The official patent drawings of the new Chevrolet Niva are up on the internet, thanks to the Russian Federal Institute of Industrial Property. The new compact SUV, which was first shown in concept form at the 2014 Moscow Motor Show, will debut sometime next year. As a reminder, the car shown here is the 2016 version of the Chevrolet Niva which is based on the Russian Lada Niva and has been on sale in Russia for over a decade.
Looking at the patent drawings, the Niva seems to have taken most of the concept’s basic design cues. Chevrolet has refrained themselves from putting the heavy duty off-road bits like the spot lights, roof rack, a winch and the beefy tyres on to what will be the production-spec vehicle.
While the concept featured a 122bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine under its hood along with a 5-speed manual gearbox, locking diffs and all-wheel drive, the production-spec Niva is more likely to get a smaller 1.6-litre unit with most of the off-road goodies.
The existing Chevrolet Niva for the Russian market may look dated but underneath the old-school design lies a chassis that’s based on the rugged underpinnings of the Lada Niva – a car which is known for its heavy-duty drivetrain and impressive off-road abilities.
