Trends in the global market force many companies to diversify their production: instead of producing cars of one type, they are forced to expand their model range, including through types of transport that are not typical for them. This approach is followed by many Chinese enterprises. In particular, Dongfeng and Geely, in addition to passenger cars, produce commercial vehicles and specialized equipment. Thanks to this, companies manage to make a profit even in the face of a sharp drop in demand. Thus, Geely in 2022 became the best manufacturer of commercial vehicles in China.
This forced necessity is clearly illustrated by the example of the Kremenchug Automobile Plant, or KrAZ. The Ukrainian enterprise, which in Soviet times produced an extensive line of freight vehicles, recently went through bankruptcy proceedings. Despite this, the car plant continues to operate, producing military and other equipment in limited quantities. But even with government orders, KrAZ today is on the verge of ruin. Diversification of activities can change the situation. The financial situation can be restored if KrAZ switches to the production of mass-segment vehicles. In particular, a compact and inexpensive crossover can solve problems.
A domestic designer has published a series of renderings revealing such a car. According to the author’s idea, the first crossover KrAZ-255 2021-2022 will have compact dimensions. But at the same time, some of the solutions implemented in the presented model indicate that the car will have certain off-road capabilities. This assumption is supported by the relatively high ground clearance and the presence of a plastic body kit.
If KrAZ decides to develop such a vehicle, the company will have to look for partners to implement the project. This is due to the car plant’s lack of the necessary platforms and engines that could form the basis of a compact crossover. The solution to this problem could be to establish a partnership with Renault. Judging by the behavior of the French company, today it intends to gain a foothold in the Ukrainian market. Renault, in particular, is expanding the model range produced by the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant. And it may be beneficial for the company to find another partner on the Ukrainian market, which could be KrAZ.
Second birth
As a result, the car was returned to the factory. But its condition was far from ideal, although in general the car was complete in its main components and, with some effort, could be restored to running condition.
During the forced ten-year downtime, the starter and turbocharger were stolen from the car, the exhaust system was completely rotten, which had to be restored. And at the same time, many of the units that were in the lubricant were almost undamaged; they only needed to be washed, re-lubricated and adjusted. The greatest difficulty for the restorers was caused by the second steerable axle of the car of the original walk-through design. The matter was complicated by the fact that not all design documentation has been preserved for this family.
All the anthers, seals and other rubber bands on the car were installed new, as was the re-sewn awning on the platform. The extent of the restoration work carried out is best demonstrated by photographs.
The example of the KrAZ-7E6316 is very indicative in terms of the fact that for history it is necessary to preserve not only mass production vehicles, but also rare prototypes. They may not have made a huge contribution to the automotive industry, but they are unique and tend to attract more public interest than the standard variants. Today it is still possible to save other unique KrAZ trucks! This prototype KrAZ-6505 dump truck with a fiberglass tail and the original dump platform is still located on NAMI territory. For some time, the vehicle served as the basis for research to improve the engine cooling system in the road testing department under the leadership of M. Minkin. As a result of experiments and precise calculations, the radiator on a huge dump truck was reduced to the size of a Zhiguli truck, while the vehicle operated without interruption at its peak. hot weather.
