Today the Russian market is “feverish”. Some companies leave our country, others cannot restore production. Under these conditions, there are noticeable “drawdowns” on the Russian market. Moreover, some segments may soon become empty. Moreover, one of the main “blows” will fall on budget compact crossovers. In this segment today, in particular, there are Renault Kaptur, Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen Taos. That is, these are cars whose manufacturers have decided to either leave Russia or suspend production indefinitely.
However, this segment of the market has been demonstrating an active growth in sales in recent years. So, Hyundai Creta constantly included in the list of TOP-3 best-selling cars in Russia. That is, now any manufacturer that enters the “empty” segment will be able to immediately get a good profit. In this regard, we should recall the statement of Denis Manturov, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, who did not rule out the possibility of returning Soviet brands to the market. However, taking into account the fact that the domestic auto industry needs another “push” that will cause an increase in production, it cannot be ruled out that cars of completely different brands will go on sale. In particular, the domestic designer suggested that the Ural brand crossover could enter the Russian market. He has already created several renders revealing this model.
The future novelty Ural-4320 2022-2023 is presented in the form of a compact crossover. That is, a company, creating a similar car, can immediately count on a high demand for it. At the same time, the Urals today specializes in large-capacity transport. Therefore, the company does not have the necessary technologies and designs that will allow you to create a compact crossover. In this regard, there is a need to find a partner who will help develop such a car.
Perhaps they will be company BYD. The Chinese manufacturer has certain plans for the Russian market. But today he is more focused on the development of a lineup of electric cars. In terms of sales, BYD in China has already surpassed Tesla. However, the company has crossovers with traditional internal combustion engines, which also continue to develop and may be in demand on the Russian market. But BYD will not be able to come with them to our country, since the Chinese company is not popular with us. Therefore, at first, the manufacturer will probably produce crossovers under another brand well-known in Russia. And the choice in favor of the Urals looks quite logical.
Design
The presented Ural-4320 2022-2023 crossover stands out for its simple design in terms of appearance. But this design option can be called advantageous for the company. Firstly, by creating a crossover in this design, the Urals will thereby significantly reduce the cost of developing a car. Secondly, it will be easier for the company to establish the production of such a model. That is, by creating such a crossover, the Urals will be able to bring it to the Russian market as soon as possible.
The presented novelty has an elongated front part of the body and a shortened rear. This configuration is generally typical for compact crossovers. However, the Russian model received a large polygonal radiator grille, which is crossed by horizontal slats and framed by a wide metal edging. At a noticeable distance from it are large headlights with LED strips. The upper ones probably serve as DRLs, the lower ones – as direction indicators. The front bumper is almost completely covered by a plastic overlay. There is no traditional air intake in its center. Instead, the developer placed wide ventilation cutouts on the sides, the perimeter of which is framed by thin LED strips.
In profile, the Russian model looks like a sports crossover. This effect is provided by a sloping roof, which slowly lowers towards the stern, and littered A-pillars. The wheel arches and the bottom of the side doors are covered by a wide plastic body kit. He hints that the presented crossover has good off-road capabilities. But in reality, the Russian model will be focused on operation in the city. So, the Ural-4320 2022-2023 crossover will definitely not receive all-wheel drive, because of which the car will rise in price significantly. In addition, the novelty has a low ground clearance.
At the stern of the presented model, the developer unexpectedly placed huge lights with LED strips that form an unusual pattern. The brand name is also written in large letters, which is generally not typical for modern crossovers. The Russian model is complemented by a developed spoiler, which emphasizes the sporty design of the body. The rear bumper of the Ural crossover is also closed with a plastic lining, on the sides of which there are additional cutouts connected by a wide metal insert.
Specifications
As noted above, technologies and designs for the creation of the first Ural crossover can be supplied by BYD. In this case, the Russian novelty will most likely be created on the basis of the Yuan compact SUV. This car costs less than 60 thousand yuan in China, which is about 490 thousand rubles at the current exchange rate. Therefore, it is ideal for creating a cheap crossover.
Thanks to the cooperation between Ural and BYD, the Russian novelty will receive by default a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine, the maximum power of which is only 109 hp. Such a return will be enough for a compact SUV. However, it is possible that BYD will also provide a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine. The maximum output of such a unit in Russia will be artificially reduced to 150 hp. It is also interesting that the presented Ural-4320 2022-2023 crossover can receive 4 gearboxes at once: automatic, mechanical, dual-clutch robotic and CVT. But it is more likely that the first 2 checkpoints will be prepared for the Russian model.
Start of sales
So far, BYD has not announced its plans for the Russian market. She seems to be exploring opportunities for development in our country. But if the described cooperation does take place, then the first Ural crossover will appear no earlier than 2023.