OREANDA-NEWS. In the UK, there is mounting interest in the Russian Niva, made by AVTOVAZ, which will possibly result in a sharp rise in sales of the Russian SUV, according to The Times.

According to the newspaper, the Niva (Lada 4x4) by the end of 2015 will be able to occupy a niche in the SUV market after the production of the British LandRoverDefender is completed due to a mismatch in the modern requirements for safety and environmental performance of the vehicles.

According to The Times, the main advantages of the Russian SUV are its low cost, maneuverability, and compliance with all safety requirements. In the UK, the Niva can be purchased for 13,000 pounds.

The Niva has been and remains one of the leading exports from AVTOVAZ. The Niva has been exported to 110 countries.

In 2013, AVTOVAZ implemented a program for improving the consumer specification of the SUV. As a result, the car has been equipped with athermal glass, improved steering-wheel drive, and two-point washer jets. In order to reduce noise and vibration, traditional propeller shafts in the transmission were replaced with constant velocity joints.

AVTOVAZ is one of the largest car manufacturers in Europe. Today, AVTOVAZ has the annual capacity to produce about 800 thousand vehicles and car kits under the Lada, Renault, Nissan, and Datsun brands. Since 1970, the plant has produced more than 28 million Lada vehicles. AVTOVAZ passenger car production on the mass-market range in price from 289 thousand to 500 thousand rubles. Lada vehicles were winners of the Grand Prix of the magazine "Za rulem'' (Behind the Wheel) in 2013 and 2014 in the category of "Best car for use in the provinces."