SUV "Ataman" GAZ-2308: review, specifications and reviews

The Russian car industry can not boast of a large number of off-road cars, but there are some interesting models. One of these models was the car "Ataman" GAZ-2308. The car is a four-wheel drive pickup, based on the platform of the "older brother" - GAZ-2307. And if SUVs (except for "Ataman") in the post-Soviet space were produced, then pickups - certainly not.

History

For the first time, a model with off-road characteristics was presented to the public in the nineties. Unlike its predecessor, which people considered "ugly", it achieved a fairly good level of popularity among motorists. The construction of the car "Ataman" GAZ-2308 is based on the spar frame. And his cabin was borrowed from a truck GAZ-3307. Only the seats in the cabin are not three, but two.

Coming off the assembly line of the Gorky Automobile Plant, the car participated in various specialized exhibitions both in Russia and abroad. Noteworthy is the fact that the car got the greatest interest among motorists from the Middle East.

Step forward

Thanks to the new front axle and suspension spring type, as well as the updated steering and upgraded tires with 16-inch wheels, the car changed the idea of its family. It looks much more solid and organic compared to GAZ-2307.

Impressive dimensions

The off-road character of the car emphasizes its impressive dimensions: 5060/1910/2070 mm. The length of the wheelbase is 3100 mm. For comparison, it should be said that the "Volga" is less than 300 mm. The clearance of "Ataman" is 215 mm, which indicates a good patency. Body frame is located quite high from the ground, but thanks to the steps to get into the car conveniently. In the car interior is very spacious, and thanks to the wide glasses with a review there is no problem. On the interior design there is really nothing to say. In the 90's it was considered good, but now it is a relic of the past. In the cabin everything is simple and in principle convenient.

Under the hood

It's time to look into the very "soul" of the car GAZ-2308 "Ataman", the technical characteristics of which fully correspond to its brutal design.

So, the gamma of motors for this car is represented by two units:

1. Gasoline four-cylinder engine with a volume of 2.5 liters and a capacity of 150 horsepower.
2. Diesel four-cylinder engine, reaching a capacity of 110 horses. This engine is equipped with intercooler functions and turbocharging.

With these motors, the car reaches a speed of 120-140 km / h. Modest appetite "Ataman" does not boast - 15.8 liters per 100 kilometers in the city. But, firstly, it is not purchased for city driving. And, secondly - the appetite is justified by weight, size and power.

In tandem with the engine in the car "Ataman" GAZ-2308 five-speed manual gearbox is working. It is equipped with a system of permanently active all-wheel drive and locking the interaxle differential.

Ahead of the car is a lever suspension with a transverse stabilizer and a helical spring. The rear suspension consists of a stabilizer of transverse type, a split bridge beam and spring. As for the brakes, Ataman has front discs in front, and drum ones at the back.

Family

Designers of this SUV wanted to make it a universal platform for creating other models with similar characteristics. Therefore, when the "Ataman" GAZ-2308 was run-in, several more cars were developed:

1. GAZ-2309. This car had only a front-wheel drive.
2. GAZ-2308 Ataman Ermak. It is made in the body of the station wagon.
3. GAZ-230812. This is a pickup truck that has a double cab and a closed body.

By the way, when the Ataman Ermak was presented to the public, it was positioned as a means of transportation for ten people. After his appearance, work was carried out on the creation of seven-seat and five-seat modifications, the bodies of which were shortened.

The designers of the Gorky plant planned to create two dozen models built on the basis of GAZ-2308. All of them had to be different in their equipment and equipment. However, only three new models have seen the light. Over the years, the Ataman platform was involved in creating the 3106 and 2169 models.

The latest versions of Ataman

Since 1996, the model was produced in small quantities. It was equipped with all the same two motors and had three variants of the drive: rear, front, full. The machine could be covered with two variants of awnings: high, which has windows in the front part, and low, which is flush with the cabin.

In 2000, the history of the car "Ataman" opened another page. Moscow company DISA has developed on its platform a special vehicle - a van, intended for collectors. This model could carry three people and had a hidden reservation. The body of the model had an all-welded construction, and the cargo compartment was connected to the cabin. It was possible to get into the cargo compartment both from the cabin and through the back door.

In the same year, a second version of Ataman was created. It was built on a shorter platform in 1996. The second version of the SUV received from its "older brother" such components: driving bridges, front suspension, brakes, steering, wheel disks.

"Ataman 2" received the number "3106". It had a four-wheel drive, a manual gearbox with a multi-row plate chain and an interaxle differential with the possibility of locking. This combination gave the car a so-called "traction" and ripple. And the lack of intermediate shafts allowed to reduce the noise level in the cabin.

The prototype was equipped with a diesel engine with a capacity of 141 horsepower. The model began to look much more attractive, having received a more modern design. However, despite a number of positive qualities, the second Ataman remained an experimental model. He never got off the assembly line.

Price policy

It's time to say about the cost of GAZ-2308 "Ataman". The price of cars has become one of the reasons why the production was stopped. Manufacturers and buyers have decided that it is overstated, considering all the characteristics of the pickup truck.

To date, the model in the basic configuration will cost the buyer about 450 thousand rubles. More equipped version, of course, more expensive, and the model "Ermak" costs about 600 thousand. Of course, a used car can be bought in the secondary market much cheaper. True, it is difficult to find, because the plant produced only about a hundred copies. Most of them were sold to Belarus.

Reviews

Before concluding, it is worth talking about reviews about the Russian SUV. GAZ-2308 "Ataman" is really a unique model. You can even call it a real rarity. Car enthusiasts, who were lucky enough to take this car, admire its off-road characteristics. In any weather on "Ataman" it is possible to storm average and difficult impassability. It is enough to get a car with enough interest, you just need to learn how to competently manage it. Of course, the design leaves much to be desired, but there's nothing you can do about it - the Soviet automobile industry of the 90s lagged far behind its foreign competitors.

Conclusion

Learning what the GAZ-2308 "Ataman" is, you can conclude that being rather clumsy externally, it has many technical merits. It's not for nothing that they say: "They meet on clothes, but see off in mind." On our specific roads, "Ataman" has quite a few advantages, because it rides where it's even scary to walk. And this model is the only pickup in the Russian and Soviet automotive industry. Therefore, those who managed to buy and operate this model, clearly lucky.