UAZ-452

The UAZ-452 is a family of four wheel drive off-road vans and light trucks with body-on-frame construction and cab over engine design, built by the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant (UAZ) since 1965. Originally designed for the Soviet Armed Forces, since 1985 the vans received updates: more modern engines and internationally compliant lighting, as well as new model numbers, UAZ-3741 for the standard van, while (crew-cab) trucks mostly starting with UAZ-3303, often with one or two extra digits specifying the version. From around 1996, bigger UAZ-33036 truck variants with a 25 cm (10 in) longer wheelbase, and taller soft-top roof bows and drop-sides were added.
The model's predecessor, the UAZ-450 (produced between 1958 and 1966), was based on the chassis and engine of the four-wheel drive light truck GAZ-69, and was the first "forward control" vehicle of this type to be built in Russia or anywhere else in the Soviet Union. The UAZ-450 was lightly revised and simplified, resulting in the UAZ-452. Because of the external similarities to a loaf of bread, the van became known as Буханка (bukhanka, or 'loaf' in Russian). The ambulance version was nicknamed Таблетка (tabletka, a pill). The van is produced in several modifications, with the main difference being the body type (e.g. UAZ-3741 van (known as bukhanka), or the UAZ-3303 pickup truck, which is known as golovastik, tadpole).
The body of the van is normally equipped with two front doors, a single-wing door on the right side and a double-wing door at the rear, although the exact configuration can vary depending on the specific modification. Notable in the van are the fuel ports on the left and the right side of the van, leading to two separate fuel tanks.
The engine, placed between the driver and the passenger seats, was the same 75 hp (55 kW) 2.4-litre (2,445 cc) UMZ-452MI inline-four as the UAZ-469, and was able to run on gasoline of as low as 72 octane (76 was preferred).
Vehicles produced between 1965 and 1979 were equipped with old-style lights: turn signal lights were colorless (white), rear lights were round, and the back of the body was rounder. Subsequent post-1979 models got amber (yellow) signal lights, and rear lights were slightly bigger and rectangular.
In 1985 the van was upgraded and spun off into separate submodels: UAZ-39625, UAZ-3962, UAZ-3303, UAZ-3909 and UAZ-2206. The upgrade consisted of lighting fixtures that met modern international requirements, alarms, a new instrument panel, and a new speedometer. The brakes were redesigned. The engine was also upgraded, and its power output increased to 99 hp against the previous 78 hp.
In the early 2000s, the model was given new plastic side mirrors taken from the GAZ GAZelle van, headrests on front seats; and new passenger seats for a minibus version (UAZ-2206) were also given headrests. The pickup truck (UAZ-3303) was fitted with a metal body instead of a wooden one.
In subsequent years, the engine was upgraded to meet modern emissions requirements, and the van was also fitted with an injury-reducing plastic steering wheel.
In March 2011, models UAZ-39625, UAZ-3962, and UAZ-2206 received upgrades, consisting of ABS brakes, power steering, seat belts and the Euro-4 engine as standard equipment.
As of 2024 it is the oldest vehicle design in production.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine mounting losses of supply and utility vehicles in the Russian military faster than they could be replaced resulted in UAZ-452 loaf vans being deployed to the frontlines. Despite some rugged off-road features, its lack of shock absorbers, poor comfort and weak engine made its performance extremely poor and an easy target for drones. Its thin steel panels do not provide protection against drone strikes and fuel tanks are placed under the vehicle on both flanks making its susceptible to catching fire. By 2024 destroyed Bukhankas became a common sight in Ukraine and as a result, Russian troops have attempted to reinforce the vans with caged armour. More desperate modifications, such as covering the vans in Kontakt reactive armor including its windshield were observed. Unlike the thick armour of tanks the van is not capable of handling the explosive charge within the ERA blocks and the modifications make it more dangerous for the crew.
UAZ-452 variants:
List of current UAZ-452 models:
This article has been brought over from the Russian Wikipedia article.