Uazik, or "goat", is, of course, our off-road automobile history. Today it is the only large and truly serious car in the country with unique off-road properties. Among the components of the success of even the first cars, for example, the 469th, ease of maintenance can be distinguished. Probably, then also reliability. Of course, one cannot say that the UAZ has never broken down, but it has always been quite simple and quick to repair it.
The legendary 469th is a lightweight body, gear, so-called military bridges, which gave this car an unprecedented ground clearance, and therefore armed the car with impressive cross-country ability. At a time when the country was being rebuilt and there were no roads, these machines worked in any weather, as well as in difficult road conditions.
Today, these cars are being replaced by other descendant cars. What are they? What to expect from them? How are they made and are we lagging behind the foreign car industry in the off-road class? Read about this and not only in an exclusive interview with Evgeny Galkin, Deputy Director for Development, Director of the UAZ Scientific and Technical Center.
- Evgeny Anatolyevich, in general, is the "Patriot" in the UAZ lineup positioned today as a crossover or is it a luxury SUV?
- So not just elevated, but high! It has climate control, heated steering wheel, video camera, multimedia and navigation systems. Equipped with parking sensors in a circle. After all, you must admit that not every modern car in our market, and even more so in such a price range, can boast of the presence of such a set of options. For example, the top-end updated "Patriot" costs about one million thirty thousand rubles. It will have not only a leather interior, but all those nice options that I have listed above …
- Million and thirty thousand … This, you think, is inexpensive for a domestic car? What do the sales figures say?
- The numbers speak for themselves. We sell more than half of the cars in top-end configuration. I believe that people are aware that for this money they buy a decently equipped car and this is happiness …
- Well, some of the owners of "patriks", I am sure, would argue with you about happiness, which for this money, firstly, has ceased to ride as confidently through the mud as its predecessors. Secondly, the windage of the car has seriously increased …
- Well, there are several explanations for this. In general, the issue of patency is initially a somewhat philosophical question. The car, of course, has become heavier and structurally higher. Hence the resulting nuances. But if we compare the modernized "Patriot" in 2016 with the same "Hunter", then the first one already has a rear differential lock, as well as ESP with the ability to simulate interaxle locks. This means that in some disciplines "Patriot" "Hunter", if necessary, will simply surpass.
- By the way, is Hunter a direct and worthy successor to the 469?
- Rather, they are still distant relatives. That is, of course, they have common parts and parts, but there are very few of them. These are different cars.
- And how are things going with the legendary “Patriot” in principle? And what do they have in common with "Hunter"?
- "Hunter" is a car with sufficient easy cross-country ability without claims to comfort. This is a hard worker, such a spartan off-road vehicle. As for the "Patriot", then we position it well, if not as an off-roader, then as a universal car. Yes, it is inferior to the "Hunter" in cross-country ability, but nevertheless it retains off-road qualities at a fairly high level. Now, first of all, we are working on comfort and safety. At the same time, the car remains relatively inexpensive and aimed at the family budget, universal consumption. That is, a person in this car must go to a feast, to the world, and to good people. He should be warm, cozy, comfortable and safe in it. But at the same time, if the owner needs to drive, say, to the dacha or leave the yard covered with snow, then he should not face any difficulties.
- What can you say about the sudden corrosion of the body. Many owners of "patriks" also complained about this defect. Did you manage to solve this problem?
- I believe that such questions arise from a lack of information in people. Since the beginning of 2014, we have launched cataphoresis at the plant - an industrial production process for protecting metal under the influence of an electric field in an electrolytic bath. Of course, the owners of our three-year-olds can still complain about rust. Indeed, these machines were processed according to an outdated technical process. Moreover, today we have gone further: we also began to use secondary soil, use plastisol mastic, as well as high-hardness varnish. We also use modern technology when painting the car frame.
- As for the accessories. Where are they from - are they all from the factory, or is it mostly about deliveries?
- Both domestic and foreign. Unfortunately, ours are not yet capable of producing high-quality electronics, as well as complex high-tech systems. There are examples of this kind of symbiosis. Here the ESP and ABS systems are made by Bosch, but all this is made in Samara.
- Well, but our parts, I don't know, time-tested, are used in the modern "Patriot"? At least some "five-pointed" quality from the past remains, what can we be proud of today?
- In fact, we cannot boast of anything … Of our parts, we still use domestic plastic, noise insulation, glass, metal, windows, seats. All that is simple …
- A lot of unflattering things were said by the owners about the sail of the Patriot. Is its high enough body due to something?
- Yes. We, of course, tried to raise all components and assemblies higher from the ground. Plus, of course, the frame, on which the entire body sits, also gives a significant increase. Well, the high roof is designed for the comfort of the driver. So that, jumping on bumps, a person does not bang his head against the ceiling. Imagine, there are three or four centimeters, there are six - that's the height of the body. Add also the roof rails, which even visually make the car even higher.
- Well, if we are talking about landing, let's talk about the seats. Are there any innovations?
- The modern "Patriot" has a leather interior. And so, back in 2013, the rear seats were heated. The driver's seat has a decent height adjustment with a good range, including longitudinal and lumbar support. The backrest tilt is European, stepless, that is, the driver can set it to the desired tilt degree. The headrests have also changed slightly and are closer to the head. In 2014, we added a full eight centimeters in the back row; however, the rear backrests are no longer adjustable. Also, the rear seats received an armrest with cup holders, are equipped with recessed headrests and an Isofix fastening system.
- The appearance of the third row is not planned?
- No. I believe that it is impossible to satisfy the needs of all people in one car. As the practice of using European cars in our country has shown, the third row, if used, is extremely rare. In addition, structurally, half of the car needs to be remade for the sake of a not very clear and small audience.
- Evgeny Anatolyevich, that very doorknob torn off by the general has already become the talk of the town. What happened then? Why did she come off? Did you manage to finalize it?
- Oh sure. The mold has been modified in two places. In general, initially, the doorknob at the acceptance tests satisfied even higher standards, but I don’t know whether the supplier did something with the material, or something else … After the incident, we made a number of measurements and sent it to the study of chemical composition. It turned out that there really were small deviations from the norm. And yet we just strengthened the handle mechanically. To put it simply, some of the door hooks have been reinforced.
- The fuel tank is now single and uniform. Why? Guys complain that when you approach a gas station, now you have to remember which side you have a filler flap on …
- So, I will say briefly, despite the criticism of some. The goal was one, and it was achieved: now it is a plastic container that does not rust.
- The back door … What about its sagging? All the same?
- Unfortunately, this is generally an old construction. We, of course, strengthened the opening itself. But the problem cannot be solved in a radical way. In addition, if the car is constantly jumping over bumps, then sooner or later the door will sag …
- Summing up the results of our conversation, it would be useful to tell our readers about the main innovations of the modernized UAZ "Patriot"?
- The main thing is the passive safety system. Two front airbags for the driver and passenger plus front row belts with pretensioners and force limiters. These are good modern belts. By the way, in order to integrate all this, we had to modify the dashboard, steering column and wheel, steering column switches. Further, it is active security. We have a new generation ESP and ABC. By the way, ESP is not just a stability control system, but also help when starting uphill, preventing rollover, braking when cornering, and so on. And, of course, the off-road mode (from the English off-road - "off-road"), the system can be turned off altogether. We also have a completely new climate system. The new air system prevents fogging and defrosts the interior quickly and efficiently. The temperature can be set lower than in previous versions of the machine. Well, full-fledged climate control. Our achievement, of course, is the heated steering wheel across the entire diameter. We were one of the first to install such a nice option on a domestic car. Externally, the car received more chrome parts, as well as a new radiator grille and a slightly modified and slightly enlarged logo in line with the corporate style.
- Well, in the next article I will tell you about my personal impressions of driving the updated "Patriot", taken from the company for a test drive. Let's see what this beast has become today, having gone through not the best times with us. Perhaps a new story begins for this car …
