UAZ Patriot. Answering for the "goat"
It must be admitted that the Volga folks produced not a masterpiece, but a quite masculine and solid full-size vehicle. Apparently, the Simbir was taken as a base, which was neatly tweaked towards the Land Cruiser Prado: the front end was changed, modern optics were installed, a plump dashboard and velour seats appeared in the cabin — and the public accepted the new UAZ. In parallel with sales, the factory workers conducted a kind of customer survey, asking them to evaluate the car on more than ten parameters. The collected comments were taken into account and corrected, and a different Patriot emerged — the Patriot of the 2007 model year, which became the subject of this test. I admit, given the scale and nature of the improvements, I had to get acquainted with the car almost anew. Let's start, as usual, with the exterior. This is the only thing that has not undergone changes in the updated Patriot. Before us is still the most attractive of domestic SUVs. This statement can be argued, but one cannot deny that such a decent appearance for our auto industry is an unprecedented phenomenon. A modern, even attractive look coexists perfectly with the traditional UAZ image of a brutal "off-roader," but it is no longer so crude and is quite suitable for daily routine both in the village and in the metropolis. In a word, a "universal soldier" who is ready for both feast and war... But let's not get ahead of ourselves. But next is the interior. Here you feel the changes instantly, just by getting behind the wheel. You no longer sit in the seats but sink into them — these are no longer the foam "stools" of the first version, but normal car seats that can be adjusted to fit you and allow you to cover a couple of hundred kilometers without harming your back. The comfort is, of course, specific, but by our standards, it is quite decent. The Ulyanovsk folks, without thinking twice, borrowed the cabin itself from the SsangYong Rexton, and the rear sofa with a more finger-friendly folding mechanism also came from there. Now, to transport something bulky, you don't need to break either your head or your nails. The previously empty space under the sofa is now occupied by a floor box for tools, so there is less rattling in the trunk. A pleasant surprise was the appearance of a footrest for the driver's left foot, a couple of cup holders on the center tunnel, and a second tier in the box under the right elbow. True, the lid of this box is quite flimsy and constantly bends under pressure, so it's a bit scary to rest your hand on it. One can only hope that the next step for the Ulyanovsk "upgraders" will be working with the plastic. The Iranian dashboard looks good, but it doesn't give tactile pleasure, and the gaps in places cause complaints, and sometimes you get the feeling that it's not the assembler who is to blame, but the manufacturer itself. Be that as it may, the management of "Severstal" assures that the fight for quality has become a priority for the plant. At least, it is for this purpose that a new inspection and testing section appeared on the assembly line, where the main systems are checked statically — from the engine and chassis to the electrics and brakes. The latter is undoubtedly related to the introduction of perhaps the most important innovation of the Patriot-2007, which finally solved the model's primary problem — the horrifying braking efficiency. Now there is ABS here, and not just any ABS, but a specially adapted for the Patriot "Bosch" 8th generation system — the same one installed on Mercedes, VW, or Audi. Here one can only applaud. But, of course, the matter was not limited to ABS alone: its operating principle is not about braking, but about programmed absence of it. The engineers refined the entire system as a whole, replaced the master brake cylinder and booster, and removed potentially "weak" spots in the lines. Without delving into technical details, one can simply say: the Patriot began to brake, and in such a way that many Chinese competitors never even dreamed of. Another matter is that effective stopping requires effective acceleration, and with that, the Patriot is not all smooth. More precisely, not with the car itself, but with the 128-horsepower 2.7-liter ZMZ engine. No, you can't say that the UAZ doesn't go, but I wouldn't claim that it goes either. Let's put it this way: it moves. At first glance, the torque seems sufficient, but not for long — the acceleration that has begun quickly turns into useless violence. Moreover, the increase in RPM is accompanied by such a mournful howl that your hand instinctively reaches for the gear lever, just to spare your ears from this wailing. And so constantly. The absence of transmission noises, which until recently were considered an integral feature of Ulyanovsk products, is now perceived as a godsend. Another argument against indulging in speed is that the Ulyanovsk folks haven't yet gotten around to the steering: the steering wheel remains "empty," and this, of course, does not add pleasure to fast driving. So what is the Patriot like in the end? Moderate dynamics, a comfortable cruising speed of about 90–100 km/h, long preparations for overtaking, fighting with body roll and rutting... In general, monotonous measuredness. I don't know about you, but this tires me out, and quite quickly. No, asphalt is clearly not its element. But where there is no asphalt at all, you understand that, despite all the improvements and restylings, this SUV remains the same old good UAZ that neither sinks in mud nor "burns" in snow. I wouldn't risk drawing a route on the map in a straight line without special preparation, but rest assured: a broken dirt road and virgin soil, which most of us limit ourselves to on nature trips, are a piece of cake for the Patriot. Even a ford and a tractor rut with the right approach are not a problem. The main thing is to engage the four-wheel drive and transfer case in time (by the way, an indicator of the transmission mode has finally appeared on the dashboard), and it will do the rest itself. Here, it's more important that the tires don't let you down and the driver doesn't get scared ahead of time. True, the truism — the cooler the jeep, the farther you walk for the tractor — should still not be forgotten: the UAZ is good, but not omnipotent. It remains to talk about money. Naturally, ABS became standard equipment only in the top Limited version; for other trim levels, it is offered as an option. Nevertheless, its price remained within reasonable limits: for the Patriot Classic, sellers ask 425,000 rubles, and with the aforementioned system — 440,000. The Limited will cost the buyer 490,000 rubles, which is about $18,500. And this undoubtedly promises it commercial success: for its "heavenly" competitors, they ask significantly more, and, as practice shows, the UAZ Patriot now surpasses them in all positions. Technical specifications.
UAZ Patriot
Dimensions (mm) 4647x2080x1900
Ground clearance (mm) 210
Weight (kg) 2070
Payload capacity (kg) 700
Engine displacement (cm3) 2.7
Max power (hp) 128
Max torque (Nm) 218
Max speed (km/h) 150
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (s) n/a
Average fuel consumption (l) 14.5
Price (rub.) 425,000 – 490,000
Source – www.automania.ru