Putin flaunts SUV to try to boost Russian auto industry -- but check out those BFGoodrich tires

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sought to give a boost to his nation's auto industry over the weekend by showing off the Lada Niva SUV. Buy Russian, he urged. Never mind that message would appear to be undercut by those those raised-white-letter BFGoodrich tires.

Sport-utility vehicles may be out of fashion in the U.S., but it's interesting to see they still are tops on the list of affluent Russians. Don't know if we could warm to the Niva's green camouflage, but other than that, it looks pretty sharp -- including winch and Hella fog lamps on the grille.

After the jump: How Putin plans to use it:

Niva is made by Russia’s biggest car maker Avtovaz. Reuters and the Associated Press say Putin invited reporters to take a ride near his Black Sea home in the city of Sochi. Putin plans to use the SUV, with manual shift, for fishing. The scene, as shown on Russan television, shows again how it's not just the U.S. auto industry that's ailing, but the world's. It also points out why General Motors is having so much trouble. Russia was one of its key developing and most promising markets.

Photos of Putin and the Niva by Ria Novosti/Reuters