Boa constrictor on diesel fuel: Ulyanovsk truck got a new engine and gearbox
The appearance of this car on the market was expected a few months ago. However, the UAZ truck with a diesel engine and a six-speed manual transmission still has a "pre-production" status. The Izvestia correspondent managed to find out what this machine is and what the reason for the delay in mass production is.
The White Crow
According to statistics, most of the LCV segment vehicles in the world are diesel vehicles. For commercial vehicles, this type of engine is preferable because, all other things being equal, it has more thrust and better efficiency compared to gasoline.
However, the Uaz LCV models were a kind of white crows. There have never been production models with diesel engines in the line of the Ulyanovsk plant. Both the Loaf, the Cargo, and the Pro that replaced it were equipped only with gasoline engines or, alternatively, received gas-fueled modifications.
The interior of the cargo Profi is almost identical to the interior of the Patriot
The explanation for this phenomenon is simple: our country simply did not produce diesels suitable for light commercial vehicles. The launch of production in Tatarstan by Sollers in the summer of 2023 of a 136-horsepower two-liter turbodiesel for Argo trucks gave a chance for the appearance of this engine under the hood and the UAZ Profi.
Of course, it's impossible to just install a new engine on a car. Serious adaptation and numerous tests are needed for mass production. That is why almost immediately after the start of production of such engines in the Russian Federation, the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant assembled a batch of test trucks for testing and fine-tuning the new power unit. Moreover, along with the UAZ Profi diesel engine, it also received a completely new six-speed manual transmission.
At the end of winter this year, these machines completed the test cycle, and in the middle of spring, the diesel "Pros" passed the necessary certification and received the OTS. It seemed that the launch of the series and the start of sales were already very close. Moreover, at the end of last year, UAZ promised to bring this model to the market in the spring. For a number of reasons, the plans had to be adjusted.
In standby mode
First of all, the factor of a serious decline in new car sales, which has been going on since the beginning of the year, played a role. Demand began to pick up gradually only in the middle of summer. Launching production and launching a new modification on the market in a declining market with overstocked dealer warehouses is a very risky undertaking that threatens serious losses. In addition, a large-scale modernization of production has begun at UAZ, including a significant upgrade of equipment and technologies. Despite the fact that the overall tests of the diesel "Pros" were successful, some minor problems still required additional tests.
Therefore, the start of mass production and sales of such cars is postponed to a later date, approximately in the middle of autumn. But if it was originally planned to bring only the rear-wheel drive version of the diesel "Pro" to the market, now UAZ plans to immediately start sales and modifications with all-wheel drive.
A friend's help
— Fourth column, diesel, up to full tank, please! — we voice our wishes at the gas station.
"So there's a UAZ on the fourth one," the gas station operator peers at the monitors from the cameras. — Did you get anything wrong: exactly the fourth column and diesel fuel? Won't you "lock up" the engine? Or did UAZ start producing cars with diesels?
I had to calm down a caring gas station employee.
There is no official data on the acceleration of the diesel "Pro" yet, but it feels like such a car is significantly more dynamic than the gasoline version.
For the test, we got a diesel "Pro" from the same "test" batch. Moreover, in the long-wheelbase version, with a 4.2-meter cargo platform and an awning body with a volume of 16 cubic meters. For comparison, this truck (the total length of the car is 7.05 m) is almost half a meter longer than the standard ZIL-130. At the same time, the rights of a "passenger" category "B" are sufficient to manage it.
At first, such impressive dimensions lead to a stupor: how to use this "boa constrictor" to jostle in traffic jams and maneuver in courtyards? But the panic was premature. Impressive mirrors mounted on long metal brackets from the cockpit make it easy to see where your "tail" is, and the high hood makes it possible to control the "muzzle".
Due to the lack of an electric mirror adjustment drive, one has to resort to "a friend's help": if the left driver's seat can still be adjusted independently through trial and error (turned through the rolled-down window, leaned back in the seat, made adjustments to the settings), then it is physically impossible to reach the right one. You'll have to get out of the car several times to adjust it properly. UAZ note: the electric mirror drive on the "Pro" is not an element of comfort, but a necessity. As well as their heating, mirrors get splashed with water very quickly in slushy weather, and it becomes very difficult to distinguish anything in them.
Grassroots traction
The feeling of driving a diesel Pro was reminiscent of the impressions of an impromptu spring performance, when, during a visit to the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant, Izvestia was the first in Russia to ride a pre-production Patriot with the same engine and gearbox.
On an empty car, the first gear looks like a rudiment — the car easily starts from the second and cheerfully picks up speed. Traction on the "bottoms" is scrap. It's perfect for a commercial vehicle. On city streets, an empty truck (more than 7 m long) can give a head start to other cars. The main thing is not to be lazy to change gears more often: there is no point in revving the engine above 3 thousand rpm — the car is confidently driving at the "bottoms".
After a visit to the construction market and loading fifty concrete tiles, three bags of cement, a couple dozen boards and two "rolls" of drainage pipes into the back — we can't carry air in it, we'll throw building materials at the cottage — the car became heavier by about a ton. Of course, with the extra weight on board, the car has become less dynamic. I already had to start using the first gear, acceleration became longer. At the same time, even a loaded diesel Profi made it possible to move at the speed of the stream, confidently holding 90-100 km / h on urban highways, without gathering a column of cars on the ascents. The truck did not even require a shift to a lower gear, confidently climbing the hill at sixth speed.
There are nuances
The Profi has the same powertrain as the diesel Patriot, but there are still some differences in the behavior of these machines. If the Ulyanovsk SUV with a turbodiesel pleased with the almost complete absence of vibration on the controls, then it is felt quite clearly on the truck. At idle, a characteristic diesel "tremor" is noticeable on the steering wheel, pedals and seat.
The final cost of the "Pro" with a diesel engine is still unknown. The management of UAZ plans to retain it so that about half of the sales of this model come from diesel versions.
And the sound insulation in the "Pros" is worse — the whistle of the turbine was heard on the "Patriot", but here it literally "soloes" in the overall noise load.
During a short study tour, the Ulyanovsk SUV with a six-speed manual transmission was pleased with the precision of the gearshift and the short strokes of the gearbox lever. There are no special complaints about the transmission on the "Pro" either. However, it feels like the gearshift mechanism on the truck is more "rubbery" — the effort is higher, the clarity is less. In addition, when the fourth speed is turned on, the transmission is no-no, and it "crunches".
Economic feasibility
Before starting the test, we reset the on-board computer to understand how "voracious" the diesel "Pro" would be. During the five days that the car was in our hands, it traveled about 1,000 km both empty and partially loaded, showing an average fuel consumption of 11.6 liters per 100 km. Given the impressive dimensions of the car itself and the voluminous awning body, which creates additional aerodynamic drag, this is a very worthy result. The gasoline "Pro" in similar conditions consumed almost "twenty" 92 gasoline for every "hundred".
Therefore, even taking into account the higher cost of diesel fuel, diesel "Pros" can be a very interesting option for businesses from an economic point of view.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
