ANALYTICS 25–27 октября 2016 • Москва • МВЦ «КрокусЭкспо» of these vehicles have been manufactured in 2015. Thanks to the wide bodywork, the interior layout can accommodate four rows, increasing the number of passenger seats to 18 (plus one person RUSSIAN BUS MARKET REVIEW standing). The model is only available in diesel engine and the price tag starts from €16,350. However, Gazelle Next microbuses, There are two news from the Russian bus market: one good, one bad. The bad news is that based on all­metal wagon, have become the premiere model of last year. The vehicle was launched at COMTRANS 2015 the market shrinkage continued in 2015. In particular, the sales of new vehicles -small, medium exhibition in September. The plant has already completed the and large capacity (excluding microbuses)- have all fallen below the psychological mark production preparations and manufactured the first pilot of 10,000 vehicles. The good news, on the other hand, is that the bus manufacturers not only samples. The model will be put on the market as soon as possible. avoided losses last year, but also some of them even achieved to update their model ranges. The 16­seater version with three­row cabin layout will be Judging by the sales figures, the implementation of the government programme, subsidising the available in the market at the first stage. Modifications, allowing standing passengers, will be possible in future. purchases of natural gas fuelled buses, has played an important role in this achievement. It’s not without reason that gas modifications appeared in the production lines of all leading bus factories. A short overview, introducing the main range of buses manufactured in Russia in 2015, is below. Nikolai MARKOV [1] Photo of the author, Nikolai ALEXANDROV, GAZ GROUP / GAZ Sergei ANDREEV, GAZ Group, which incorporates five automobile plants: GAZ, 12­seater minibuses. In addition, GAZ manufactures the regular Eduard WOLMAN, PAZ, KAVZ, LIAZ, Ural, maintains its position as the largest bus route version of 13­14 passenger capacity Gazelle Business with Alexander EREMIN, manufacturer in Russia. The main volume of sales in bus produ c­ high plastic roof, in cooperation with the contractor PKF Luidor. Laushkin ALEXEI, Nicholas STARYGIN, tion belongs to microbuses, manufactured at Gorky Car Factory The prices of Gazelle Business range between €10,000 ­ €14,500, [2] Konstantin CHISTYAKOV, (GAZ) in Nizhny Novgorod. Currently, the factory manufactures depending on the type of modification. Interestingly, both Sobol manufacturers two lines of LCV: old and new. The old line is formed of two fami­ and Gazelle Business can be delivered as 4x4 with 2­speed and resource www.fotobus.msk.ru lies: Sobol (2.8­3.05 tonnes gross weight, single tyres, indepen­ transfer gearbox (full­time or part­time depending on customer dent spring front suspension) and Gazelle Business (3.5 tonnes choice) and rear axle differential lock, for an extra payment of gross weight, dual rear axle, dependent spring front suspension). just €470. Frankly, no other manufacturer in Europe can boast of The remaining features of the vehicles are the same: 2.9lt UMZ converting a vehicle to four­wheel­drive for such a small addit­ petrol engine, which is also available as hybrid, or Chinese product­ ional charge today. The total production figure of old model ion Cummins ISF 2.8 diesel engine. Gearbox: 5­speed manual range LCV for 2015 is around 7,000 units. only. Sobol microbuses, up to 6 passengers carrying capacity, are Gazelle Next is the new brand name for the LCV range of GAZ. available as either the low­roof version with rising trunk lid or The main differences from the previous generation of vehicles medium­roof version with hinged luggage compartment doors. are the completely new cabin and the upgraded bodywork The selected body type doesn’t have an effect on prices, which (independent front suspension, rack­and­pinion steering gear [4] start from €9400. The model range for Gazelle Business micro­ etc.). The microbus with completely original bodywork, [3] buses is wider. Two versions of medium roof height vehicles are specifically designed for regular­route traffic, has become the ê GAZ Gazelle NEXT [1] GAZ Sobol 4x4 with frame body available: corporate transportation for 8 and 13 passengers or first passenger vehicle of the family in 2014. Approximately 2000 [2] GAZ Gazelle Business GAZ GROUP / PAZ (PKF Luidor) [3] GAZ Gazelle NEXT Another venture of GAZ Group: Pavlovski Bus Factory (PAZ) with all-metal body specialises in the production of small and medium size buses. As [4] GAZ Gazelle Business in GAZ factory, the production scheme of PAZ can also be divided into two main model ranges: old and new. The 7­metre PAZ­3205, developed in 1979, is the flagship model of the factory. The sales volume of PAZ­3205 is more than double the è PAZ-3205 total sales figure of all the remaining models manufactured at ê PAZ-4234 the factory! According to our data, 4000 vehicles have been assembled last year. The key factors of the market success of this model are its reliability in bad road conditions, simplicity of structure and economic price. Despite having a maximum ca­ pacity of 42 passengers, the price of PAZ­3205 is comparable to microbuses, which carry less than half that number. The factory offers a number of basic designs for PAZ­3205, which differ in number of passenger doors (1 or 2), cabin layout and seat types. There’s also a small but steady demand for modifications for student transportation and off­road conditions (PAZ­3206 with 4x4 wheel formula­ 92 units were registered in Russia in 2015). Only a small percentage of PAZ­3205 buses roll off the assembly line with diesel engines. Almost all of the customers opt for the version with carburetted V8 engine, the construction of which dates back to the end of the 50’s. Over the years, the mo der ni­ sation in the production of PAZ­3205 only affected the technical components of the vehicle. The model has been restyled for the first time only very recently, receiving a new body front and new 44 2 [126] 2016 КОММЕРЧЕСКИЙ ТРАНСПОРТ www.ktmagazine.ru 45 ANALYTICS 25–27 октября 2016 • Москва • МВЦ «КрокусЭкспо» lighting technology. The assembly of the last party of pre­restyled buses has been completed during the second half of 2015. The GAZ GROUP / LIAZ different features of the more unified and larger model: PAZ­4234 LIAZ plant, established in the city of Likino­Dulyovo in Moscow in comparison to PAZ­3205 are as follows: 1.2m longer body, Region, had been specialised only in city buses with high or stronger powerplant and strengthened chassis. PAZ­4234 has extra­high capacity, until recently. However, the production of a maximum capacity of 50 passengers and can be equipped with the intercity and tourist bus models has been transferred to LIAZ, either of the following diesel engines: Cummins, MMZ or YaMZ. from the redesigned Golitsyn Bus Plant in 2014. The model range The total production for 2015 is at least 570 units. has also been expanded with the addition of the shortened [1] The new range of PAZ factory: Vector 4 is more diverse. The [2] version of the city buses, which belong to medium­class. A total vehicles, which come in four different body lengths: 7.1m, 7.6m, number of 894 buses have been manufactured in the plant in 2015. 8.5m and 8.8m, have not been modified for 4x4 yet. The pro duc­ LIAZ­5292 was the most demanded model (about 587 units). tion figures, on the other hand, are more modest. The total figure Initially, LIAZ­5292 was a 12­metre, low­floor bus with up to 114 for all buses from this line has reached approximately 1200 ve­ passenger carrying capacity, however, a down­sized 10.5m mo­ hicles in 2015. Vector 4 buses, as in PAZ­3205, also have a front­ del for 75 passengers with completely unchanged technical com­ drive layout, but the height of the floor level is much lower and ponents (including the power unit and axles with suspension), is [1] the working conditions are significantly improved for the driver. being manufactured on the basis of the vehicle for the last couple The buses are manufactured in two types of design and have sig­ of years. Currently, LIAZ­5292 is available with MAN or YaMZ diesel [3] [4] nificant differences in passenger capacities, depending on body engines or MAN gas engine. The model has two body designs. dimensions. For example, the shortest model, designed for The second most popular series is LIAZ­5256. The high­floor 43 passengers, doesn’t come with diesel engine. The options are: buses with up to 110 passenger capacity are available in urban, the carburetted V8 ZMZ or (since 2015) the gas­operated “quad” suburban and intercity versions. The series has reached a sales Isuzu 4HV1. (The Japanese engine has joined the lineup, as a re­ figure of more than 139 vehicles last year. All versions have the sult of the recently signed agreement, proposing cooperation bet­ same length, but the body of the intercity bus has been manu­ ween GAZ Group and Isuzu Motors). The gearbox is mechanical factured as high­floor. The model can be equipped with Cummins only and the suspension is all­wheel spring. The 7.6m bus can hold or YaMZ diesel or Cummins gas engines paired with the ZF, Voith [2] [3] up to 10 extra passengers and equipped with either of the fol lo­ or Allison gearboxes. Practically, LIAZ­5293 is indistinguishable wing diesel engines: YaMZ or Cummins.