GAZ : designed a range of offroad vehicles for work and travel in extreme conditions

GAZ group presents samples of offroad vehicles intended for work in forestry and hunting facilities, oil and gas industry, in deserts and in the Far North, for extreme trips and active leisure. Amphibious vehicle Sobol, expedition vehicle and pick-up truck Vepr NEXT are featured in the exhibition. In the future, the range is planned to be extended both due to vehicles with a gross mass of up to 3 tonnes, created on the basis of Sobol with different types of body superstructures and offroad equipment, and due to heavy vehicles built on the basis of the Ural NEXT machines.

Amphibious vehicle Sobol is an auto with unique offroad characteristics. The vehicle is capable of moving offroad, on snowfields, swampy ground, and of overcoming water bodies. The auto is equipped with a part-time four wheel drive with speed reduction gearing and differential blocking of all wheels. Using portal bridges allowed to increase clearance to 53 cm. Transfer case is controlled electronically. Pontoons in the front and side parts allow the car to stay afloat even when fully loaded. The vehicle is equipped with an electronic system of pressure adjustment in the wheels, water propeller with electric control, starting preheater and additional cabin heater, electric winch, water pumping system, low pressure tires with minimum soil load. The number of passenger seats amounts to ten (two in the cabin, eight in the passenger compartment); if necessary, the rear of the passenger compartment can be converted into a load box.

Vepr NEXT expedition vehicle is created on the platform of an offroad truck GAZ-33088 Sadko, on which an all-metal body of a GAZelle NEXT van is installed. Double-row cabin is designed for six passengers and a driver. The volume of the free part of the body is 6 cubic meters. The free arrangement of the cabin allows installation of additional passenger seats and removal of the second row of seats in order to increase the volume of the cargo carried.

Vepr NEXT pick-up truck also has seven passenger seats. A metal float body with a rear drop side is installed on the vehicle. A spacious and comfortable cabin with a wide door opening is equipped with a sprung driver's seat with anatomical support, five levels of adjustment and a lumbar support.

Rigidly connected front axle, self-locking differentials in the front and rear axles, speed reduction gearing, tire pressure control system, high ground clearance, large approach/departure angles, 18-inch wheel disks with offroad rubber and powerful mechanical winch allow the Vepr NEXT vehicle to overcome the most difficult obstacles. At the same time, using body and cabin of the NEXT series provides a driver and passengers with high level of ergonomics and comfort, unusual for an offroad truck.

The main performance characteristics of the amphibious vehicle Sobol: gross weight is 3500 kg; length is 5117 mm; width is 2500 mm; clearance is 530 mm; carrying capacity is 1000 kg. Diesel engine Cummins ISF 2.8 with a capacity of 120 hp and maximum torque of 250 Nm is installed on the vehicle.

The main performance characteristics of the bus Vepr NEXT: gross weight is 6850 kg; carrying capacity is 2.5 tonnes (pick-up), 2 tonnes (bus). Overall length is 6430 mm (pick-up), 6500 mm (bus), width is 2268 mm; clearance is 315 mm. State-of-the-art diesel engine YAMZ-534 with a capacity of 149 hp and maximum torque of 490 Nm is installed on the vehicle.