Chevrolet teases Moscow-bound Niva concept

Chevrolet’s Russian arm has published a lone teaser image of the Niva concept that will greet the public for the first time later this month at the Moscow Motor Show.

Designed by the GM-AvtoVAZ joint-venture, the Niva show car is billed as a close-to-production concept that previews the second-generation of Chevrolet’s entry-level off-roader. Although the teaser image does a good job at hiding the SUV’s overall appearance, it hints the second-gen Niva will look considerably more modern than its predecessor thanks in part to a front end inspired by Chevrolet’s current design language.

Sources close to Lada indicate the second-generation Niva previewed by the concept will be introduced early next year. When launched, it will ditch the current model’s anemic 81-horsepower 1.7-liter engine in favor of a Peugeot-sourced 1.8-liter mill rated at a more usable 135 horsepower. Power will continue to be transferred to all four wheels via a manual transmission.

The Chevrolet Niva concept will be fully unveiled in the weeks leading up to its official debut in the Russian capital. Production is scheduled to kick off in Togliatti, Russia, next December, meaning the SUV will arrive in Russian showrooms shortly after.