The Izh 2125 "Kombi" (Russian: ИЖ-2125 Комби, short for "combination") is a small family car produced by the Soviet/Russian car manufacturer IZh from 1973 to 1997 exclusively in the Soviet Union and subsequently Russia. It is the first liftback of Russian/Soviet origin.[1] It was based on an Izhevsk-modified Moskvitch 412, with the first prototype released in 1966 as a small family car. It was considered to be the first Soviet hatchback (released about a decade before the well-known Lada Samara), though the car actually possesses a station wagon body wherein the "D" pillar has its own support and does not gain from weight reduction (which would position the model more in the liftback family). In Russian literature the car is referred to as a liftback. For the same reason, the car was given the "Kombi" nickname, which in a way alludes to the Combi coupé (the word kombi itself meaning "station wagon" in German and Polish, while in Russian a station wagon is usually called "универсал" (universal)).
The Kombi was a notable sales success within the USSR between 1974 and 1980 due to its durability, off-road capability, and increased carrying capacity.[2] It was the first Izh car sold for export.[3]