From Russia with mud: High suspension, pressed steel wheels and Soviet-style looks... Matt Warren road tests the new Lada Niva 4x4 

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Lada Niva 4x4 £13,395 on the road

As a result of the Land Rover Defender's demise, there could be a boom in sales of a Russian badge which was a butt of many jokes in the Soviet era – the Lada.

Lada's 4x4 Niva has long been the car that bucked the trend of laughing at the Russian carmaker and has won fans around the world thanks to its robust nature and chunky looks.

We take a look.

The Niva (pictured) is a highly capable, ruftytufty 4x4 from Russia — for a fraction of the price of a new Land Rover and it is also available in a compact van format (£10,590, excluding VAT and road tax)

GOOD

• A highly capable, ruftytufty 4x4 from Russia — for a fraction of the price of a new Land Rover.
• It's a confident charmer that stands out from the crowd, with high suspension, pressed steel wheels, Soviet-style looks and real rarity value. Expect to get gawped at: someone offered to buy mine on its second trip out. Always fun.
• Now available in the UK from Niva imports through its dealer, BB Motors, in Corby, Northamptonshire (01536 202207, lada4x4.co.uk).
• On the road, the basic 1.7-litre petrol engine (your only option) is deafeningly noisy, but tolerably smooth. Power steering, manageable dimensions and a tight turning circle make it reasonably practical for the supermarket or school run.

• The seats are comfy and thanks to a high driving position and large wing mirrors, all-round visibility is good. Top speed is 91 mph.
• Off-road, the Niva is in its element, with low and highrange gears, differential lock and a sturdy monocoque construction. It is lighter and more sprightly in the mud than many big-name utility 4x4s, with 220mm ground clearance, a 600mm wading depth and a climbing ability of up to 58 per cent. Tall, slender tyres give it an added advantage when things get mucky.
• You won't have to agonise over pages of extras... they're more or less nonexistent. This is a very basic utility vehicle, after all.

• Choose in white, blue, green or red, then decide whether you'd like the snorkel or snow plough (really) attachments. An LPG option is available for an extra £999 — but you lose boot space.
• Reasonable fuel economy at 33mpg and affordable to insure — once you've explained exactly what it is. Meets Euro 5 emissions standards. The heated blower, presumably designed with Siberia in mind, has plenty of muscle for icy winter mornings.
• Also available in a compact van format (£10,590, excluding VAT and road tax).

Forget luxuries because the Niva is an unabashed frills-free zone, the upside of its simplicity is that the plastic interior (pictured) is easy to mop down after a day in the mud

BAD

• Spartan on the inside. Forget luxuries such as radios, cup-holders, central locking and electric windows — the Niva is an unabashed frills-free zone. The upside of its simplicity is that the plastic interior is easy to mop down after a day in the mud, and there's not much to break or go wrong.
• There are only four seatbelts and a slightly pokey boot.
• Don't trust the petrol gauge, which regularly aims to deceive.

• No warranty is offered as standard — although a two-year plan is coming soon — and spares may need to be imported (BB Motors will assist).
• Only available in lefthand drive — unless you put in an order for more than 500 of them!
• Shhhh! You didn't hear it from me. But patriotic Russian President Vladimir Putin made a big play of driving a Lada Niva back in 2009 — but fitted it with a German engine.

Patriotic Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) drove a Lada Niva back in 2009 — but fitted it with a German engine