Heart transplant: diesel version of the Ulyanovsk SUV
This study trip was completely random and spontaneous. During a visit by a correspondent of Izvestia to the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant, Alexey Spirin, the company's general director, unexpectedly offered to take a closer look at the first, not even pre-production, but rather a prototype of the Patriot with a new diesel engine. And despite the fact that this impromptu test drive was short and took place on the territory of the automobile plant, it was still possible to get the first impressions of the new modification of the Ulyanovsk SUV. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
To remember the past
During our conversation about the company's prospects and new models, including diesel versions of UAZ cars, Alexey Spirin suddenly picked up the phone and called someone.
— The diesel Patriot is currently at the factory. Do you want to ride it? - he asked. "Is half an hour enough?"
It would be simply stupid to refuse such an offer: it's not often possible to even see or sit in cars until they go into production. And to be behind the wheel of a prototype and drive it is generally a rare case, especially since we are talking about a version that will potentially be very interesting to customers.
Under the hood of the experimental UAZ Patriot is a two-liter turbodiesel with a capacity of 136 horsepower
The Patriot with a diesel engine is doubly interesting, since UAZ already had experience installing diesel engines on its SUVs. In the early 2000s, the Zavolzhsky Motor Plant (ZMZ) created a turbodiesel, which received the index "514", which was installed on the UAZ model, based on the "406th" gasoline engine familiar to the owners of the Volga and cars from Ulyanovsk.
The first experience of "dieselization" was not the most successful: the engine turned out to be crude, the quality of its components was not up to par. That's why buyers didn't particularly like diesel UAZs. Subsequently, the "childhood sores" of this engine were cured, but the reputation of the ZMZ-514 was already tarnished. He was finally finished off by the stricter environmental requirements introduced in 2015, which made no sense to modernize this diesel given the low demand.
UAZs were also equipped with foreign Andoria and Iveco diesels. But with them, cars turned out to be expensive, and therefore such versions also did not find support from buyers. The idea of producing diesel UAZs in Ulyanovsk was revisited quite recently, when the ZMZ, now part of the Sollers Group of companies, began assembling such engines for the commercial Argo model.
First departure
In front of the entrance to one of the UAZ workshops, a snow-white Patriot awaits us, with the same diesel engine installed under the hood, which was produced in the Volga region. In fact, we have a so-called "mule"-an aggregate carrier created for sea trials and testing of a future production model. Now the diesel Patriot is still very far from the assembly line: the approximate launch of production of diesel-powered SUVs is scheduled only for November this year. Until then, the prototypes are waiting for thousands of kilometers of test runs in different conditions, during which testers and engineers will "polish" the settings of the engine and transmission, because the gearbox is also new here: for the first time in the history of the Ulyanovsk SUV equipped with a six-speed manual. Her "donor" was also an Argo truck. The production of this transmission has been mastered in Russia.
With the exception of some "pre-production" trim elements, the interior of the car is standard
Unlike many other pre-production and test vehicles, the "secret" Ulyanovsk SUV did not have to be decorated with camouflage coloring: "Patriot" as "Patriot". It is possible to identify that this is a future diesel version only by the characteristic rumble of the engine. However, the diesel UAZ does not sound like a tractor at all. The engine is no louder than that of any other car that consumes diesel fuel.
Since the car is experienced, some interior elements are still "pre-production". For example, the lining of the central tunnel is a piece of plastic screwed with ordinary screws with a cutout for the gear lever. In this case, it does not matter that the casing itself has an oval shape, and the cutout for it is rectangular. And the four-wheel drive mode control unit with the differential lock buttons, as well as the seat and steering wheel heating keys, was clearly positioned according to the principle of "stuck where there was a place."
The six-speed manual transmission surprised with its precise and precise efforts on the gearbox lever, as well as its small movements. A self—tapping casing is a feature of an experimental car
To equip the car with a six-speed manual transmission, the engineers had to "tinker" with its layout, because on the gasoline-powered Patriot, the gearbox lever exits directly from the five-speed gearbox itself, while the new six-speed has a cable-operated gearshift with a rocker. Therefore, the lever itself and the switching mechanism with cables and rods are located on a separate podium. All this technical stuffing required the original casing of the central tunnel, which has yet to be created. An industrial 3D printer was launched at UAZ to develop this and other new interior details. Well, for the prototype, I had to use "bypass" technologies for a while.
Note to the testers
The first thing you notice in the cabin of an experienced Patriot, in addition to the "pre—production" interior solutions, is the almost complete absence of characteristic "diesel" vibrations, even despite the "cargo" origin of the power unit under the hood. On some production vehicles running on "heavy fuel", this itch is felt more clearly. Since UAZ engineers already have experience in "heart transplantation" on a commercial Profi car, they preemptively saved even an experienced diesel Patriot from excessive engine vibrations by selecting "soft" engine supports.
It's unusual to see such an inscription on the hatch of the Patriot's fuel tank.
I put the car in first gear, release the clutch, and the Patriot literally jumps forward a couple of meters. The "commercial" past of the tandem of a two-liter turbodiesel with a capacity of 136 hp and a six-speed "mechanics" is affected. The "short" first speed, coupled with 320 Nm of torque, is designed for a steady start from a standstill on a truck with a full load. A lighter SUV with this motor-box combination turns out to be harsh. However, before the car is put into mass production, UAZ engineers and testers still have a lot of time to change the characteristics of the power unit, giving it more "light" features.
But on a diesel Patriot, you can easily start from second or even third speed without playing with the clutch pedal. The engine provides good traction at almost idle, and reaches its peak as soon as the tachometer needle exceeds 1600 rpm.
A study tour of the territory of the automobile plant is clearly not conducive to checking the dynamic characteristics: technological transport is constantly scurrying along the factory driveways, and security is not asleep. Nevertheless, we managed to find a straight and clear road and check the high-speed qualities of the diesel Patriot.
It feels like the diesel UAZ Patriot is more dynamic than the gasoline version.
However, it was not possible to accelerate from zero to the "classic hundred": the road turned out to be too short for such races. However, it was still possible to reach 70-75 km/h.
Compared to the petrol version, the car felt more dynamic. However, the "cargo" characteristics of the engine also affected here: it has a fairly narrow operating range. It doesn't make much sense to spin it above 2500-2700 rpm: after this milestone, the thrust practically does not increase. But the transition to the next gear is accompanied by a noticeable "pick-up". It is likely that the operating range of the engine will be expanded during the tests.
On the prototype, during acceleration, the characteristic whistle of the turbine clearly penetrates into the cabin. It will not be superfluous to study the additional sound insulation of the car before launching it into production.
Serial production of diesel-powered SUVs will begin in late autumn. UAZ expects that such versions will account for 15-20% of sales.
But it's probably not worth changing anything in the gearshift mechanism. With the current five-speed transmission, the choice of speed often resembles a lottery: often the gears, especially when switching "down", have to be literally hammered in. There were no such problems with the diesel version and the new six-speed transmission during the study tour. The transmission was pleasantly surprised by the precise and precise forces on the gearbox lever, as well as its small movements.
Or else it will be
Simultaneously with the launch of Patriots with a diesel engine and a six-speed manual transmission in late autumn, the Ulyanovsk SUV will receive a new multimedia system, an electromechanical "dispenser" and LED optics. It also expects a facelift, during which both the exterior of the car and the interior will change, so now UAZ cannot even name the approximate cost of the diesel Patriot. The company expects that sales of diesel-powered versions will amount to 15-20%. Alexey Spirin, CEO of UAZ, told Izvestia that the company will try to set a price for the diesel modification that would allow it to achieve these indicators.
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