 Also, its large, narrow wheels (175/80-R16), originally featuring domestically designed "Voltyre" VLI-5 tires, offered relatively strong ground pressure, and thus had good performance in terms of slipping or getting bogged down off-road.For example, in trials during 1973 and 1974, the Niva showed it could climb a 58% slope, and ford of water and of mud or snow.Solovyev died the following year, and his place as a chief designer of the project was then taken by engineer Pyotr Prusov, who in the end took credit for creating the car.