Lada Niva Sport Debuts With More Power And Off-Road Attitude

The Lada Niva is flexing its muscles with a new Sport trim—though calling it “sportier” might be a stretch. Still, it’s got a stronger engine and a few athletic tweaks to back up the claim. Under the hood, there’s a new 16-valve four-cylinder pumping out 122 horsepower and 151 Nm of torque.

That’s a decent boost for this off-road veteran. It’s paired with an upgraded five-speed manual transmission featuring a reinforced fifth gear, a tougher clutch housing, and a single-lever transfer case. As always, power goes to all four wheels through a permanent 4WD system.

Lada promises “sporty suspension and brake settings” for sharper handling, though we’ll have to see if it lives up to the hype.

Visually, the Niva Sport gets some attitude with a red Sport badge, 16-inch alloy wheels, wide fender flares, extra LEDs up front, and even a hood scoop. Curiously, it skips the body-colored bumpers from the Urban and Black trims, as well as the beefier grille and headlights of the Bronto—choices that might’ve added to its sporty vibe.

The interior embraces red accents, with stitched seats, a steering wheel, gear levers, and even the glove box adding a pop of color against the black upholstery. Lada includes features such as air conditioning, electric windows, and mirrors, but it appears they have omitted an audio system. Maybe they expect buyers to bring their own playlist.

Lada says the Sport trim draws inspiration from rally-winning Nivas, including one that just conquered the Silk Way Rally Marathon. After several delays, production is finally underway. Local reports indicate that the price may exceed 2,000,000 rubles (roughly $20,000), making it the most expensive Niva ever.