Test drive UAZ "Profi"

The new UAZ truck is ready to compete with GAZelle, the leader of commercial vehicles in Russia. But there were some minor flaws

The snow on the roadsides is black from coal dust, and now and then we come across loaded BelAZ trucks from the Raspadskiy open-pit mine. These are probably the smallest of the mining dump trucks, but against their background, the UAZ Profi lorry looks like a toy. Nevertheless, this is the most heavy-duty vehicle in the line of the Ulyanovsk plant.

Here comes a rare dump truck of the Russian company "Tonar", as if it all consisted of a huge square hood. UAZ "Profi" is also endowed with an outstanding nose, especially against the background of the half-hood GAZelle, its main competitor. Its single-row cab is made of "patriot", although it differs in details - the "Profi" has its own unpainted bumper, a powerful radiator grill and massive lining on the wheel arches.

The shortened headlights lack the eye-catching LED brackets that make the Patriots easy to recognize at night. In addition to the natural desire to create a truck simpler and more practical, the creators of "Profi" sought to make a car from a new commercial family unlike other UAZ models.

It is strange that such a truck appeared at UAZ only now, but the plant was constantly unlucky with one and a half trucks. Before that, the only episode was the assembly of one and a half ton GAZ-AA in the late 1940s. The UAZ-300 with an elegant cabin remained on paper, and the Ulyanovsk enterprise was instructed to produce SUVs.

In the 1980s, the plant's specialists took part in the creation of a new family of low-tonnage vehicles, but it was not possible to arrange their assembly in Kirovabad - the collapse of the USSR prevented. GAZelle put an end to attempts to produce cars in Bryansk. The carrying capacity of the cabover "tadpoles" could only be increased to 1200 kilograms. However, the birth of "Profi" was not easy - they talked about such a car a few years ago.

Now he will try to take away a share from the super popular Nizhny Novgorod small-tonnage trucks with the prefix "Business". The more modern and expensive Next is not considered a competitor. The UAZ recipe for a truck with a gross weight of 3,5 tons is obscenely simple - in fact, it is a "Cargo" model with a more powerful and long closed frame. The rear axle was reinforced: thicker stockings, a crankcase with stiffening ribs. Changed the fastening of the springs - now they are single-leaf, with springs. As a result, the carrying capacity has more than doubled.

At the same time, even the reinforced elements of the UAZ do not look as powerful as those of the "GAZelle", which is often loaded with one and a half to two tons in excess of the permitted. Overloading is a reliable way to quickly ditch a car. If GAZ needed to create a black PR for a competitor, it would be based on the lack of endurance of the Profi.

“No automaker can tell you how to overload a car. It is forbidden, ”Oleg Krupin, the chief designer of the UAZ, shrugs his shoulders, but then he still shares a secret. According to him, one car was loaded with a weight of two tons, and it survived the test without any problems.

The rear axle of the "Profi" is single-sided, but the "Kama" I-359 tires are designed for a carrying capacity of 1450 kg each, and reinforced German wheels are mounted on six bolts.

One and a half tons is the declared carrying capacity of the mono-drive version, and only the rear axle was made leading for the base truck. The hollow drive is now offered for a surcharge - plus $ 478. The rejection of the family trick made it possible to make the "Profi" not only cheaper, but also more maneuverable. Without CV joints and with new open-type steering knuckles, the front wheels turn at a greater angle. As a result, the turning radius of the machine has decreased to 5,9 m, while the all-wheel drive version requires a meter more, and its passport capacity is 65 kg less.

Maneuverability is important for the "Profi": due to the bonnet arrangement, it is half a meter longer than the standard "GAZelle" with the same length of the cargo platform. The Nizhny Novgorod truck needs a little less space to turn. In addition, UAZ cannot yet be ordered in an elongated version with a more spacious body - this version of the GAZelle is very popular. As compensation, the Ulyanovsk plant offers a body widened by 190 mm: it allows loading five Euro pallets instead of four. Also in the range will appear "Profi" with a double cab, as well as a version with a higher awning.

They approached the design of the body seriously: the tent racks are taken out of the platform dimensions, the load will not catch on them. The board is equipped with a step and in the folded position rests against rubber cushions. Special stoppers on the sides will prevent it from suddenly opening when the locks are open. But over and over again they will peel off the paint, which does not matter how much it protects the metal of the body from rust.

To raise the canopy, Profi drivers do not need a mop, just pull on the special belts. It is light in the body: the ceiling is made transparent, and rain will not accumulate on the gable roof. The floor was lined with thick plywood and provided with cutouts for fastening rings.

Lacing through the hooks, like in the onboard "tadpoles", looks like a greeting of the past, but the UAZ claim that it allows you to pull the awning well, and it will not clap at speed. Let's say, but the fastening of the canopy to the side is hardly anyone at all like it. The cord strives to get under the closed side, and when it gets wet, it stops sliding. The loops at its ends are tightening ever tighter and already hardly fit on the hooks. Imagine what it feels like to the driver of a small tonnage truck, who, after the next check by the traffic police inspector, will lace up the awning.

Another UAZ "trick" is a secret drawer under the rear license plate. Not everyone will find him without a hint. In "Pro" thoughtfulness side by side with negligence. Rough welds are perfectly acceptable for a commercial vehicle, but some elements seem to have been made in a feverish rush. A filler neck with an open "entrainment", a fog lamp somehow screwed under the bumper.

With the Patriot's cab, the UAZ lorry inherited most of the passenger options, with the exception of the stabilization system. Already in the database there is ABS, power windows, driver's airbag, central locking. In a more comfortable configuration - air conditioning, heated seats and windshield, a multimedia system is available for a surcharge.

The steering wheel is adjustable in reach and tilt, the seat is adjustable in height and lumbar support, so there will be no problems with the selection of a comfortable fit. You just have to get used to the fact that the pedal assembly is shifted to the right. There is no central mirror - only a gray awning is visible in the rear window. The side mirrors are huge, electrically operated and electrically adjustable. The wide platform does not affect the view - it comes with special mirrors, which are even further out to the sides.

The "passenger" origin has a cab and disadvantages - for a commercial truck, it is narrow. Especially if you position it as a three-seater. Of course, cramped Asian trucks are also designed for three, but this does not negate the fact that even skinny passengers in the summer will feel like herrings in a bank. The middle one will also get the gear lever.

UAZ understands this well and are going to integrate a folding armrest into the central backrest. It can accommodate additional containers and cup holders, with which the "Profi" is clearly in short supply. Here he, perhaps, will give way to GAZelle, and to many other "merchants".

The cooled glove compartment is tiny, the box under the double seat is also cramped. The idea of ​​placing a cup holder and a cup holder on the rear wall of the cockpit looks odd to say the least. In an all-wheel drive car, because of the transfer lever, there is less space in the center of the cabin, and therefore separate seats were placed in it, as in the Patriot, with an armrest box between them.

"Profi" became the first UAZ car to receive a new ZMZ Pro engine - an upgraded version of the 409 with an increased compression ratio, new block head, camshafts and an exhaust manifold. The characteristics, according to chief designer Oleg Krupin, were shifted towards low revs in order to make its character more diesel. It develops more torque in comparison with the Patriot engine (235,4 against 217 Nm) and reaches its peak already at 2650 rpm. Power has also increased - from 134,6 to 149,6 horsepower.

On some machines, the ZMZ Pro suddenly stopped spinning after 3000 rpm - such incidents can happen with new units. In addition, the malaise was easily treated by restarting. At the same time, Zavolzhsky engines are considered reliable and third-party companies, for example, equip them with GAZelles instead of UMP units.

It is no coincidence that UAZ gives an unprecedented guarantee for the new engine - 4 years and 200 thousand kilometers. And it is no coincidence: the supplier of problematic tensioning rollers has been changed, the timing chain now uses a double-row chain. Special heat-resistant valves are not afraid of increased loads. In addition, they allow you to easily convert the ZMZ Pro to liquefied gas. In this case, the power will be slightly less, but the cruising range will increase to 750 kilometers.

The Korean Dymos gearbox is frustrating with clanking and other disturbing sounds. But the fact that this transmission was chosen by the GAZ Reid Sport rally team clearly speaks in its favor.

The dark-faced movers are like the forest people from the third season of Twin Peaks, and they move as fast as shadows, throwing heavy bags of coal into the back. Although the surroundings resemble all Balabanov's films at once. Under a load of 800 kg, the rear springs straightened slightly, but did not reach the springs. If the empty "Pro" shook on bumps, now it went softer, more comfortable and, most importantly, more stable on a straight line. Although the behavior from car to car differs: one truck at high speed required steering, the other stood perfectly on the trajectory.

The engine does not like high revs, but on steep climbs it requires shifting to a gear or two lower. If you do not switch, it will still crawl, but will pull the truck to the top. At the same time, the engine did not particularly notice the load in the back and on a straight highway allowed it to accelerate to 130 km per hour.

After the coal was replaced by a ton and a half of carrots, the springs finally began to work. But this weight is not the limit for the "Profi" - both in the chassis and in the motor and brakes. At the same time, the tank began to empty before our eyes. For some reason, the on-board computer does not count the average consumption, but if you estimate the amount of fuel filled at a rusty gas station and the kilometers traveled, about 18-20 liters will come out. Installing a fairing on the cab and a more capacious gas tank will not fundamentally solve this problem.

UAZ, as an alternative, offers a factory version on propane-butane - Italian equipment with installation costs $ 517. And a gas cylinder can easily fit into the gap between the frame and the body. This version is less powerful and carries 100 kg less.

A diesel engine would be perfect for "Pro" - there were even rumors that a Chinese power unit had been looked after in Ulyanovsk. Now representatives of the plant are skeptical about this. They say that foreign diesels are too expensive and, moreover, do not digest regional diesel fuel. And their main competitor has small sales of GAZelles with the Chinese Cummins.

This is not entirely true. According to GAZ, diesel vehicles account for almost half of total sales. Most of them travel to the Moscow, Leningrad, Nizhny Novgorod regions and the Krasnodar Territory. Where there are fewer fuel quality problems. Another third is accounted for by gas versions (LPG + CNG). The share of gasoline "GAZelles" is only 23%.

Will UAZ "Profi" be able to threaten the GAZelle monopoly? On his side, firstly, the proprietary cross-country ability. Already a mono-drive version with an interwheel differential lock easily climbs slippery slopes and rides in the snow. An all-wheel drive car cannot be stopped at all. The main thing is to find the desired position with the hand-out lever, which rests on and does not want to move according to the drawn diagram. Secondly, the "Profi" side has a low price with good equipment. The basic "Pro" starts at $ 9, and in the "Comfort" configuration it will cost $ 695. more expensive. For comparison, a completely empty Nizhny Novgorod truck "Business" costs at least $ 647.

The appearance of a simple one-and-a-half-ton truck in the UAZ model range is so predictable that it does not seem like a new car, but at least the same age as the GAZelle. It looks quite appropriate on the roads of the Kemerovo region, which got stuck between 1890 and 1990. Where residents sell bags of wild garlic on the sidelines, and a local craft brewer complains that he will have to build a road with his own funds to develop tourism.

"Pro" has yet to acquire many modifications. So far, the only option offered by the plant is an airborne one. Later, the production of cars with a two-row cab will begin, followed by manufactured goods vans. And, possibly, in the future - all-metal ones. The military also became interested in the truck, and in the meantime, the less-lifting "Cargo" is already being removed from production - it did not justify hopes.

A type	Flatbed truck	Flatbed truck
dimensions (length / width / height), mm	5940/1990/2520	5940/2060/2520
Wheelbase, mm	3500	3500
Ground clearance, mm	210	210
Int. body dimensions (length / width), mm	3089/1870	3089/2060
Load capacity, kg	1500	1435
Curb weight, kg	1990	2065
Gross vehicle weight, kg	3500	3500
engine's type	Gasoline 4-cylinder	Gasoline 4-cylinder
Working volume, cubic meters cm	2693	2693
Max. power, hp (at rpm)	149,6/5000	149,6/5000
Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm)	135,4/2650	135,4/2650
Drive type, transmission	Rear, 5MKP	Full, 5MKP
Max. speed km / h	ND	ND
Fuel consumption, l / 100 km	ND	ND
Price from, $.	9 695	10 278