AvtoVAZ announced the price and the start date of sales of Lada Niva Sport

Sales of the classic Lada Niva three-door SUV with the new Sport modification will begin on April 5, the 48th anniversary of the start of production of the first serial Niva. The price of the new product starts from 1.7 million rubles, according to a statement from AvtoVAZ, which was received by Izvestia on April 4.

Compared to the Niva Legend, the sports modification received about 140 design changes, the company said. The SUV was equipped with the engine used on the Granta Sport, a 16-valve 1.6-liter engine with a capacity of 122 hp. Its characteristics are improved due to a lightweight intake and exhaust system, sports camshafts and special controller firmware. Acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h takes 11.8 seconds, with a top speed of 162 km/h.

Ground clearance increased from 200 to 220 mm. Permanent all-wheel drive has been retained, the ability to turn on the downshift and lock the center differential. Taking into account the changes in the engine compartment and the wheels of the increased dimension, there is no "spare" — instead there is a travel kit for tire repair.

The increased capacity required the modernization of other systems. The body was reinforced, a more efficient braking system was installed (ventilated disc brakes at the front and disc brakes at the rear), other shock absorbers, a stabilizer bar was used in the rear suspension, and the rear axle beam was reinforced.

The Niva Sport received 17-inch two-tone wheels with enlarged tires, the interior is decorated in black and red tones, the steering wheel is covered with leather and is adjustable in tilt, the transfer case is equipped with a single-lever drive. The model is based on the top-end Niva Legend with air conditioning, heated front seats and electrically adjustable mirrors. There are rails, additional high-beam headlamps on the front bumper and an air intake trim on the hood.

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The day before, AvtoVAZ announced the start of sales of Lada Largus in a dual-fuel CNG modification. Such a car can run on both gasoline and natural gas (methane), which is pumped into three steel cylinders with a total volume of about 90 liters. Running on natural gas can reduce fuel costs by 2.5 times. When fully refueled, Largus CNG has a range of more than 1,000 km, according to the company.