Chevrolet has licensed it’s name (and presumably other stuff) to the Russian number-two automaker, AvtoVAZ, the owner of the Lada brand. Based on the Lada Niva, the Chevy Niva is one of the most popular SUVs in former eastern bloc selling around 45,000 units per year.

The Niva is not going to win any styling awards and with the 95hp 1.8L four cylinder, it is not going to win any races either. The interior can best be described as a soviet era Moscow apartment with copious amounts of grey cloth and plastic fittings.
The Chevy Niva presents an interesting fact about the Russia market. Much like the Indian market, there is a need for simple straight forward useful vehicles like the Niva that can be maintained without costly diagnostic equipment. The Niva can be maintained by remotely located mechanics in Uzbekistan unlike the 4 Wheel drive vehicles in the west that carry as much electronics as the space shuttle.

The Chevy Niva may not be an example of automotive technology at it’s best, but it does serve a purpose, cheap easy to fix vehicles for that frosty night in Siberia.