The Japanese are delighted with the Russian Lada Niva off-road vehicle. They believe that this "charming, advanced vehicle, can overcome any off-road conditions. Auto journalist Fumio Ogawa reviewed the Lada Niva for the Asahi Shimbun. In his article he recalled how the Soviet Union decided to create a car that can travel in the harshest conditions. Ogawa compared the Niva to the Japanese Suzuki Jimny, as it is equipped with a switchable all-wheel drive with an auxiliary gearbox. The journalist drew attention to the fact that the Russian car has no frame construction, like other SUVs. Despite this, its ability to drive on rough roads is very high. "Niva" is still in production today. Fumio Ogawa said that the popularity of Niva can also be explained by the fact that since 1979 the car has been used to participate in the Paris-Dakar Rally. In 1981, more than 13 Russian SUVs took part in the competition, and one of them took the third place, beating Range Rover, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz. The journalist admitted that he himself once drove an unofficial imported Niva. Among the disadvantages he noted the noise, and among the merits - compactness of the car and nice design. "Niva is imported to Japan in small quantities. According to Ogawa, Russian SUVs can be found on the roads of Tokyo's Setagai district. "Maybe the fact that the car is not packed with technology calms people down," the journalist believes.
newsfounded.com
The Japanese journalist was surprised by the Russian Lada Niva
newsfounded.com
