KAMAZ K5 truck tractors, KAMAZ engines of the 900 family

Daniil Minaev Photo by the author and KAMAZ PJSC

Western journalists noted that Sergei Kogogin was modest at the presentation of the world premiere of KAMAZ-54901 M1855. Even our Berlin correspondent Robert Yablonsky, who specially came to Moscow, had the feeling that the general director of KAMAZ PJSC was deliberately breaking the usual patterns and dragging his feet. It is generally strange for foreigners that in Russia they teach sensationalism with Byzantine floridity. But everyone was wondering when the car would hit the Eastern European market and who would test it first?

The editors' patience was tested all year. They winked at us about this new product in the spring, and casually reminded us in the summer, leaving out the details and how great the temptation was to give insight.

The top of the model range is the long-haul tractor of the KAMAZ K5 family - the most important project of the Kama auto giant in defiance of MAZ. In the gossip, it remains unclear to what extent the Russian auto industry is ready to give a fight to foreign cars assembled in Russia. The process of creating such a machine required huge investments and the involvement of foreign partners. KAMAZ will have to fight for its margin. A tough competition is coming with the market cleared of Chinese expansion.

Frame concept MP4 K5

The cabin ideology is based on the driver’s workplace, which should be at the level of the best representatives of the premium passenger car segment. If from 1976 to 1995 minor improvements concerned only an increase in efficiency while maintaining the living space at the level of 5 m3, then already in 2005 in Naberezhnye Chelny they worked to reduce vibration and noise, while the living space increased to 6.5 m3. However, no matter how you modernize the old project, a radical scrap is required. After all, the internal volumes of modern cars are 7.5–9 cubic meters. And it was decided to move towards the highest point.

There was something to start from. The design of the new look of KAMAZ vehicles was carried out by the Italian studio Torino Design srl, which two years ago already created the KAMAZ 2022 exhibition cabin with a shower and a treadmill inside.

Even if you install a new cab without fundamentally changing the chassis, any truck will look like a new model. Therefore, the main sign of continuity is the door - the most expensive part in production. The generic sign is the door openings and the “greenhouse” - the body (as engineers correctly call the cabin).

Externally it turned out really beautiful and recognizable and distinctive. Only a subtle and meticulous design connoisseur will suspect German origin in the styling through the shape of the doorways. The original plastic body kit plays a significant role in the perception: the lower belt and the front lining, giving the car a new mood.

The body (i.e. the cabin) is based on a joint effort between Daimler AG and Daimler AG. The frame index is SFTP, like the fourth generation Actros, which will be produced in Russia from 2019. The volume of future production is up to 55,000 pieces per year. SFTP cabs are already mounted on the current generation Actros MP4 tractors, and the production of frames does not mean the bodies themselves, but stamped panels (roof, walls, doors).

The interior has also changed. For Mercedes-Benz trucks manufactured in Naberezhnye Chelny, it will produce complete cabs, but for KAMAZ it will produce only steel frames. Do the rest yourself! The cabin meets the latest requirements for comfort and is a compact coupe: the distance in the cabin from floor to ceiling is 1980 mm, and the internal width is 2270 mm. The controls and instrument panel are designed to be accessible at arm's length. The seats allow a wide range of adjustments. Two berths are not yet provided as basic, but an on-board information system with a 10-inch touch screen is already an integral attribute.

The expected focus on driver convenience and comfort affected not only the interior, but also the exterior. There are wide steps and handles at the front of the cab for servicing the windshield. Fog lights with cornering function are built into the bumper. It is not yet possible to judge how much new modern materials along with elegant color schemes have raised the interior and exterior of the cabin to a new level, since it is not yet possible to judge, since a pre-production show-stopper and a production sample are not the same thing.

Psychological picture

Some time ago, during the CTT-2019 exhibition, I had a behind-the-scenes conversation with a team of engineers from the DK RUS enterprise, the Russian representative office of the freight and bus divisions of the Daimler AG concern. We examined the products of the Kama auto giant. They secretly commented on my question about cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and KAMAZ as follows. If you look at this process through the eyes of an employee of the Daimler AG representative office, it is a shame to see how developments that cost the parent company a lot of work are floating away to Russia. But, if you look at the results of joint work through the eyes of a patriot of your country, it is gratifying to see how new technologies are gradually transforming trucks from Naberezhnye Chelny. When I examined KAMAZ-54901 in detail, and then found myself behind the wheel, I kept mentally returning to this curious position.

There are high hopes for the noisy new product. The cars will be tested until December 2019, and sales will start only after the tests are completed. Therefore, the tractor that ended up in my hands at the Myachkovsky Autodrome is a “children’s” model, pre-production, and at certain moments deserves a condescending attitude. But the other scale is pulled by formidable competitors - the seven largest brands from Europe, Ford and the Chinese, who from time to time show a surge of interest in the Russian market.

Power line and chassis

The in-line 6-cylinder engine of the KAMAZ-910.10-550 model, the fruit of cooperation between the auto giant and the German company Liebherr, is very close to its European counterparts in both design and characteristics. The long-stroke engine (cylinder diameter - 130 mm, piston stroke - 150 mm) made it possible to extract 550 hp from a 12 liter displacement. (at 1900 rpm). At the same time, the maximum 2600 Nm of torque is available already at 1300 rpm. The engine has a cast iron cylinder block, a camshaft in the block, 4 valves per cylinder, wet liners, and a common rail fuel system. The prospects for the new engine, which has an efficiency of 43%, are planned to be raised to 50–55% in the future by improving the operating process characteristics, gas exchange, reducing friction, using intelligent systems and through effective heat recovery. In general, upon achieving Euro 6 environmental standards, it is possible to reduce fuel consumption to 170 g / kW∙h.

When compared with foreign analogues, this is a typical set of modern design solutions. The KAMAZ-54901 long-haul tractor is equipped with a new ZF Traxon automated gearbox. The car frame is made of lightweight high-strength steel, the front axle has increased the load capacity to 9 tons and received maintenance-free hubs. The new type of fully unloaded drive axle is economical and quiet, with a hypoid transmission, gear ratio from 2.5 to 3.07, depending on the modification.

The driveshaft connections have end splines to reduce the load on the fasteners. I was surprised that all wheels have disc brakes, and the braking system includes a dynamic stabilization system. And here a break in the pattern arises - well, it’s not usual to see this in the basic configuration, and even with a stability control system and traction control. Tubeless tires with dimensions 315 / 80 R22.5 were selected taking into account high-speed work. Anti-roll bars are installed on the front and rear axles, which is a necessity for regional long-haul tractors. For comfortable mainline operation, the capacity of the fuel tanks has been increased: one tank for 700 l or 2 tanks for a total of 1200 l, depending on the version.

Technical characteristics and dimensions

The main technical characteristics of KamAZ 54901 include:

Engine

The KamAZ 54901 engine is an in-line six-cylinder power plant jointly produced by the German company Liebherr and the Kama plant. In terms of quality and main characteristics, the motor is analogous to European units.

The long-stroke unit is equipped with six cylinders (d=130 mm), the piston stroke in it is 150 mm. The standard provides for the installation of a cast iron cylinder block, a camshaft in the block, four valves per cylinder, wet liners, and a Common Rail fuel supply system. The efficiency of the KamAZ 54901 engine is 43%; the manufacturer claims the possibility of further improving the engine and raising this figure to 50-55%. This will be achieved by improving the quality of combustion of the combustible mixture, gas exchange, reducing friction, using intelligent systems and productive heat recovery. At the same time, the exhaust quality will be improved to meet Euro 6 requirements, and fuel consumption will be significantly reduced.

Characteristics of the KamAZ 54901 K5 engine:

Features of the machine's engine include:

• turbocharging with a system for reducing the temperature of the supplied air;
• KamAZ 54901 K5 electronic fuel injection system, including electrically controlled injectors that supply fuel under high pressure and guarantee high-quality combustion;
• economy and efficiency due to the Common Rail system;
• a system for neutralizing processed gases, improving environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness.

Fuel consumption

On average, the fuel consumption of KamAZ 54901 is 135 g/kWh, which is about 30 liters per 100 km. The capacity of the fuel tank is 700 l in the standard version, and 2x600 l in the modification.

Transmission

The truck is equipped with a ZF Traxon automatic transmission, which allows you to move at 12 forward speeds and 2 reverse speeds.

Chassis

High-strength steel is used to make the structure frame. The front axle can carry loads of up to 8 tons and is equipped with a maintenance-free hub. The KamAZ 54901 truck tractor is equipped with economical and low-speed hypoid axles with a gear ratio of 2.5-3.07.

Brake system

The cardan shafts are equipped with end splines, which reduces the load on the unit. The brakes are represented by disc units, and the system is equipped with dynamic stabilization. Also standard on KamAZ 54901 K5 are installed:

• ASR – traction control system;
• ESP – exchange rate stability system that protects against skidding and allows you to fully control the behavior of the car on the road;
• EBS is an electro-pneumatic control drive that reduces brake wear and reduces braking distance.

Anti-roll bars are mounted on the front and rear axles, which increases vehicle stability on the road.

Electronic variety

Intuitive human-machine interface has become an integral part of safety and ergonomics. A huge number of electronic systems and mobile applications are offered as options for KAMAZ-54901. Among the latest solutions are a driver condition monitoring system, a turn and traffic jam assistant, autonomous driving in traffic jams, a system for remote location monitoring and control of vehicle parameters, which, among other things, can monitor fuel consumption and the fact of fuel drainage based on the location. Taking into account such devices as mileage timing and linking to maps, the tractor becomes a robot.

However, electric units with specified characteristics have not been forgotten. The use of a thermoelectric exhaust gas heat recuperator allows an increase in efficiency by 3%, and another 2% is achieved by the use of an electrically driven turbocharger. The use of intelligent lubrication and cooling systems can together bring a 2% improvement in efficiency. Separately, the use of intelligent fuel equipment and auxiliary systems brings 0.5 and 0.55%.

Disadvantages of the new KAMAZ cab

However, drivers who managed to evaluate the quality of the new cabin noticed nuances that cause minor inconvenience. Thus, access to the radiator is available only through a partially opening panel, and there is only one toolbox, and it is not a good size.

The lack of a visor or curtain on the driver's door, the small width of the sleeping bag with a good length - 2000 mm, steps that catch when exiting, small glove compartments and wind noise at speed - that's the whole list of disadvantages. Drivers have other questions about the suspension or transmission of the car, fortunately, it’s impossible to find fault with the engine - the Mercedes engine is too good.

The result was a good tractor, capable of competing even with foreign cars. Thousands of truck drivers in our country did not even dream of such a level of comfort in a domestic car just a couple of years ago.

Run to the market

The presented new product is only a trial project, which will be fully commercialized in two years. That’s when regional chassis modifications with a 6x4 wheel arrangement and distribution 6x2 ones will come out of a cornucopia of modifications.

A pilot production batch of cars with index 54901 is planned to be released in 2022. The model will be launched into serial production in 2022; the full transition to series production will begin in 2022. By this time, the service life of the truck will be increased by 20% to 1.2 million km, and the engine to 1.5 million km. The service interval will be increased by 80% – 150,000 km. The engine will have several power settings: from 380 to 750 hp. In serial production, modifications with wheel formulas 4x2, 6x4, 6x2 are expected.

To achieve this goal, a factory building for the production of K5 generation cabin frames has already been built in a short time together with Daimler AG. Along with the new cab, the next generation vehicles will be equipped with a new 6-cylinder in-line engine. And a separate conveyor has already been prepared for this task.

Technical characteristics of the KAMAZ-54901 M1855 truck tractor

The latest KAMAZ R6 engine

The tractor is equipped with the latest in-line six-cylinder engine KAMAZ-910.12-450 of Euro-5 environmental class, with a displacement of 12 liters and a power of 450 hp, which was created together with engineers from the famous German company Liebherr.

The engine has high traction and dynamic characteristics with fairly low fuel consumption and high reliability. The unit produces a torque of 2060 N*m at 1300 rpm, its service interval is 120 thousand km, and

The service life of this engine is 1.5 million kilometers.

There is no other way

“We have made it our strategy to move into the premium segment,” said Sergei Kogogin, General Director of KAMAZ PJSC, answering questions from journalists and explaining the combination of high technical characteristics and options within one model. “This is very difficult for the company, but nevertheless there is no other way.” The head of the auto giant noted that this is one of the main projects of the company, which is the future. The company plans to enter the world market with the new car. “Outside Russia, we will be very happy to look for partners for its sales throughout the globe. Our intentions are first of all to enter the markets of the CIS countries. We expect to bring it to Europe too,” explained the head of KAMAZ.

Truck tractor KAMAZ-54901 M1855

Daniil Minaev Photo by the author and KAMAZ PJSC

Western journalists noted that Sergei Kogogin was modest at the presentation of the world premiere of KAMAZ-54901 M1855. Even our Berlin correspondent Robert Yablonsky, who specially came to Moscow, had the feeling that the general director of KAMAZ PJSC was deliberately breaking the usual patterns and dragging his feet. It is generally strange for foreigners that in Russia they teach sensationalism with Byzantine floridity. But everyone was wondering when the car would hit the Eastern European market and who would test it first?

The editors' patience was tested all year. They winked at us about this new product in the spring, and casually reminded us in the summer, leaving out the details and how great the temptation was to give insight.

The top of the model range is the long-haul tractor of the KAMAZ K5 family - the most important project of the Kama auto giant in defiance of MAZ. In the gossip, it remains unclear to what extent the Russian auto industry is ready to give a fight to foreign cars assembled in Russia. The process of creating such a machine required huge investments and the involvement of foreign partners. KAMAZ will have to fight for its margin. A tough competition is coming with the market cleared of Chinese expansion.

Spare parts for Mercedes KAMAZ cabin

The AUTOALFA group of companies is engaged in wholesale sales of spare parts for trucks of various brands and modifications, including the sale of spare parts for the cabin and other components of the KAMAZ 5490. Manufacturers directly supplying parts for sale to LLC GC AUTOALFA:

• AUGER Autotechnik, Germany;
• Daimler AG, Germany;
• STELLOX ATH&S GmbH, Germany;
• Sampa Otomotive AS, Türkiye;
• PE Automotive, Germany.

You can buy spare parts if they are in stock or by pre-ordering from managers by calling +7 (8552) 927-001 or through the online store.