Комтранс ANALyTICS RUSSIAN TRUCKS According to analytical agency Autostat data, the number of trucks over 6 tonnes gross vehicle weight amounts to approximately 3.7 million units in Russia, as of 01.01.2016. The share of vehicles older than 15 years is 65.2%. The largest share in the park belongs to vehicles manufactured in 2007 (4.1%). The second place is occupied by 2012 production trucks (3.7%). In the branding structure of the Russian truck park, the leadership is shared amongst GAZ, KAMAZ and ZIL. The total share of the three home brands in the market is around 60%. It should be noted that more than 80% of the truck fleet is formed of domestic vehicles, which leaves the foreign brands a share of less than 20%. Belarusian MAZ is the largest foreign player in the Russian truck market with 7.9% share of the park. Volvo is the leader amongst European companies (2.3%), followed by MAN (2.2%). Scania completes the top-three (1.8%). The text below offers the reader an overview that introduces the basic range of trucks manufactured in Russia currently. The entire technicality is structured in segments depending on total mass (LCV, MCV, HCV) for the sake of convenience and each segment is analysed as per manufacturer. Trucks for only military use, which are manufactured by several Russian plants, are not covered in our review, however, the vehicles with so-called dual-use, serving both military and civilian purposes, are included. Nikolai Markov/Photos of Nikolai Markov, Sergei andreev, alexander Novikov, alexander Solntsev and manufacturing companies. The statistical data are based on aSM-Holding and autostat Info. Both version are equipped with 1.6lt petrol and wheel arch shields against chipping. engines, however one is Russian 8-valves The three-door cargo compartment has LCv (<5.5 t) (87 hp) and the other 16-valves French 2,54 m³ capacity. With price tags between (102 hp). There are no diesel engines in the €7000-8000, LADA Largus has overtaken production range at all. The Russian all the European van models in the Russian assembly differs from the original Dacia market in sales, in a short space of time. The AVTOVAZ/LaDa Logan van with its upgraded brakes and production figure of Largus vans amounted ¢ Commercial vehicle production in suspension, improved corrosion protection to 6,700 vehicles last year. general, is an area which lies outside the expertise of AVTOVAZ factory. Vans and pick-ups on the basis of LADA automobiles have only been manufactured by various small satellite companies over the past two decades. However, the launch of the production of the estate wagon Dacia Logan MPV (under the brand name of LADA Largus in Russia) has brought the company the opportunity to develop a modification with the body of a van. Naturally, AVTOVAZ did not miss this opportunity. Two main variants of LADA Largus vans roll off the production lines of the plant currently, in different engines. LADA Largus Van 12 5 [129] 2016 КОММЕРЧЕСКИЙ ТРАНСПОРТ vIS-AVTo (AVTOVAZ)/vIS ¢ VIS pick-ups are manufactured by an wheelbase size, there are two versions of and there’s only one engine option: affiliate company of AVTOVAZ, under the body lengths: with standard or extended 1.7lt, 83 hp petrol, whose pedigree goes name of: Production of VIS-AUTO Special rear overhangs. The payload is between back to the vin tage FIAT-124 of the sixties. Vehicles. The production line is formed of 500-900 kg, according to the modification. The payload is 600 kg for the two-door two pick-up families. VIS-2349 is the first The engine is petrol only, 1.6lt, 87 hp (as in model and 400 kg for the five-door. The family, which has the form of half the body LADA Largus van). The prices vary bet- price range is €8700-€9500. of the front-wheel drive passenger car Lada ween €7900 - €8700. The total sales volume for VIS pick-ups Granta, with a semi-frame docked at the The second family: VIS-2346 consists for 2015 amounted to approximately back, with the possibility to install different of the semi-frame vans and pick-ups on 900 units, less than 100 of which belong to types of flat bodies on top and a van-type the ba sis of LADA 4x4 (Niva). The cabins VIS-2346. However, the company has superstructure. Interestingly, at the same have either 2 or 5 seats (but only two-doors) operated in an unstable manner this year, making it very difficult to find recently ma- VIS-2349 VIS-2346 nufactured vehicles at the dealers. This is due to the fact that on the New Year’s Eve, the previous administration of AVTOVAZ took the decision to close the VIS-AVTO subdivision and shift the assembly of the pick-ups to the main production line at the parent facility. Later on the decision has been reconsidered, however the coordi na- ted work of the company had already been disturbed and a full recovery has not been made so far. SUPEr AVTo (AVTOVAZ)/LaDa ¢ Another subsidiary of AVTOVAZ was ruction with one-piece platform and cabin specialised in the small-scale serial pro duc- side boards. The interior accommodates tion of LADA-2329 pick-ups on the basis of only four passengers, not five as in the LADA 4x4 (Niva), until recently. The agg- double cabin VIS-2346 version. Appro xi- regate base of the vehicle is the same as the mately 150 LADA-2329 have been sold in above mentioned VIS-2346 pick-up, howe- 2015, however, the production has stopped ver, the body of the LADA-2329 is not this year, due to the bankruptcy of the semi-frame type, but structural frame const- company. LADA-2329 GaZ (GaZ Group)/GaZ GAZ Sobol with flat body ¢ GAZ is the biggest Russian manufacturer cabins and also truck with flat bodies with of commercial vehicles in both LCV and 3 or 6-seater cabins. Distinctive features of the larger MCV segments. GAZ has the Sobol models: 2.8-3.1 tonnes gross weight big gest share amongst commercial vehicles with load carrying capacity of 660-995 kg, of all types registered in Russia. The com- single-tyre rear wheels, independent spring pany has three truck models in the LCV front suspension and leaf rear. There’s a segment, the total production figure of which 4x4 version with part-time transmission, reached nearly 50,000 units last year. The reduction gears and inter-wheel differential smallest model is named Sobol. The body lock: in this case a continuous drive axle is types: panel vans with 3-seater or 7-seater also placed in front, on the springs. Engines come in two types – 2.9lt own production petrol with 107 hp or the Chinese 2.8lt diesel Cummins ISF, with 120 hp. Price ran- ge – €10,000–€15,000. The extra charge for 4-wheel-drive is only €350. 3100 Sobol trucks have been sold in Russia in 2015. The other model – Gazelle Business – is practically the same as Sobol, only a little bit bigger. The minimum size of the wheel- base is 140mm larger, the gross weight is 3.5 tonnes, front axles dependant on spring suspension used on the chassis and the rear axle with double-tyre wheels. The rest of GAZ Sobol 4x4 passenger-and-freight combo the aggregate contents is the same as Sobol, www.ktmagazine.ru 13 Комтранс ANALyTICS GAZ Gazelle with flat body GAZ Gazelle 4x4 panel van GAZ Gazelle with flat body and two-row cabin but the list of modification types is larger, not on the production line in the fully chassis, flatbed truck and panel van. All can due to the fact that the vehicle with on-board planned extent- for instance, the 4-wheel- be equipped with single-row 3-seater or doub- platform has two chassis options: either drive version is not being manufactured le-row 7-seater cabins. In the latter version, with the extended base or with a 2-row six- yet.The main differences from the previous the back row transforms to a spacious slee- seater cabin. There’s also a hybrid version range of vehicles are the completely new ca- ping compartment. The current gross weight (100 hp LPG and CNG). The payload ran- bins and the upgraded chassis (inde pen dent is only 3.5 tonnes (with a payload of 955 kg ges from 1050 kg to 1600 kg, according to front suspension, rack and pinion steering to 1440 kg), however new, heavier models modification. The prices vary between etc.). The engine range includes 120 hp and will be introduced to the market soon. The €11,600–€16,300, with an extra €560 for 150 hp Cummins ISF, as well as the com- lighter Sobol NEXT family will be launched a shift to 4-wheel-drive. 16,400 Gazelle Bu- pany’s own production: Evotech 2.7 with in 2017. The price range will be between si ness trucks have been sold in Russia in 2015. 107 hp petrol and 100 hp LPG versions. €13,400–€19,800. Approximately 11,000 The third family is Gazelle NEXT. The Ga zelle NEXT is available in standard and Ga zelle NEXT trucks have been sold in the family was launched in 2013, however, still extended bases in the following versions: Russian Federation in 2015. GAZ Gazelle NEXT with flat body and two-row cabin GAZ Gazelle NEXT panel van GAZ Gazelle NEXT with flat body and gas engine (CNG) UaZ (SoLLErS)/UaZ ¢ Ulyanovsk Car Factory, manufacturing in the transfer gearbox.