The garage / FIELD GUIDE

Over the hill vehicle unlocks: find the Niva challenge

Field Guide editorial desk·Reviewed 15 October 2026

For the Niva, open Gimli Ridge and look in the upper part of the map for the Elvis Ridge challenge. Complete that challenge and check your own vehicle reward; reaching a parked car is not the unlock procedure.

Quick guide

Steam launch version · the documented target is the Niva, not a complete vehicle-location catalogue.

Go to Gimli Ridge and locate Elvis Ridge in the upper map.
Use the linked player map to identify the challenge marker.
Complete the displayed route/checkpoints yourself.
Confirm the vehicle reward, then check vehicle selection at the mechanic.

On this page

Pick the challenge, then finish the route
Find Elvis Ridge on the Gimli Ridge map
When the route stops you
Troubleshooting

Pick the challenge, then finish the route

Choose the named challenge and complete its displayed route. Finishing a challenge can award a vehicle; check the actual reward rather than treating every challenge as the same unlock.

After completion, return to the mechanic’s vehicle-selection menu and look for the awarded vehicle. In co-op, check your own objective completion first.

Find Elvis Ridge on the Gimli Ridge map

Use the original player guide’s marked screenshots to orient yourself in the upper part of Gimli Ridge. Match the challenge name before starting; do not substitute an Emerald Lake demo marker. Once the challenge starts, follow its displayed objective and complete your own checkpoints.

Open CrossToe’s marked Niva map ↗

When the route stops you

If the car hangs on a crest, reverse before trying a less abrupt wheel line. If it is wedged, change the winch angle as in the recovery guide. With no useful recovery, return to a discovered cabin and adjust the loadout before retrying. These are recovery choices, not an invented walkthrough of every Elvis Ridge obstacle.

If it does not work

What you see	What to do next	Ready to continue when…
The Niva is not in the menu	Check that you finished Elvis Ridge yourself, then return to vehicle selection at the mechanic.	The vehicle appears as selectable.
A challenge checkpoint remains incomplete	Return to that checkpoint and pass through it yourself before continuing.	Your own objective display advances.

Sources & version notes

CrossToe’s release-day Steam guide identifies upper Gimli Ridge / Elvis Ridge and includes marked screenshots. It identifies the challenge, but does not provide a complete turn-by-turn run.

Still missing: a fully documented Elvis Ridge driving line and verified locations for the remaining vehicle roster. A comment about an unupgraded car is not a mandatory build requirement or guarantee.

Release-era sources reviewed on October 15, 2026. Older FAQ plans are distinguished from current launch information; editorial advice is not a claim of hands-on testing.