Take A Look Inside The AvtoVAZ Design Studio Where The New Lada Niva Is Being Developed

Automakers usually keep the doors of their design studios closed in order to preserve the well-kept secrets concerning future models. Sometimes, however, we get the chance to see the automotive designers at work, and this is exactly the case with a couple of videos – unfortunately with Russian dubbing – giving us a good look inside Lada’s premises.

The design studio is located in the center of Moscow and employs 14 people – seven designers and seven modelers. Its location is great for sourcing local talent from design schools like the Moscow Polytechnic University, whose design students can land internships and job opportunities with Lada.

See Also: Iconic Lada Niva Bronto Soldiers On With An Updated Interior

In the video that was uploaded on YouTube by the НА ЗАВОДЕ channel, we can see the relatively young design team sketching and presenting us a couple of interesting projects. These include a cool-looking off-roader with a sculpted body and a sleek coupe designed for 2030. Of course, none of the sketches appearing on camera are intended for production since they were created as design studies, with the real work for future models staying out of sight.

Towards the end of the video, the presenter claims they can’t visit the third floor because of a “secret” model, likely hinting at the new generation Lada Niva that is currently under development. However, there is another video that is showing the actual prototype of the SUV hiding under a white sheet.

See Also: You Can Now Convert Your Lada Niva To Electric Power For Just €2,800

The man featured in this video is Jean-Philippe Salar, Lada Design Director, who joined the company in January 2021 after being responsible for the design of the Renault Arkana and pretty much every single Dacia model that is currently on sale. As you would expect, he talks about the new Lada Niva which is a very important project for the brand. The all-new model was confirmed earlier this year together with a preview sketch. It is expected to debut in 2024 and be based on Renault Group’s CMF-B platform.

Read Also: People Are Buying Lada Niva Travel SUVs In Japan For $31k

Mind you, the original Niva has been around since 1977 and remains instantly recognizable despite the minor updates of the 2020 facelift. Through all of those years, it has created a reputation of a very capable off-roader with a spartan character and iconic styling. AvtoVAZ also makes the Niva Travel, which is a completely different model based on the SUV that was sold as the Chevrolet Niva until Lada acquired its 50-50 joint venture with GM. However, despite a comprehensive update in 2021, it is still based on chassis technology from the ’90s.

Besides the Legend, Bronto, and Travel variants of the Niva, Lada is offering a range of regular cars including the Granta, Vesta, Xray, and Largus. The Russian company is part of the Renault Group, which gives it access to its parts bin that’s also used by Dacia, another budget-oriented automaker.