Test drive of the updated UAZ Patriot

What has changed in the domestic SUV and how it affected its driving characteristics - to find out, we went to the Far North

If, looking at the photos, you do not understand what has changed in the Ulyanovsk SUV, then this is normal. Much more important is its technical filling, which has been thoroughly modernized.

In the exterior of the Patriot, really little has changed: now the car can be ordered in a bright orange color, previously available only for the expedition version, and tried on 18-inch alloy wheels of a new design with 245/60 R18 tires, which are much more suitable for driving on asphalt than off-road.

The interior is also without any special discoveries. The design and materials of finishing remained the same, but in the cabin there were comfortable handrails on the side pillars, which facilitate disembarkation and landing. The seal of the fifth door is now also different, which means there is a hope that your luggage will no longer be covered with an even layer of dust after driving on the primer, as it was before. But, as the company representatives themselves say, in order to feel the most important changes in the car, you need to get behind the wheel and go on a long journey.

The quality of asphalt on the R-21 highway leading through Murmansk to the border with Norway can be envied by another highway near Moscow. A perfectly flat roadway winds in an intricate zigzag between the hills and hills of the Kola Peninsula. This is the only way to get to the Rybachy Peninsula and the northernmost point of the European part of Russia - Cape German, where our route lies.

From the first minutes behind the wheel of the updated Patriot, you understand how much easier and more enjoyable it is to drive. Comfort has been tightened in almost all directions. I squeeze the clutch and make sure that the pedal effort is really reduced. I turn on the first gear - and I notice that the lever strokes have become shorter, and due to the prefabricated structure with a damper, much less vibrations are transmitted to the lever itself. I turn the steering wheel and realize that the Patriot has become more maneuverable. Thanks to the use of the front axle with open steering knuckles from the "Profi" model, the turning radius has decreased by 0,8 meters.

The updated SUV also borrowed the steering with a stiffer trapezoid and damper from the "Profi". The latter is designed to reduce vibration on the steering wheel when driving off-road, and the redesigned steering rods provide more precise handling on a flat surface. The play in the near-zero position of the steering wheel was also significantly reduced, but, of course, there is no need to talk about its complete absence on the frame car. The trajectory of movement still needs to be adjusted periodically.

The chassis of the Patriot was also thoroughly shaken up, and this could not but affect its handling. The rear three-leaf springs were replaced with two-leaf springs, and the diameter of the stabilizer was reduced from 21 to 18 mm. Naturally, these changes led to more pronounced roll in corners. But now the understeer, which the owners of the previous Patriot often complained about, has been replaced by excessive, if not nervous. Even with a slight turn of the steering wheel, the rear axle of the car seems to break, and the car sharply dives in the direction of the turn. For the Patriot, such reactions to the actions of the steering wheel are not at all typical, so those who were familiar with the previous car will need some time to get used to the sharpness.

In the Titovka area, immediately after the first border control point (there are already five of them to the border with Norway), our route turns north. At this point, the flat asphalt gives way to a broken primer. Further - it only gets worse. There are more than 100 km of cross-country and rough terrain ahead. But the updated Patriot is not at all embarrassed by such prospects. This is where his element begins.

At first, the entire column of the updated Patriot drives very carefully, slowing down before the next series of obstacles. In contrast to the asphalt, pits of various calibers subconsciously make you slow down, but in the case of the Ulyanovsk SUV, such caution is useless. With new shock absorbers and a significantly redesigned rear suspension, the UAZ rides much softer than before, which allows you to seriously pick up the pace even on very bad roads without significantly losing passenger comfort.

Towards evening, the terrain became even more difficult and the speed had to be reduced to minimum values. Climbing over slippery stones and loose ground, you can feel how much more elastic the engine has become. The updated Patriot is equipped with a ZMZ Pro unit, which is familiar to us, again, according to the Profi model. Different pistons, valves, a reinforced cylinder head, new camshafts and an exhaust manifold made it possible to slightly increase the power and torque values.

But it is much more important that the thrust peak was shifted to the mid-range zone - from 3900 to 2650 rpm. Off-road conditions are a definite plus, and driving in the city has become much more comfortable. And the new engine was accustomed to 95th gasoline to comply with the Euro-5 environmental standards. But they did not completely abandon the 92nd - its use is still permissible.

The tent camp is the only opportunity for an overnight stay on the Middle Peninsula, our intermediate point on the way to the cherished goal. Except for a modest camp site on the other side of the bay (where we will go tomorrow), there are no alternatives for a halt within a radius of 100 km. During the Cold War, there were several military units and a small military town here. Today, only ruins remain of this, and only a temporary garrison is based on this territory. At dawn, one of his crews in an APC just stopped by to tell us that our route runs through the shooting practice zone and needs to be changed. The argument, to be sure, is weighty.

Approximately from the moment we took the alternative route, the real hell began. The roads disappeared completely and directions appeared. Giant boulders gave way to soggy slurry, and deep fords hid sharp stones under them. But here, too, the updated Patriot did not fail. The need to connect the front axle arose only in some places, and 210 mm under the axle housing made it possible to storm any obstacles, almost without thinking about choosing a trajectory. If only there are basic 16-inch wheels with a high profile here. They are already softer in themselves, so you can also lower them.

To cope with heavy off-road UAZ has become really better and easier. And it's not so much about comfort as about its endurance. The same front axle from the "Profi" model with open fists, for example, provides not only a smaller turning radius, but also a more even distribution of the load - now both pivots take it upon themselves. Theoretically, such a design may sooner or later lead to a torn CV joint boot. But in real conditions, it is almost impossible to damage it, even if you drive over very sharp stones.

Closer to Cape German extreme off-road is replaced by a relatively flat dirt road. It's time to catch your breath, open the mud-strewn side window and enjoy the stunning views. It is here, looking at the Arctic Ocean, albeit not at the very edge of the earth, but hundreds of kilometers from a hot shower, mobile Internet and other benefits of civilization, that you understand that everything is not in vain. And also that the updated Patriot is a really capable machine, albeit not without flaws.

One way or another, the reasons for tuning, to which the owners of the Ulyanovsk SUV have often resorted to, have definitely become much less. The manufacturer listened to the needs of the consumer and did, if not the maximum, then very much in order not to lose confidence in the brand. There are plans to equip the car with an automatic transmission. According to rumors, several variants of various manufacturers are already being tested at once, and the car with an “automatic” should appear on the market in 2019.

A type	SUV
Dimensions (length / width / height), mm	4785/1900/1910
Wheelbase, mm	2760
Ground clearance, mm	210
Cargo space	650-2415
Curb weight, kg	2125
engine's type	Four-cylinder, petrol
Working volume, cubic meters cm	2693
Max. power, h.p. (at rpm)	150/5000
Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm)	235/2650
Drive type, transmission	Full, MKP5
Max. speed km / h	150
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s	No data
Fuel consumption (average), l / 100 km	11,5
Price from, $.	9 700