Russia’s Avtovaz, the automaker famous for building Ladas, is resuming the production of the Lada Niva SUV. Avtovaz's production had previously been delayed back in March due to a lack of supplies caused by international sanctions on Russia. That probably had something to do with Russia launching a military invasion into a neighboring sovereign nation—call it a hunch. Now, though, production is back on and the Lada Niva is as hilariously spartan as it was when it first debuted in 1977.Due to production restraints, the only Lada Niva variant that’s back in production is the three-door model with the Classic’22 package. What does that fancy package get you? It brings such niceties as power front windows, power steering, 16-inch steel wheels, and even “audio preparation.” The latter means that it comes with an antenna and a wiring harness that allows owners to install two speakers. Yep, just two. It lacks power seats, any sort of charging ports for mobile phones, and it doesn't have front airbags. The Lada Niva is meant to be a cheap, rugged, dependable, off-road vehicle for the masses but, even by that standard, its cabin tech is pretty grim.
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