This brand-new Lada Niva is up for sale alongside Ferraris and Porsches

It’s certainly a purchasing opportunity befitting the timeline where Trump became president. So, pray tell, what is the thinking behind stocking a vestige of Eastern Block austerity alongside the latest and greatest in capitalistic decadence? Truthfully, I can see the wood for the trees. This could well be the next big thing.

Think about it. What once was the ultimate symbol of celebrity, status and success, the Mercedes G-Class, can now be found on every street corner from Camden Town to Elephant & Castle. What once told everyone you were elite and unique is now the ticket to a not-so-exclusive club. 

Where next? How do you mark yourself out as the cream of the crop? Why the Niva, of course. The left-field, left-wing G-Wagen, for an eighth of the price no less. 

Okay, it doesn’t have a twin-turbo 4.0-litre AMG V8 with close to 600PS (441kW). Rather, a 1.7-litre four-cylinder. It doesn’t have big wheels, trumpet-like side exhausts and puffy arches. On the inside, it’s more bread line than ‘get this bread’. But it does have its redeeming features.

MBUX of the G-Class plays a Sony head unit with aux and USB, which feed speakers and a subwoofer. There are no less than two 12-volt ports, electric windows and – useful everywhere from the Siberian wastes to a chilly November morning in Shoreditch – heated seats. The only downside? We’re unclear on whether it’s exempt from the ULEZ.

It’s menacing too, even if it’s more KGB than Kurupt FM, especially in Panther Black. So what do you reckon? Could this very Lada Niva be the start of a style revolution? Our case is made.

Images courtesy of Bramley Motor Cars of Surrey