The Lada Niva has a bit of a split opinion in the enthusiast community. Some with no sense of humor or fun lambast it as a slow, unreliable relic of the long-gone communist regime that nowadays tends to be driven by dorks who spend too much time reading textbooks about Eastern European history.

There are others though that appreciate the Niva for the classic piece of history it is, and you can still buy a brand new one today to boot. Updates to the 40 plus-year-old design are few and far between, but the latest Niva Bronto is the closest thing we'll see to a facelift on a Niva any time soon

The Niva has a bit of a reputation for not being the fastest thing on four wheels to say the very least, but does this carry itself over to the newest Niva Bronto? Read on if you want to find out more.

The Lada Niva Bronto is the closest thing we'll see to a special edition Niva any time in our lifetimes. But is it even worth considering when there's endless variety in the off-road 4x4 market? Probably not, but in case you're still curious, why don't we have a look at what's on offer.

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The Newest Form Of One Of The Oldest Names In Russian Cars

Bronto

1977 was many, many years and moons ago, but that was the glorious year that the Lada Niva 4x4 first arrived on the scene. Since that time, the essence of the Niva has hardly diluted at all, and it's still the longest served four-wheel-drive platform still in its original form.

Things got even more interesting in 2021 when it was announced the old Niva would be rebranded as the Lada Niva Legend while future models were to be named the Nida Travel.

Exclusive to the Niva Bronto is an assortment of extras not seen on ordinary Nivas. Things like 15-inch mud-terrain tires, a revamped air conditioning system, larger plastic bumpers, and extra sound reading to make your Niva feel less like a tin can than it would normally.

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Inside, the interior is a fair bit nicer than anyone is likely to give it credit for, with two-toned bucket seats big enough to fit the largest man in snow pants. The thin steering wheel gives the impression that there's no airbag lying underneath, and the overall fit and finish are still lightyears behind anything coming from western nations. An optional extra on the Bronto you're not likely to find on any western vehicle is the option to have a camouflage paint scheme added to the car from the factory. That alone bumps up the Bronto's coolness factor by several orders of magnitude

New Model Designation, Same-Old Engine

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Another aspect of the Lada Riva that people love to tease it for is the pathetically inadequate engine often under the hood of these plucky Soviet runabouts. True to form for the Lada Niva image, the 1.7-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with two valves per cylinder makes a pedestrian 82 horsepower and 95 pound-feet of torque.

In a big-tall SUV like the Niva, that means a zero to 60 time anywhere in the 17 seconds to 20-second range depending on how steep the gradient is and the altitude at which the Niva is accelerating. In the Niva Legend which the Bronto is based upon, the top speed was a measly 88 miles per hour (142 kph)

So then, the Bronto is nothing to write home about on the highway, not that anyone was expecting it to be. But what about its off-roading credentials? Like all Nivas before it, the new Bronto comes with a four-wheel-drive system as standard.

Along with front and rear locking differentials to navigate slippery or rocky terrains. Large all-terrain tires on top of new 15-inch rims provide the finishing touches for an SUV touted as being absolute dynamite off-road, in spite of all of its many, many flaws. If not for its pitifully underpowered engine, the Bronto would almost be a match for any new SUV on sale today.

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Squeezing Every Last Drop Of Performance Out Of A Four-Decade Old Design

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If nothing else, the Niva Bronto proves the modern trend of cycling out car models every half-decade ago is not as entirely necessary as motorists in the west make it out to be. Also, if anyone had any doubts about how much more life Lada could squeeze out of its longest-serving vehicle, the answer turns out to be far more than anyone thought possible.

The Niva Bronto is currently exclusive to Eastern Europe, so anyone in North America crazy to prefer one over a brand new Jeep Wrangler is sadly all out of luck. Still, for a car made across the world from America, the Niva sure is drawing a lot of attention from people who can't even buy it.

Sources: Lada