 In 1976, the final prototype appeared, with the engine changed to a , the most powerful engine in VAZ range during Soviet era, taken from their newest model the VAZ-2106 (from which the production model of the first Niva generation was generally derived).It also featured permanent four-wheel drive and a transfer case with a lockable central differential.The VAZ prototype displayed better design and real-world performance than its AZLK counterpart, the Moskvitch 416, so was, after the 25th Congress of CPSU, approved for production in March of the same year.