The World’s Oldest SUV Is Still For Sale. The Sporty Version Is Less than $20,000

The Lada Niva you see here isn’t far removed from the OG version that launched way back in 1977. It’s officially the oldest “new” car still on sale. And now there’s a Sport model. Announced late last year, it’s now headed to dealerships in Europe, where the starting price is a whopping $19,600. That is, if you could buy it in the US, which of course, you can’t.

But we wish we could. This little new-old 4×4 has a host of upgrades for the Sport trim, with the biggest being a considerable bump in power. There’s a 1.6-liter 16-valve four-cylinder under the hood now, replacing the old 1.7-liter mill and pumping 122 horsepower in the process. For the record, that’s still not much to work with. But considering the old engine kicked out 83 hp, this is a considerable increase. It still needs nearly 12 seconds to reach 60 mph, though.

Photo by: AutoVAZ

Photo by: AutoVAZ

Photo by: AutoVAZ

That’s not all you get on the Sport. Power goes through an upgraded five-speed manual transmission, though Lada’s parent company AutoVAZ doesn’t specify exactly what’s different. Our Motor1 colleagues in Spain inform us the suspension and brakes are also enhanced, though like the transmission, details aren’t entirely clear.

Visually speaking, the Niva Sport has a new front bumper with slim driving lights mounted to it. You’ll find 17-inch wheels at all four corners, which look a tad cartoonish on the small Niva. It uses a full-time 4×4 system with a transfer case if you need to crawl along the trail. It sits a little higher, too.

Inside, things aren’t quite as dated. The Niva Sport borrows snazzy upgrades from the Niva Legend, including heated front seats, electric mirrors, and air conditioning. Sport-specific items include special trim on the seats and a sporty steering wheel.  

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Source: Lada

Ladas have never been sold in North America, but they are available in regions of Europe. Naturally, they’re very common in Russia, but ironically, they wouldn’t be subject to any of Trump’s tariffs should someone in the States really want one. So that begs the question: Would you pay $19,600 for a simple off-roading Lada with a sporty makeover?