Niva to bypass Lada?

03 November 2003: The Chevrolet badge will begin to make inroads into the small SUV market in Europe from next year when the new Niva is launched.

The tough little 4WD car is being manufactured in Russia as a joint venture between Lada maker AvtoVAZ and GM Opel.

Some 75,000 vehicles a year are already targeted for production, but so far for sale only in non-European countries because the vehicle has not yet been rated for Euro 3 emissions standard.

European versions will need a catalytic convertor, a Bosch ignition system and suitable on-broad diagnostics.

Existing Lada dealers are already concerned that they will be by-passed for the new version, because it is likely to be sold by local GM dealerships rather than the Lada network. Lada sold something more than 5,000 cars in Western Europe last year.

©2003 irishcar.com