On April 1, 2019, the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant announced the development of the Russian Prado, that is, an SUV that will be comparable in its reliability to the legendary Japanese. Then several demonstration images of the novelty appeared on the network, but no one took this news seriously, considering it an April Fool’s joke.
However, a few days later the development of such a model was confirmed by the head of UAZ and the Sollers holding Vadim Shvets, promising that the company would release not one, but immediately a family of such cars. According to him, the company already has a new platform on which it is planned to build an SUV, a pickup truck, a monocab, and a small van.
The first to appear on the market is the SUV, called the “Russian Prado”, while it is known that the novelty will be a deeply modernized version of the UAZ Patriot. From the published renders, we can conclude that the appearance of the car will become more modern, while it is known that specialists from the FSUE NAMI Style Center were involved in the work on the restyling of the car.
Judging by the latest news about this project, the updated Patriot will acquire a different front bumper and a different radiator grill, the shape of which will be optimized in order to make the SUV more injury-free for pedestrians. A new tailgate will appear at the rear of the car, which is distinguished by the absence of a hinged spare wheel.
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They decided to notice it due to the fact that on the existing version of the model the door sags under the weight of the spare wheel and it becomes problematic to close / open it. Apparently, on the new SUV, this wheel will be under the bottom.
But it is unlikely that they will dare to change other body elements at the plant, since it is economically inexpedient, and the project budget is not rubber – only 482.9 million rubles, or about 7.4 million dollars. But the updated Patriot will receive more expressive head optics. Probably, the headlights of the car will be made fully LED, and their lampshades will become more compact. Corresponding patent images are already surfing the net.
The plant has not yet spread about the features of the “Russian Prado” salon, but it is known that the equipment of the model should become noticeably richer. This is again indicated by patent images that have appeared in the database of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property, which depict a trapezoidal screen of a multimedia system with two washers and six physical buttons. It is expected that such a monitor will receive the updated Patriot.
Plus, the cover of the central tunnel will also be changed on the SUV: ventilation deflectors will appear on it, as well as cup holders and compartments for various small things that can be closed with a plastic “curtain”. The car will be built on a spar frame, while the front suspension will be independent spring, and the rear – dependent spring. Such a scheme will significantly improve the handling and stability of the car, compared to the current Patriot.
UAZ representatives also promise that moving to a new “bogie” will significantly increase the passive safety of the SUV. By the way, the strength of its structure has already been tested in a series of virtual crash tests, and the frontal tests were carried out in accordance with the strict requirements of EuroNCAP, that is, the collision occurred at a speed of 64 km / h on a 40% deformable coating.
On the basis of these tests, the specialists of the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant came to the conclusion that the Russian Prado will be able to earn at least 6.3 out of 16 possible points in a frontal impact according to the same EuroNCAP rules. Let’s remind that the result of the existing version of the model is 5.3 points.
Under the hood of the SUV will have to accommodate a new 2.3-liter petrol turbo engine ZMZ, which will be available in two power options – approximately 150 and 170 hp. In the base, it will be paired with a manual transmission, but not with the current one, but with a completely new six-speed transmission. Note that in the future, it is possible that a 2.2-liter Ford turbodiesel from the Duratorq family will appear in the lineup, but this is still only at the level of rumors.
Serial production of the “Russian Prado” is scheduled for 2020, and Ulyanovsk residents are unlikely to move the dates – the contract signed with the state for receiving a gratuitous subsidy will not allow. Note that, according to this document, in two thousand and twentieth, the enterprise must assemble at least 1,750 of these machines, but the start of sales of serial cars is still planned for 2021.
According to preliminary information, the estimated price for the “Russian Prado” from UAZ will vary from one to one and a half million rubles, while its main competitors in the market will be Chinese four-wheel drive SUVs.
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