AVTOVAZ has released the last LADA NIVA Legend SUV with a 1.7-liter engine. The model has completed an important stage in its history — the time-tested power unit is giving way to a new 1.8-liter engine.

The last car with the previous engine left the plant's production line before the transition to the updated version of the SUV.

The 1.7-liter engine, which has been installed on the NIVA for many years and originates from Soviet developments, will no longer be used on production cars. It will be replaced by a new 1.8-liter unit with a lightweight piston group and a belt-driven timing mechanism.

The engine replacement will be one of the most significant stages in the SUV's modernization throughout the model's history. According to AVTOVAZ, the modernization affected more than 350 parts and components of the car, including various structural and equipment elements.

The manufacturer notes that this is already the third major change of the power unit for the NIVA.

• Since 1977 — the basic 1.6-liter engine (heir to the engine from VAZ-2101).
• Since 1993 — transition to a 1.7-liter engine, which became the main one for a long time; in the early 2000s, it was converted from a carburetor to electronic distributed injection.

Previously, the company's engineers updated the interior, chassis, and other car systems.

The launch of the updated LADA NIVA Legend is scheduled for July 20, 2026. The main technical change will be the transition to a new engine, which should preserve the SUV's character while improving its modern performance characteristics.

The end of production of the 1.7-liter engine version has become a symbolic event for one of the most famous Russian car models, which has been produced since the late 1970s and remains one of the most recognizable domestic SUVs.