The Lada Niva gets an update for 2024, but it stays a decade behind

Some cars seem to last forever. Vehicles designed to endure that have a long track record on the market. The Lada Niva has a long history, and the time seems to have come for it to disappear. But it won’t disappear entirely; instead it will undergo a transformation that takes it into the segment that sells best worldwide, the SUV.

In 2024 it will bid farewell to its off-roader form and move closer to today’s industry, with equipment closer to that of European cars. But this won’t be entirely the case, because the equipment still lags well behind, at the level of the previous decade. Although its look is fairly current, the engine does not offer the consumption and emissions guarantees that are standard in Europe.

Equipment suitable for Russia, but not for Europe

The equipment available in both trim levels is somewhat insufficient. One interesting point is that the ABS has once again been introduced, which the original model no longer had. With this equipment it seems it could carve out a niche in the European market, but it has a fairly significant handicap.

The engine has improved quite a lot, but not enough. The Lada Niva had an engine that met the Euro 2 standard, which came into force in 1996. With this update, the Lada Niva now meets the Euro 5 standard, which came into force before 2010. It is the emissions standard in Russia, but it falls well short of the Euro 7 standard that will soon come into force in Europe.

This means it will not be valid for sale in Europe, but it can be sold in its home country. The price is very attractive, as it will start at 9,380 euros at the current exchange rate for the entry-level version. The Travel variant costs 12,300 euros, as it comes with better equipment, including ABS.

Although the price may seem very tight, salaries in Russia are quite low, so it may be a problem for anyone wanting to buy one of these vehicles. Either way, it is clear that a Lada Niva cannot be accessed from Europe, whatever its price, because of the problem posed by its engine.