One could say that the fate of the "Niva" is similar to some authoritative SUVs that have been on the assembly line for many years, practically unchanged in appearance. As an example, we can cite: Defender, Gelendevagen, Land Cruiser 70.
But the Russian car, unlike them, surprises with the archaic nature of its design, many components of which were developed back on the Fiat, in the 60s. Nevertheless, creating a truly "people's" alternative to the time-tested "Niva" turned out to be not so simple for many reasons. It turned out that it is better to carry out a deep modernization of the old platform, replacing completely outdated units.
First of all, the updated "Niva" will get rid of the outdated engine and receive a new one, from the "Priora" family. True, the engine will remain eight-valve, which will simplify maintenance outside official service centers.
The old worm gear steering mechanism will be replaced by a rack-and-pinion one, which will also entail replacing the subframe. The suspension arms will also change, as a result of which the steered wheels will receive a negative caster angle. This will improve the handling of the SUV. The drive for locking the center differential will become electric.
Many changes are expected in the interior: air conditioning will get a "registration", air ducts for the feet of rear passengers, mirrors with heating and electric drive, seat heating, the ceiling will become fully molded, and much more.
It is planned that the updated "Niva" will stay on the assembly line until 2021.
