Editing Lada Niva (section)

===Prototypes and testing===
The Niva was described by its designers as a "[[Renault 5]] put on a [[Land Rover]] chassis".<ref>{{cite web|title=A quick look at the Lada Niva|url=http://ranwhenparked.net/2011/10/14/a-quick-look-at-the-lada-niva/|publisher=Ran When Parked|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114124608/http://ranwhenparked.net/2011/10/14/a-quick-look-at-the-lada-niva/|archive-date=14 January 2012|date=14 October 2011|access-date=3 January 2012}}</ref> Development began in 1971 after the [[24th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|24th Congress of the CPSU]], in which [[Alexei Kosygin]] (the then-[[Premier of the Soviet Union]]) gave the designers at VAZ and [[AZLK]] the task of creating a car suitable for rural areas (specifically for the villagers and farmers of the Soviet Union), since the usual [[Zhiguli (car brand)|Zhiguli]], [[Moskvitch]], and [[ZAZ Zaporozhets|Zaporozhets]], intended primarily for ordinary people, were not much of use in the isolated areas that made up a large part of the USSR. In the same year, a team of VAZ designers led by Solovyev began competing with AZLK to work on a "civilized" four-wheel drive vehicle.<ref>Thompson, Andy. ''Cars of the Soviet Union'' (Haynes Publishing, Somerset, UK, 2008), p.180.</ref> The new car was partly inspired by the [[IZh]]-14 prototype of 1974.<ref>Thompson, pp.185–186.</ref> It was VAZ's first model that was not based on [[Fiat]], though many of its mechanics were carried over from the earlier [[Fiat 124]]- or [[Fiat 125|125]]-based Zhiguli models (mostly the VAZ-2103 and 2106); the body, four-wheel drive system, and front suspension were all designed by VAZ. The first prototype appeared in 1971 and was officially designated the E-2121<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title=Tri vrata 4x4. LADA "NIVA" (2121) – živa legenda|url=https://marshalinstrument.ru/hr/tuning/trehdvernaya-lada-4h4-lada-niva-2121-zhivaya-legenda-proverennyi-vremenem/|access-date=2021-10-11|website=marshalinstrument.ru}}</ref> and nicknamed ''krokodil'' (the [[crocodile]]) due to its distinctive frontal section, but was rejected for being too utilitarian, so doors and a [[hardtop]] were added. This version (designated the 2E-2121)<ref name="auto"/> debuted in 1973 and deviated from the off-road vehicles of the period, as it used a modern [[hatchback]] body.<ref name="Thompson, p.187">Thompson, p.187.</ref> The design choice was inspired by the prototype known as the VAZ-1101 (itself derived from the [[Fiat 127]]), and was created by designer Valery Pavlovitch.<ref name="Thompson, p.187"/>

The influence of the Fiat 127 is obvious from the Niva's distinctive "clamshell" hood design and its rear three-quarter section. The 1974 prototype (designated the VAZ-2121M) was derived from an existing model, the [[VAZ-2103]] (then the newest model in VAZ arsenal). It used the VAZ-2103's 1,452 cc engine and shared some of its features, like [[chrome plating|chrome-plated]] bumpers, headlights and taillights, instruments, seats, and steering wheel. In the following year, two samples of the prototype were modified to install a 1,478 cc UZAM-412 engine,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Автомодельное бюро: ВАЗ-2121М "Моська"|url=http://denisovets.ru/vaz/vazpages/vaz3e2121moska.html|access-date=2021-10-11|website=denisovets.ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=ВАЗ-2121М (Моська): Почему "Нива" с двигателем от Москвича не добралась до конвейера – Daily-Motor|date=26 January 2020|url=https://daily-motor.ru/autonews/69928|access-date=2021-10-11|language=ru-RU}}</ref> which originally powered the [[Moskvich 412|Moskvich 1500]]. Testing later revealed that the engine was incompatible with the newly designed car. The Moskvich engine was abandoned, and the older engine was reused. The 1974 prototype (2121M) was ready to be mass-produced in 1975, but the appearance of the new [[VAZ-2106]] at the end of the year resulted in a delay because the company wanted to develop another prototype based on the model in 1976, which became the sixth and final (serial production) prototype.

Before its production, the Niva was tested over a period of years by a team led by Vadim Kotlyarov in the most difficult terrain of the Soviet Union, such as the [[Ural Mountains]] and [[Siberia]], the deserts of the [[Kazakh SSR]], and the [[Pamir Mountains]] in the [[Tajik SSR]], where it was compared with its military counterpart, the [[UAZ-469]], and some Western off-road vehicles—the British-made [[Land Rover Series]] and the [[Range Rover Classic]].<ref name="youtube.com">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/DEXzvNsecFI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20191204173444/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEXzvNsecFI Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEXzvNsecFI| title = Автомобиль "Нива". Легендарный советский внедорожник. HD remastering | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 5 August 2018 }}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211011102129/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v9-RXT6KMI| archive-date = 2021-10-11| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v9-RXT6KMI| title = YouTube, a Google company | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Its off-road capabilities were demonstrated for the very first time, which were based on its effective permanent four-wheel drive system featuring a [[transfer case]] and central [[differential lock]], with the combination of a short wheelbase (only 2,2m), relatively low weight (just over a ton), independent front suspension, small dimensions (3,74×1,68 m), and high [[ground clearance]] (about 265&nbsp;mm). Its large but narrow wheels (175/80-R16 in dimensions), originally featuring domestically designed "Voltyre" VLI-5 high-tread tires, offered relatively strong ground pressure, which lowered the chances of slipping or getting bogged down off-road. For example, in the 1973 and 1974 trials, the Niva climbed a 58% slope<!-- Is this supposed to be degrees instead of percent? -->, and crossed {{convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}} of water and {{convert|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} of mud and snow.<ref name="Thompson, p.187" /> Solovyev died the following year and was replaced by engineer Pyotr Prusov, who took credit for creating the car.

In 1976, the final prototype appeared. The engine was changed to a {{convert|1568|cc|cid|abbr=on}} one, the most powerful engine in VAZ during the Soviet era, taken from their VAZ-2106 (from which the production model of the first Niva generation was generally derived). Like the previous prototype, it featured a permanent four-wheel drive and a transfer case with a lockable central differential.<ref name="Thompson, p.187" /> The VAZ prototype displayed better design and real-world performance than its AZLK counterpart, the Moskvitch 416, so it was approved for production in March of the same year, after the [[25th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|25th Congress of the CPSU]]. The car was named Niva 1600 (Field) for exports and the VAZ-2121 (alternatively "Niva 2121" or "VAZ Niva") for the domestic market.<ref name="Thompson, p.187" /> For domestic customers, it was described as "[a] high-speed car with the improved capabilities and comfort of all VAZ models,"<ref name="youtube.com"/> and also as "[a] combination of the speed and comfort of a Zhiguli with the capabilities of a UAZ."<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/fkLsb2fT36A Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20211011102127/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkLsb2fT36A Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkLsb2fT36A| title = Первая партия "Нив" будет выпущена к 25 съезду КПСС | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 29 November 2018 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> Production began the following year on 5 April 1977, while the first export models appeared in 1978 at the [[Paris Motor Show|Paris Motor Salon]] and quickly took over at least 40% of Europe's market for four-wheel drive vehicles,<ref name="Thompson, p.187" /> making it Lada's top-selling export.<ref>Thompson, p.caption.</ref> It was the only Soviet car that was ever sold in Japan, starting from the early 1980s. Because of export demand and the higher priority given to exports, domestic customers faced long wait times, despite the car being developed primarily for Soviet citizens.<ref name="Thompson, p.187" />