Dmitry Azarov and Yves Caracatzanis launched production of the updated LADA Niva Travel
On Monday, December 21, JSC Lada West Togliatti, which is part of JSC AVTOVAZ began mass production of the updated SUV LADA Niva Travel. The start of the production was given by Governor Dmitry Azarov, President of AVTOVAZ Yves Caracatzanis and General Director of Lada West Togliatti Yuri Skulsky.
In June 2018, Niva vehicle upgrade project was approved by the company's Board of Directors and is being completed on schedule, despite the difficult economic situation caused by the pandemic. Dmitry Azarov not only instructed to provide assistance to the company at the regional level, but also, in the spring this year he appealed to the President of the country Vladimir Putin for the support of the entire automotive industry and specifically AVTOVAZ. The Head of state supported Dmitry Azarov and assisted to the automobile plant economic situation stabilization. In November 2020, more than 38,000 LADA cars were sold that is 21.9% more than in November 2019. Since December 2013 it is the best months statistics.
"It is very important that this event takes place in the anniversary year for AVTOVAZ, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first car release. We tried to celebrate this year with solemn events. Yes, the pandemic and the conditions of this year did not allow us to fully experience the holiday in the Samara region and the city of Tolyatti. There also were some difficulties at AVTOVAZ– " said Dmitry Azarov. – But now, thanks to the support of the President Vladimir Putin it is over. I have already said that Togliatti is a city of his attention. Thanks to the President solutions, demand was restored, the automobile plant managed to pass the second half of the year much better than even preliminary calculations were. This first car is a confirmation that if there is attention to the manufacturer, then a highly professional, responsible, talented and efficient team is always ready for new achievements and victories."
Niva was created in the early 2000s on the basis of VAZ-2123 and since then has remained one of the most popular all-wheel drive cars in Russia. The model is constantly being upgraded to become more modern, reliable and comfortable. Thus, more than 2000 changes were made to the original design of the car. The supplier of the main components – body, chassis, power unit – since the beginning of production is AVTOVAZ.
Last year, Togliatti automobile plant repurchased shares from General Motors of their joint venture in Togliatti and regained the Niva brand.
"It is a great achievement, especially for the Lada West Togliatti team which managed this important project efficiently and on time. Niva has a long history. Today,more than 650 thousand such cars are on the roads of Russia, the CIS and other countries. Thanks to the Niva return we open a new page in its history. I want to assure that many important and interesting news will be associated with this name in the coming years," said Yves Caracatzanis .
This time, significant changes have occurred in the car appearance: the hood is supplemented with large-cell grille and new headlights, side moldings and more embossed wheel arch linings combined with a new wheel design. The rear body part also changed, getting fully led taillights and a more embossed bumper.
The Off-road image of Niva Travel is complemented by a snorkel, off-road tires and a body kit made of unpainted plastic, which will protect the body when driving on rough ground. At the same time, the nodal parts and aggregates are not changed. Sales of the upgraded car will start in 2021, the exact date will be announced later.
"I would like to express my gratitude to the Governor and the Government of the Samara region, who have supported our project at the Federal and regional levels. Without your support, it would be very difficult for us, " said Yuri Skulsky, General Director of Lada West Togliatti.
Dmitry Azarov also awarded the employees of AVTOVAZ for their contribution to the development of the enterprise and the automotive industry as a whole.
Original article is on the website: Government of the Samara region