The Patriot, first shown at MIAS-2006, really frayed the nerves of our UAZ owners. Just the 100-liter tank, not to mention the fifth door opening in an unusual direction, LED lights, ABS with EBD, talk of a coil-spring rear suspension and a common rail diesel, is enough to drive the owner of a 469-model "goat" to a nervous breakdown. So UAZ behaved like an experienced psychotherapist: it decided to straighten out the minds of conservatives gradually. First — a new interior, pedals aligned in a row, an anti-lock braking system and an electronic control unit. Still nervous? Then here's a transfer case with a whine in low range (interesting, when will they patent this sound?), and at the same time we'll take a ride on the highway so the plastic squeaks. And now a blissful smile appears on the face of yesterday's skeptic. And the seats already seem comfortable, and the brakes understandable. Maybe it wasn't in vain that I overpaid a thousand and took a 2007 car, not listening to the "experts" from the forums? And it goes along the rut, swaying! On a clay field it tosses like an iron on a sheet — you can't catch it! Soulful!
The pedals were aligned, the cup holders were placed in a row. Externally, no differences from last year's version can be found: the main changes are hidden under the hood, among the wires
So, point by point. The brake system is completely new — that's one. The master brake cylinder and vacuum booster are from Continental Teves. The pedal has become more informative and no longer sticks out like Nelson's Column. Bosch specially adapted ABS and EBD for the Patriot 2007 — that's two. The clutch is new, with normal effort — three. The engine control unit "Mikas-11", whose main advantage is compatibility with the OBDII protocol — four. The plastic fan impeller of the cooling fan and the "smart" viscous coupling — five. The redesigned air intake box, modernized heater and improved ventilation — six. Comfortable Korean-made seats with a folding backrest and a box under the second row — seven. The transfer case mode indicator and a button-switchable mini-screen on the instrument panel — eight. Cup holders and a double box in the console — nine. Immobilizer as standard — ten. And finally, the cherry on the cake — a cord for the fuel tank caps — eleven. If I missed something, colleagues will correct me.
• It's more comfortable to sit, but there's less knee room. Have the backrests become thicker?
• The factory workers joke that this box is made exactly for an AK or, if you like, for a "Saiga"
• The factory workers joke that this box is made exactly for an AK or, if you like, for a "Saiga"
For the Patriot test, I asked to join a trip with the Chevy Niva club. I wanted to find out who is stronger in the $13,300 – 16,400 range. The route went through the city, along the MKAD, highways, dirt roads, a forest with a muddy rut, and a soggy field. At the meeting place, there was an excellent clay puddle, into which I immediately buried the "UAZ"... Around, the "Shnivas" scurried with cheerful buzzing. But let's go in order.
The pedals not only stood level, but also lost their former inhuman elasticity
Acceleration — that's the strong side of the Patriot. At least, it seems so if you previously drove a classic "UAZ" or a diesel Hunter. Now you can easily wipe the nose of the "Nivas" and "classics", overtake an old diesel Disco and compete on a straight line with a new diesel L200. In corners, everything is not so rosy. Directional stability is far from ideal, reactions are delayed. But the brakes — no complaints. At all! Deceleration is easy to dose, ABS works exactly on time, the lane change — a solid four. The "UAZ" loses a point due to rolls, nose dives and a vague steering wheel. The factory workers promise Italian power steering by summer, which should radically fix the situation. For now — a solid four.
SURPRISES
The inability to fold the sofa flush with the floor is annoying and suggests a false floor. But the trunk is huge. Chevrolet Niva owners noticeably sadden at this point. And their mood worsens even more when I easily pull away from them at a traffic light.
And when I by inertia fly over a washout that they don't dare enter. And it completely puzzles them when I, getting a wheel into a half-meter hole, sit a two-ton machine in the middle of a field. They would have pulled, but with what? If it were the other way around — I would have had to drag them out of the swamp, that's another matter, but here the weight is almost twice as much! A quick-release winch installed on one of the "Chevy owners" saved the day. The car had to be tied to a tree, but it coped!
Bosch specially refined the ABS and the brake force distribution system for the Patriot 2007,
which are included in the standard equipment of the Limited trim,
and are also offered as an option for other versions. The sealed engine control unit
"Mikas-11" with OBDII support is located in an accessible
place — on the fender under the hood. The air intake box of the cabin ventilation
was redesigned, the problem with fogging was solved
which are included in the standard equipment of the Limited trim,
and are also offered as an option for other versions. The sealed engine control unit
"Mikas-11" with OBDII support is located in an accessible
place — on the fender under the hood. The air intake box of the cabin ventilation
was redesigned, the problem with fogging was solved
OFF-ROAD
More weight off-road is a plus. The engine pulls poorly at low revs, and it's not about power, but about the torque curve, not too smooth in the lower part. Where I crawl on a diesel Hunter like a spy, on the "Patrik" you have to press the gas to the floor. And here there are two options: either you'll fly through, or you'll sit down thoroughly. So, dear Patriot owners, a winch is not a luxury, but a necessity. In extreme cases, it will correct the weight distribution and handling. By the way, the normal pedal layout allows more effective use of the "gas-brake" technique on rough terrain. Interestingly, crawling over bumps is not hindered by the seemingly heavy bumpers, and the wheelbase is quite long, although the sill on the test specimen has already been bent by someone...
SUMMARY
If you count everything that has been updated in the UAZ Patriot since 2005, you'll get more than a hundred components and parts. And if you count how much the 2007 innovations could have cost, the amount would be three times more than the price increase of the Patriot since January. And it really is worth its money, if only because it is so big, comfortable and modern for our auto industry. And for dessert, a couple of news items: they are making a modernized transfer case with a changed gear engagement angle and a new gear locking mechanism — meaning it will be quieter and will stop knocking out low range. From autumn, a testing ground for dynamic control of off-road vehicles coming off the assembly line will start operating. And diesels are already coming... But more on that next time.
