UAZ has teamed up with Bremach Inc. to bring some of those rugged Russian off-roaders to the United States. First to arrive is the UAZ Patriot, which has been rebadged as the Bremach Taos. Pre-orders have already commenced, with pricing starting at US$ 26,405, excluding destination – almost US$ 2,000 shy of the 2021 Jeep Wrangler.
Standard gear includes the 18-inch Sahara
alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, 7-inch
touchscreen infotainment system, LTE/Wi-Fi modem, front and rear heated seats,
heated windshield and side mirrors, refrigerated glovebox and remote engine
start.
Described as a “premium 4×4” on Bremach’s
website, the Taos is powered by a 2.7-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine. It
produces 150 HP, driving all four wheels through a six-speed automatic
transmission with two-speed transfer case. A manual gearbox will be available as
an option. Unlike most high-riders on sale today, this is a body-on-frame SUV,
so it should be able to take its occupants off the beaten path without breaking
a sweat.
The Taos has an 210 mm ground
clearance, wading depth of 500 mm, and approach and departure
angles of 35 and 30 degrees respectively. Bremach will also launch several
off-road accessories for the Taos, such as lift kits, snorkels, bull bars,
cable winches and so on.
Available exclusively in America through
Bremach’s official dealer network, the Taos will be covered by a
5-year/60,000-mile (96,561-km) bumper-to-bumper warranty, while the powertrain
will benefit from a 10-year/120,000-mile (193,121-km) warranty. Bremach will
also launch another vehicle from UAZ’s portfolio, the Patriot pickup truck.
Said to be undergoing final homologation, it will be rebadged as the Bremach
Brio and is expected to launch with an MSRP of US$ 27,882, which would actually
make it almost US$ 3,500 more expensive than the 2020 Ford Ranger. For reference,
the 2021 Jeep Gladiator has an MSRP of US$ 33,565 and an employee starting price
of US$ 31,529.
