Production of the updated Lada Niva Legend with a 1.8 engine and additional body protection against corrosion will begin in July 2026. It is expected that the car will be available for free sale at dealerships in September. This was reported to the "Autostat" agency by Alexander Shaprinsky, a representative of the car market.
According to the specialist, a sharp jump in sales of the new version should not be expected, but a small pent-up demand may appear at the start. In the future, sales of the updated Niva Legend may increase by 15–20% compared to the previous year's figures.
It is also expected that the novelty may interest owners of old Niva cars who want to replace their vehicles with the updated version.
The main change in the technical part is the new 1.8-liter eight-valve engine, which is already used on the Niva Travel. The engine's torque has increased by 24 Nm. In addition, fuel consumption has decreased by 3–30%.
Another important update concerns the body. For the first time in the history of the Niva Legend, parts made of double-sided galvanized steel were used – the front panel, hood, roof, tailgate, and rear apron. The car will become more resistant to corrosion.
In addition, for the first time, a driver's airbag appeared in the equipment. Engineers also modernized the front suspension and improved the ergonomics of the cabin: the gear lever was moved closer to the driver, and the transfer case control was switched to a single-lever scheme.
Externally, the updated model can be distinguished by the air intake on the hood and two-tone 16-inch alloy wheels.
The price of the new Lada Niva Legend will be announced later.
Read more on the topic:
- Ex-AvtoVAZ engineer: diode headlights on the updated Niva Legend will only appear in the next update
- All four trim levels of Lada Niva Legend revealed
- Air conditioning and sound insulation: Lada Niva Legend interior gets record upgrade