Legend number 212: How the "goat" was invented in China
Cracked windshield, chipped bumper and jammed fender. In the case of a car like the BAW 212, scars adorn. This SUV has just returned from a difficult Vladivostok – Moscow run and immediately appeared on the Izvestia test. And in a version specially created for the Russian market. Izvestia investigated what surprised the Chinese UAZ.
BAW 212: what kind of car is this and what does UAZ have to do with it
The BAW 212 is the heir to perhaps the most legendary Chinese car, the evergreen Beijing Jeep BJ212. The army SUV went into production in 1965, and Soviet engineers are said to have participated in its creation, which is why the car turned out to be similar to the UAZ—469, although our "goat" went into production later. However, the BJ212 looked like another off—road legend, the Toyota Land Cruiser J40, with its closely spaced headlights and convex hood with a distinctive slot. The BJ212 has been produced for an incredibly long time for a Chinese car — more than half a century. It was supplied mainly to the People's Liberation Army of China, and carried Mao Zedong to parades. And eventually acquired the status of an off-road legend, whose characteristic design features repeat the Tank 300 to a lesser extent and the iCAR V23 to a greater extent.
Dimensions of the BAW 212: 4705×1896×1936mm, wheelbase — 2860 mm
The BAW brand, having separated from BAIC, lost the right to the BJ index, but its SUV is the direct heir to the very "legend 212". These numbers are shown on all the nameplates of the new car. It's funny that, while retaining the features of its ancestor, the BAW 212 resembles the body shape of both the classic Land Rover Defender and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. In any case, the bend of the drains is almost the same as that of the Helik.
BAW 212: configuration options
The predecessor of the 212th also existed in civilian versions, but it did not pamper the owners with either comfort or equipment. A tough car for tough guys from Tibet, like in the movie "Cuckoo. Mountain patrol." The new BAW 212 retains its off—road design - a powerful frame, continuous axles, and short overhangs. On the hinged tailgate there is a spare tire and a standard mount for installing a flagpole to drive over the dunes, and antennas. In fact, this is no longer a military all-terrain vehicle, but a car for off-road rides like the Jeep Wrangler. The Chinese jeep, like the American one, has an impressive arsenal of off-road tuning, both factory and third-party. The top version of Long Wind has everything the factory offers. There is even an electric searchlight controlled by a joystick for adjusting the mirrors.
There are continuous bridges at the front and back. To hang out a car, you have to try. The exhaust system is protected by "armor"
Much more interesting is the average Adventurer Rus package, specially adapted to the requirements of the Russian market. There is a Russification of the multimedia system, and heated windshield, steering wheel, and two inter-wheel locks. Izvestia had just such a car on the test.
BAW 212: dimensions and capacity
The BAW 212 is a fairly large car — 4,705 mm long and with a large wheelbase (2,860 mm). However, the back row is not that spacious. The ceiling may be high, but there's not much room in front of your knees. The narrow rear door adds to the feeling of crowding. Behind the heavy swing door is a shallow trunk. Moreover, the backs of the rear sofa when folded form a high step.
The layout is subordinated to an off-road purpose. A massive front bumper with a hatch for installing a winch and a spare tire on the door add extra centimeters. In order to ensure an impressive entry angle, the front overhang is as short as possible. The front axle is pushed forward, and the power unit, located longitudinally, is pushed back. So it turns out that there is not much space left for passengers and luggage.
The claimed ground clearance is 235 mm.
In ordinary life, this subordination to an off-road assignment is more likely to create difficulties. From the bumper-step, it's probably convenient to service the engine in the middle of a swamp, hiding under the bulging hood from a tropical downpour. In an ordinary, non-heroic life, almost any attempt to look under the hood turns into trousers stained on the bumper. Narrow thresholds, apparently for the sake of maneuverability, are inconvenient, especially for passengers with large foot sizes and those who squeeze into the second row through a narrow rear door.
BAW 212: interior and options
Nevertheless, the creators of the BAW 212 came up with a fresh idea, rare for manufacturers of such off-road units. Its essence is that the driver of a classic SUV does not necessarily have to suffer and overcome. In the BAW 212, he doesn't bang his elbow on the door or contemplate the painted metal bodywork and bolt caps in front of him.
The landing is vertical, but the back does not get tired, there is an adjustment of the lumbar support both horizontally and vertically. You can find fault with the lack of steering wheel adjustment for departure, the flat and short cushion of the driver's seat. But the driver has a massage function at his disposal, which is quite diligent and with a funny translation of the modes — "Vives", "Crossoffer".
The interior, despite the declared utilitarianism of the car, is stylish
The interior has a lot of soft, leatherette-covered panels, like in a regular passenger crossover. The open—head bolts on the door handles are an element of style. As befits a modern car, there are two displays, an instrument panel and a large multimedia one, and the joystick of the "automatic" is not fixed. At the same time, to the delight of fans of "old school" there are a lot of physical buttons. For Eco Sport and Snow driving modes, low gear, and locks, a personal key was not spared. The temperature of the two-zone climate control is set by ribbed drums. That's just the indication of the enabled keys on the displays is barely visible and is represented mainly by tiny symbols. The fact that the steering wheel is heated is generally guessed by the rim temperature.
BAW 212: How is he riding
Under the hood is a two—liter turbo engine; a common thing for Chinese cars. This unit (238 hp and 410 Nm) is also installed on pickups of other Chinese brands, and on the BAW 212 it is paired with a classic 8-speed automatic. The engine and gearbox bundle reacts to the gas a little lazily at first, but then accelerates the car willingly, especially in sports mode. In order for the two-ton "brick" to drive fast, it is required to "turn" the engine. Moreover, the car has two opinions on fuel consumption: the dashboard shows a figure of 12.5 liters, and the central display is 16.5 liters and a much smaller power reserve. Judging by how quickly the tank empties, the second figure should be trusted more.
The angle of entry, according to the automaker, is 40.3 degrees, and the exit is 35.5 degrees.
The flat windshield catches everything that flies towards it — insects break against it in blotches, pebbles and spikes that fly out of the tires leave chips. At the same time, an SUV with a dependent suspension keeps a straight line well, does not tack and almost does not react to the wind blowing into the high body and ruts on the asphalt.
The noise level in the cabin is quite "light", despite the dubious aerodynamics. Driving at high speed is not tiring, but to slow down, you need to put too much pressure on the brake pedal, which forces you to keep an increased distance.
If you swing the steering wheel, the body will immediately swing, but the BAW 212 stands up quite confidently and requires almost no steering. He is far from the "Volkswagen", but in general, the behavior of the brutal all-terrain vehicle on the road was pleasantly surprised, the top version of the Long Wind with different suspension settings seemed more "loose" than the Russian configuration.
The depth of the ford to be overcome is 659 mm.
The car's behavior on the uneven country road was rather puzzling — here it holds the set direction worse. And if you turn the steering wheel sharply, the 212 easily goes into a skid with the stabilization system completely inactive. Connecting the drive to the front axle makes the car a little more stable, but mostly with the "rigid" part-time scheme, you drive in the rear. And what will happen in winter on slippery and uneven surfaces? The official sellers claim that they are aware of the problem and are preparing to update the insurance electronics.
The car accelerates from a standstill to a hundred in 8.1 seconds, with a top speed of 170 km/h.
It would be nice to replace the regular tires — they start squeaking early on asphalt, and off-road they quickly become clogged with mud and stop clinging to the ground. There is no grip, and the impressive off—road arsenal is useless. There is a clutch — the SUV rolls over bumps simply on all-wheel drive, without turning on tricky off-road modes, downshifts and locks. The articulation of the bridges is such that it takes a lot of effort to hang a car by lifting one of the wheels off the ground. The margin of safety allows you to take obstacles on the move.
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BAW 212: prices and warranty
UAZ could have been like that, but for the reasons listed a thousand times over, it didn't. What cannot be taken away from the BAW 212 is charisma, it outweighs some of the absurdities and features of the car. This car literally makes you fall in love with yourself, some become regular "exclusive dealers", others become owners, although before that they had not even thought about going offline. Compared to its competitors, this is a more uncompromising all-terrain vehicle, but it drives quite like a passenger car, especially against the background of pickups. The factory also revised the settings of the stabilization system and brakes.
The stated average consumption is 10.9 liters per 100 km.
In general, I liked the automaker's approach — there is a special Russian package and a factory warranty, both for certified cars and those brought to the "physicists". Moreover, after receiving the OTC, the Russian version is expected to rise in price. Currently, the BAW dealer, the DAA Center, is asking for 3-3.7 million rubles for it, which is comparable to the price tag of the BAIC BJ40 transformer and Chinese pickups. The Tank 300 is much more expensive, the UAZ is cheaper.
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