lada Niva or VAZ-2121 (, Niva ( нива ) is the Russian word for " crop field ") is an off-road vehicle built by Soviet / Russian automaker AvtoVAZ.

In basic form, the Niva has a carbureted 1. 6-litre overhead cam four-cylinder petrol engine producing 54 kW ( 72 hp ) and 126 N · m ( 93 lb · ft ), a four-or five-speed manual transmission, and full-time four-wheel drive.

The original Niva has a maximum speed of around 130 km / h ( 80 mph ), and can cruise at 90 km / h ( 56 mph ) while consuming petrol at.