In the seemingly cloudless era before, UAZ provided the Patriot SUV with a comfort element that was unimaginable for domestic cars – automatic transmission. Patrick was equipped with a French six-speed automatic transmission from General Motors 6L50 transmission, but after the start of the famous event, this option naturally disappeared from the manufacturer’s offer.
Image source: UAZ.
Considering that modern car enthusiasts are almost fundamentally unprepared to get their hands and feet behind the wheel like some kind of musician organist, depriving the Patriot of the option of an automatic transmission significantly reduces its appeal, all else being equal. Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant understands this, so they continue their search for a decent “automatic” car. The publication reports this: “Russian Gazette” Engineers at the plant are currently working on integrating the new eight-speed automatic transmission into Patriot vehicles, according to comments from the company’s general manager Ilnur Sakhabiev.
Sakhabiev did not reveal details, but added that he prefers to be a realist, predicting the emergence of a two-pedal Patriot in 2028, considering the time wasted in 2022 looking for a new “box.”
One important thing to note here: UAZ Patriot owners often modernize their SUVs, in particular they install turbochargers on them to significantly increase the power of the standard engine. Therefore, the selected gearbox must have a large “digestible” torque margin, otherwise it is meaningless.
