After much unexpected excitement and anticipation in the western world, Lada gradually began exporting its affordable new Niva in 1978, including the UK (in LHD form only initially to meet pent-up demand) with the model quickly finding a ready market of loyal buyers seeking a rugged low-cost 4x4. Its reputation was reinforced by the Niva frequently beating the considerably dearer four-wheel-drive establishment (Land Rover, Range Rover, Toyota Land Cruiser, etc.) in the tough, unforgiving annual Cop Drive police 4x4 off-road tests.
By late 1979, RHD examples had begun to arrive in the UK, with the Niva going on to enjoy steady demand with budget-conscious British farmers and country dwellers, right up until the car’s withdrawal from sale here in 1997 due to Lada’s inability to get its no-nonsense four-cylinder engines to meet the ever-tougher emission regulations. An enterprising Londoner briefly attempted to reintroduce the model to the UK around a decade ago in LHD-only form, but he struggled to get the Lada to comply with the latest tougher EU emission and safety rules, making British registration very challenging.
As the Niva was quietly carving out its niche in the UK (helped by some eye-catching local market specials such as the Cossack and Hussar), elsewhere around the world the rugged Lada was gaining cult status as a capable off-roader with Paris-Dakar class victories behind it. Numerous locally-adapted examples were made, including a cabriolet in France, a pick-up in Canada, plus a longer wheelbase five-door derivative offered in many markets. The Niva went under many names too, being called the Taiga in Germany (due to another local company already owning the name), the Job in Italy, the Bushman in Australia, plus bizarrely the Bognor Diva in Uruguay, where the model was also assembled in CKD form.
In its native Russia, the model was initially known as the VAZ-2121 ‘Niva’ until 1993, when Lada frustratingly lost the rights to the Niva model name, which was changed simply to ‘4x4’ due to General Motors (a short-term Lada partner and ‘new’ fuel-injected 1.7-litre petrol engine supplier) claiming the much-admired Niva name tag from its new Russia-only five-door Chevrolet Niva SUV model.