Introduced by Russian carmaker AvtoVAZ back in the late '70s, the Niva is still on sale today and don’t imagine it has gone through technical updates that are all that complex.Instead, through a joint-venture with Chevrolet, the company has developed a newer model called Chevrolet Niva . Nonetheless, this is a much weaker attempt compared to the original. The two are being sold in parallel, but we might’ve come across a particular example of the good ole Niva that would allow Lada to give the model a serious refresh. Chevrolet also offers what promises to be an all-new model , but it won't arrive on the market until 2016.The Niva in the gallery below has received some serious tuning attention, with the car undergoing plastic surgery. We’re talking about a list of modes that include the front and rear fascia, wheels, as well as the exhaust tip.We guarantee that, if Lada would apply a similar treatment, while updating the tech department in a more serious manner compared to what they’ve done before, this thing would sell like hot cakes.You don’t even have to take our word for it, as the Jeep Wrangler stands as driving proof for such measures. Sure, one of the measures necessary to bring the Niva up to date would be a modern automatic gearbox, as half the cars sold in Russia last year were fitted with a slushbox.PS: for the record, this custom Lada Niva comes from Ukraine.