From the rugged to the sublime

Spring has sprung on Russia's Lena highway, where UAZ is king.

OFF-ROADERS now have two new utes to choose from and while both pay homage to a tough predecessor, they cannot be more opposite in design.

In the no-luxury-spared corner, Mercedes-Benz is now taking orders on its new GLS, which extends the Geladenwagon’s abilities beyond the red carpet into the corporate boardroom.

In the bare-bones-basics corner, Russian brand UAZ is flogging the Hunter to Mongolian shepherds and Vietnamese fishermen.

The no-frills-left-on Hunter 

UAZ also makes quite modern sport utes, but built the Hunter to pay tribute to its World War 2 4x4 legend, the Kozlik, or UAZ 496. Aficionados of Africa’s muddiest roads made with Russian funding know the Kozlik is still preferred over Defenders and Land Cruisers in those states.

Paying tribute to hard-riding predecessors is quite the fashion. Toyota also did so last year with the eighties’ lookalike Land Cruiser 70.

Like the Cruiser, the UAZ rides on ancient coils over oil upfront and leaf springs at the rear, (where drum brakes still have to stop these wagons), but the Toyota’s dashboard is positively modern
compared with that in the UAZ.

The no-expenses spared GLS

About the only modern gizmo the Russian 4x4 builder allowed in its Hunter is fuel injection instead of a carburetor.

The Russian ute does, however, sport a cigarette lighter across the range, and the distributors can order a “Souvenir” kit bag that contains a groundsheet, an axe, a kettle and a set of tableware.

Russian politico Nikolae Valuev shows how
Russian gentlemen disport with an axe 

The GLS offers neither kettle nor axe, instead, there is Remote Online services that provide users with vehicle info via an Internet platform.

The GLS driver on air suspension with the butt fan going full blast. 

The GLS also just about glides about on air suspension with an enhanced adaptive damping system that seeks to provide a stable ride, while optional active roll stabilisation should help in the corners.

For as CEO of the Mercedes-Benz SA Fioran Seidler explained at the launch of the Merc sport ute range in Namibia last week, the GLS offers the off-road genes of the G-Class, with all the refinement of the S-Class. This means ambient lighting, an ionization system to improve the air quality inside the vehicle, as well as seats that can heat or cool their front passenger’s and driver’s butts.

The Hunter has a choice of two engines — a 2,6 petrol making only 94 kW or a 2,2 diesel making a mere 84 kW.

GLS customers have a choice of four formidable engines, with the smallest, a V6, making 245 kW and the most powerful making 430 kW.

The Russian wagon has a five-speed manual gearbox and low range, with the electric drive selecting the cogs in the transfer case.

The GLS models have permanent all-wheel drive with power transmitted through a nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission as standard, with the exception of the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, which comes with an AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic transmission.

But the Hunter has a wading depth of 50 cm and its owners look all the more credible if their Russian wagon has dents and scratches.

UAZ is selling three models, from the entry-level Dymos with its 16-inch wheels, the Victory series, packing a special khaki colour and music score graphics from the movie that marked the 70th anniversary of Russia’s World War 2 battle victory, and the Trophy model, which comes with extra underbody protection.

GLS owners have four models to choose from, including a diesel, but will hesitate to set foot on even smooth gravel roads, despite Merc last week proving the entire new SUV range can go where Mad Max went.

The Hunter is currently only on sale in several Far East countries up to Mongolia, and in the Czech Republic in Europe, but dealership queries are welcome.

To order a UAZ outside the countries where it is currently sold with a 12 months or 30 000 km warranty, download, fill in and e-mail a candidate distributor’s business case to export@uaz.ru

Then be prepared to negotiate a Vodka-fuelled price.

The GLS arrives next year in South Africa.

To order a model that suits your style, have your butler pour you another as you appoint your nearest Merc dealer to come visit you, and then call your accountant to arrange writing off quite a bit more than the rugged G-Class’s R1,4 million.