A camouflage paint job straight from the factory? A camouflage paint job straight from the factory! That’s the 2018 Lada 4x4, which used to be called the Lada Niva, an SUV that is the greatest Soviet car of all time.
You can’t get one in the U.S., of course, and you never have been able to, owing to the Cold War, but if you’re in Russia or Europe you’re in luck. Unchanged for nearly 30 years after its 1977 debut, the Niva got an update (and the 4x4 name) in 2014. It also finally got air conditioning around the same time. (Air conditioning isn’t much of a priority in Russia, with the average highs in Moscow in summer only around 75 degrees).
And now, for 2018, the 4x4 gets a camo paint job if you so desire, which Lada says is is actually a black paint job with two shades of green applied on top. As they put it:
A car gets new combat and brutal appearance for 29 K rubles.
That’s around $480 on top of the car’s $8,800 price at the “Luxe” trim level. Air-conditioning is also extra, or around $350 more. The base price of the 4x4 is a measly $6,800.
Should more cars be available in camouflage straight from the factory? Yes, yes they should. Should more cars stay virtually unchanged for decades in production? Yes, yes they should. Should more cars cost less than $7,000 new? Yes, yes they should. Should you buy a Lada 4x4 at first opportunity? I think you know the answer.