GAZ-31105 is a mid-size passenger car, which has become not only the latest model in the legendary Volga subcompact series, but also the final domestic passenger car manufactured at the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant at the moment.
The first small car GAZ
One of the leading domestic manufacturers of automotive equipment, the Nizhny Novgorod (Gorkovsky) automobile plant, which is currently part of the large production holding GAZ Group, issued its first products in 1932. These were the GAZ-AA light truck and the GAZ-A passenger model. Although both cars were manufactured according to the drawings of the American company Ford, the cars received an improved clutch, steering gear, more powerful power units, which increased reliability.
The first factory car GAZ-A received a five-seater body with a soft top chaise, it was made until 1936. It is this model and numerous modifications based on it that laid the foundation for the period of production of cars at the automobile plant.
Development of car production
The Gorky Automobile Plant produced various types of equipment (trucks, buses, tanks, self-propelled guns), but the production of cars was one of the key areas. Immediately after the release of GAZ-A, the plant began to manufacture a small car GAZ-M-1. It was already a four-door five-seat sedan, with an all-metal roof. The car not only quickly became the most popular in the country, but also received an all-wheel drive modification.
Further development of passenger cars with improved cross-country ability at the plant was the development and manufacture of the army off-road vehicle GAZ-64, which was replaced on the assembly line by the legendary GAZ-69.
At the same time, the company began manufacturing the Pobeda M-20 passenger car and the first representative six-seater GAZ-12 sedan. In the mid-fifties, both models were replaced by the GAZ-21 Volga and GAZ-13 Chaika.
The beginning of a series of passenger cars "Volga"
The first car of this series was the legendary Volga under the factory index GAZ-21. The mid-size passenger car was produced from 1956 to 1970, and in total almost 640,000 copies were produced. At the beginning of the release, the model had a modern design, in addition, the advantages include:
- powerful engines;
- spacious and comfortable lounge;
- high-quality suspension;
- good handling.
A successful design, periodic updates not only ensured a long period of car production, but also the development of 38 different modifications based on the Volga.
Serially, the GAZ-21 on the conveyor in 1970 was replaced by the next Volga under the GAZ-24 index, however, the first copies of the new item were made in 1967. The car can hardly be called outstanding, but in the absence of competition, it remained the only domestic mid-size passenger car and was produced until 1985.
Continuation of the Volga
After the GAZ-24 was discontinued, they planned to move on to the new Volga generation with a completely new body design, as well as power units, a chassis, increased comfort and safety. The design of such a model began at the factory in the late sixties. The first test copy was presented in 1973. An important stage in the development period was the desire to eliminate the shortcomings of the previous model, among which stood out weak passive safety, increased noise in the cabin, and low directional stability. The car was considered promising, but for a number of reasons it was decided to abandon serial production.
In 1981, a model with the GAZ-3102 index, which had a weaker engine, was delivered to the conveyor. In addition, given the principles of reducing fuel consumption, Volga refused automatic transmission, power steering, air conditioning, as well as other improvements. GAZ-3102 with numerous updates was produced until 2009.
GAZ-31105 - the final model of the legendary family
Simultaneously with model 3102, a simplified version of the Volga car was produced under the code 31029, which practically preserved the design of the GAZ-21-10, but some elements and panels of the GAZ-3102 were used for the body. Relatively new to the small car was the design of the front of the car. The model was produced by factory standards for long - only 5 years, and in 1995 the next version of the Volga was released under the index 3110.
This novelty did not differ in modern design, and the main advantage was considered to be a change in the interior decoration, which became similar to the salons of inexpensive foreign cars. The production of the car ceased in 2005, and 2 years earlier the plant released a restyled version of the 3110 model under the GAZ-31105 index (photo below), which became the last car of the Volga family.
History of model creation
In the late nineties of the last century, the demand for Volga cars decreased markedly. The reasons were not only a decrease in the quality of cars produced, but also the appearance in the segment of mid-size passenger cars of used cars. Therefore, when developing the next car of the Volga family, the designers sought to form the following qualities for the novelty:
- affordable cost, within seven thousand dollars;
- spacious lounge;
- general reliability;
- low operating costs;
- recognizable appearance.
To implement the plan, large financial investments were required in the design development and production restructuring. Therefore, the company decided to go in a proven way, to modernize the 3110 model and produce a GAZ-31105 car on its basis. The next model was to become more modern and perfect, while quickly recouping the costs of organizing production.
Design
For the first time, the company introduced the new version of GAZ-31105 in 2002 during the Moscow Motor Show. Designers succeeded, taking into account the technological and production constraints imposed by the old body, it was quite revolutionary to change the appearance of the new “Volga”. The main solutions for this design update were:
- unusual shape of the head optics in a two-lens design;
- narrowed grille in a wide chrome frame;
- long lower additional air intake;
- powerful bonnet stamping ribs;
- aerodynamic design of side mirrors;
- smooth transition lines of the front and rear wings;
- extended wheel arches;
- combined taillights.
Additional expressiveness for the model was formed by both GAZ-31105 bumpers with special protective pads and a straight-line front stamping. According to car owners and experts, the appearance of the novelty has become the most attractive among all the alterations of the design of the “twenty four”.
Interior Features
In the GAZ-31105 cabin, large changes were also made, which, according to the materials used, the comfort and the quality of the fitting of the elements, allowed the interior to correspond to foreign analogues. Among the main decisions should be highlighted:
- height-adjustable front seats;
- the ability to adjust the steering wheel for tilt and reach;
- four-spoke steering wheel with audio controls;
- instrument panel liquid crystal monitor with antiglare visor;
- electronic tachometer and speedometer device;
- central armrest with compartment for things;
- large glove box;
- a significant number of pockets, niches and compartments.
The decoration used high-strength fabric, high-quality soft plastic, pile flooring, plastic inserts for polished wood. The interior features include a two-color design.
Power units
For the entire period of its production, the engines on the GAZ-31105 were installed as follows:
1. Name - ZMZ-402:
- type - four-stroke gasoline;
- the number of cylinders - 4;
- the number of valves is 8;
- volume - 2.45 l;
- power - 100 l. from.;
- compression ratio - 8.2;
- environmental performance class - 0.
2. Name - ZMZ-4062.10:
- type - four-stroke gasoline;
- the number of cylinders - 4;
- number of valves - 16;
- volume - 2.29 l;
- power - 145 l. from.;
- compression ratio - 9.3;
- environmental performance class - 0.
3. Name - ZMZ-40525:
- type - four-stroke gasoline;
- the number of cylinders - 4;
- number of valves - 16;
- volume - 2.46 l;
- power - 152 l. from.;
- compression ratio - 9.3;
- environmental performance class - 3.
4. Name - Chrysler DOHC 2.4L:
- type - four-stroke gasoline;
- the number of cylinders - 4;
- number of valves - 16;
- volume - 2.43 l;
- power - 137 l. from.;
- compression ratio - 9.3;
- environmental performance class - 3.
With the Chrysler engine, the GAZ-31105 was produced from mid-2006. To install the motor on the car, it was necessary to carry out modifications. In particular, the following were changed:
- power unit mounting points;
- stiffeners on the inner surface of the hood removed;
- gear ratios are replaced;
- redone the injection system.
As a result of these decisions, engine power decreased from 150 to 137 forces.
Technical specifications
For the GAZ-31105, the basic performance and the ZMZ-4062.10 engine were:
- body type - sedan;
- number of doors - 4;
- passenger capacity - 5 people;
- wheelbase - 2.80 m;
- length - 4.92 m;
- width - 1.81 m;
- height - 1.42 m;
- ground clearance - 16.0 cm;
- front track - 1.50 m;
- back track - 1.44 m;
- curb weight - 1.40 t;
- total weight - 1.89 tons;
- trunk size - 505 l;
- transmission - mechanical;
- drive - rear;
- gearbox (KP) - five-speed;
- engine power - 145 l. from.;
- maximum speed - 165.0 km / h;
- acceleration to 100 km / h - 13.6 seconds;
- fuel consumption (speed 80/120 km / h) - 8.8 / 11.0 l / 100 km;
- fuel consumption (urban cycle) - 13.5 l / 100 km;
- front brakes - ventilated, disc;
- rear brakes - drum;
- disc size - 6.5J x 15;
- tire dimension - 195 / 65R15.
Depending on the power of the installed power units on the car, the dynamic properties and indicators of the GAZ-31105 in fuel consumption changed.
Advantages and disadvantages
Despite the updated interesting design, high-quality technical specifications, the GAZ-31105 car is hopelessly outdated by the beginning of the 20th century. A total of 190,000 vehicles were manufactured. The last “Volga” possessed the following main advantages:
- affordable cost;
- general reliability;
- spacious lounge;
- good handling;
- high-quality head lighting;
- high liquidity;
- suitability for operation in domestic conditions;
- economic operation.
Among the shortcomings, car owners identified:
- poor sound insulation;
- low quality paintwork;
- weak dynamics.
Despite the fact that the GAZ-31105 possessed certain advantages, it could not stand the competition with the beginning of the arrival of similar foreign cars to the domestic car market. First of all, foreign cars surpassed the last domestic Volga in design, comfort, equipment, safety.
With the termination of production of the GAZ-31105 in 2010, not only the production of the Volga family of cars was completed, but the production of domestic passenger cars at the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant was stopped.