Lada, now part of the Renault Group, for so long reputed to be a dour and functional car brand, is radically looking to change that image.

It’s Vision 4×4 Niva small SUV is turning heads. The updated concept car, hailed as the future for Lada, was launched at the Moscow Motor Show. With a length of 4.2 metres, this five-door hatchback SUV with large windows, rides on big 21-inch wheels and has a two-screen layout. The camouflaged door handles are a nice touch, together with the x-shaped front grille and rear lights.

This is a stylish yet tough as nails revision of a classic. What is not clear is when will this prototype go into production and, given current sanctions imposed as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine, what is this car’s future?

The Niva was first launched in 1998 as the VAZ- 2123 before being rebadged as the Chevrolet Niva in 2003. It has gone on to become a popular off-roader that can take on Toyota’s Rav 4.

With GM pulling out of the joint venture, Lada is looking to the future with the next-Gen Niva.

British automobile designer Steve Mattin (known for his interior and exterior designs for both the Mercedes M-Class and S-Class) is credited with doing fine work on this vehicle.

Speaking at its launch, Mattin said: “The Lada 4×4 fuses together the two worlds of the extreme outdoors and the urban jungle. Forty years from the creation of our legend, the Lada 4×4, we have taken that legacy to a new level. We have added comfort, refinement and technology to what is a totally versatile machine. Tough and rugged on the outside, the Vision 4×4 is both sporty and sophisticated.