Lada Sport continues to improve the new Niva Sport — an SUV that has been on sale since April 2025 and has already undergone a series of technical improvements. According to Konstantin Gystarov, the company's leading design engineer, in the corporate video "At the Factory", the changes affected dozens of components, from the suspension to noise insulation.
One of the first updates was the replacement of the rear suspension arms: owners complained about their deformation during active driving. Now, all cars are equipped with reinforced "racing" arms with a U-shaped reinforcement along the entire length — a solution that came from motorsport. Next, the engineers improved clamps, pipes, clips and other "invisible" elements that affect reliability.
Currently, the Lada Sport team is working on improving noise and vibration isolation, as well as optimizing lubricants for cardan and intermediate shafts.
Gystarov noted that the company had to re-equip part of the assembly line to assemble the Niva Sport — previously, the Niva had never been produced on the LADA Sport line. This allowed to control quality at every stage and implement engineering solutions previously characteristic only of sports models of the brand.
More large-scale changes await the SUV in 2026 — simultaneously with the restyling of the basic Niva Legend. The update will affect the body, suspension and power structure of the car, while maintaining the "soul of the Niva" — compactness, cross-country ability and ease of maintenance.
Today, the Lada Niva Sport is equipped with a 1.6-liter 16-valve naturally aspirated engine with a capacity of 122 hp, sports camshafts, a lightweight intake and exhaust system, and a special ECU firmware. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes 11.8 seconds, the maximum speed is 162 km/h. The car received disc brakes on all wheels, a rear stabilizer bar, shock absorbers with "racing" settings and increased ground clearance to 220 mm.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, heated seats, electric mirrors, roof rails, additional high beam headlights and an air intake on the hood for improved ventilation. The cost of the model remains unchanged — 1.7 million rubles.
Lada Niva Sport is AvtoVAZ's first attempt to make the Niva closer to modern sports SUVs without losing its legendary cross-country ability.
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