The timing of the start of production of the updated Lada Niva Legend has become known

The updated Lada Niva Legend SUV will go into production on July 20, AvtoVAZ's birthday. Maxim Sokolov, the head of the car company, told about this in the Izvestia studio at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"Starting from July 20, the day of AVTOVAZ's 60th anniversary, we will install a new 1.8-liter engine, a more powerful, more economical engine, on the Niva Legend model. And its characteristics even resemble diesel engines," Sokolov shared.

The updated model, presented on June 3 at the SPIEF, is equipped with a 1.8-liter 8-valve engine, which is already equipped with Niva Travel. In total, Lada Niva Legend has more than 100 new and more than 60 upgraded parts and assemblies.

In particular, the front suspension has been upgraded, which has improved handling and smoothness, the company noted. For the first time, the Niva Legend uses double-sided galvanized steel body parts. A front-mounted driver's airbag has also been introduced for the first time. The steering wheel is unified with Lada Granta, the ignition switch is moved to the right side. Ventilated front brake discs are used, which are less prone to overheating.

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AvtoVAZ also showed a new Lada Iskra TMS racing car at the SPIEF. It is equipped with a 1.6-liter turbo engine with a capacity of 218 hp (280 Nm) and a six-speed sequential manual transmission. The car has been prepared to participate in the Monocup, a long—running race in a new format with technically identical cars, which will be held in 2027.