Car GAZ-31105: photo, specifications

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

GAZ-31105 is a mid-size passenger car, which has become not only the latest model in the legendary series of small cars "Volga", but also the final domestic passenger car produced 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 (Gorky) Automobile Plant, currently part of the large production holding GAZ Group, produced its first products in 1932. These were the GAZ-AA light truck and the GAZ-A passenger car model. Although both cars were manufactured according to the drawings of the American company Ford, the cars received an improved clutch, steering mechanism, more powerful power units, which increased reliability.

The first factory passenger car GAZ-A received a five-seater phaeton body with a soft top, it was manufactured until 1936. It was this model and numerous modifications based on it that laid the foundation for the production of passenger cars at the car factory.

Development of passenger car production

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 end of the production of GAZ-A, the plant began manufacturing the small car GAZ-M-1. It was already a four-door five-seater 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 off-road passenger vehicles at the plant was the development and production of the GAZ-64 military off-road vehicle, 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 executive six-seater GAZ-12 sedan. In the mid-fifties, both models were replaced by the GAZ-21 Volga and GAZ-13 Chaika.

Beginning of a series of small 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 interior;
• quality suspension;
• good handling.

Successful design, periodic updates not only ensured a long period of production of the car, but also the development of 38 different modifications based on the Volga.

Serially GAZ-21 on the assembly line in 1970 was replaced by the next "Volga" under the GAZ-24 index, however,the first copies of the novelty 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 release of "Volga"

After the cessation of production of the GAZ-24, they planned to switch to a new generation of Volga with a completely new body design, as well as power units, chassis, increased comfort and safety. The design of such a model began at the plant in the late sixties. The first copy for testing was presented in 1973. An important stage in the development period was the desire to eliminate the shortcomings of the previous model, among which were 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 was put on the conveyor, which had a weaker engine. In addition, taking into account the principles of reducing fuel consumption, the Volga was denied automatic transmission, hydraulic booster, 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

In parallel with the 3102 model, a simplified version of the Volga car was produced under the index 31029, which practically retained the design of the GAZ-21-10, but some elements and panels of the GAZ-3102 were used for the body. Relatively new for a small car has becomedecoration of the front of the car. The model was produced by factory standards for a short time - 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 a change in interior decoration, which became similar to the salons of inexpensive foreign cars. The production of the passenger 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 the creation of the model

In the late nineties of the last century, the demand for Volga cars dropped noticeably. The reasons were not only a decrease in the quality of manufactured cars, but also the appearance of used foreign cars in the segment of mid-size passenger 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 interior;
• general reliability;
• low cost of ownership;
• recognizable appearance.

To implement the plan, large financial investments in design development and restructuring of production were required. Therefore, the company decided to go in a proven way, to modernize the 3110 model and produce the GAZ-31105 car on its basis. The next model was supposed to become more modern and perfect, while quickly recouping the cost oforganization of production.

Design

For the first time the company presented a new version of GAZ-31105 in 2002 during the Moscow Motor Show. The designers succeeded, taking into account the technological and production limitations that the old body imposed, to quite revolutionary change the appearance of the new Volga. The main decisions of this design update were:

• unusual shape of head optics in two-lens design;
• narrowed grille with wide chrome frame;
• long lower secondary air intake;
• powerful bonnet stamping ribs;
• aerodynamic side mirror design;
• smooth transition lines of the front and rear fenders;
• widened wheel arches;
• combination rear lights.

Additional expressiveness for the model was formed by both GAZ-31105 bumpers with special protective overlays and straight front stamping. According to car owners and experts, the appearance of the novelty has become the most attractive among all the design alterations of the "twenty-four".

Interior Features

In the cabin of the GAZ-31105, major changes were also made, which, in terms of the materials used, the comfort and quality of the fit of the elements, allowed the interior to correspond to foreign counterparts. Among the main decisions to highlight:

• height-adjustable front seats;
• ability to adjust the steering wheel for tilt and reach;
• four-spokesteering wheel with audio controls;
• instrument panel LCD monitor with anti-glare visor;
• electronic device for tachometer and speedometer;
• center armrest with storage compartment;
• large glove box;
• significant number of pockets, niches and compartments.

The decoration used high-strength fabric, high-quality soft plastic, pile flooring, plastic inserts under polished wood. The interior features include a two-tone design.

Powertrains

For the entire period of its production, the following engines were installed on the GAZ-31105:

1. Name - ZMZ-402:

• type - gasoline four-stroke;
• number of cylinders – 4;
• number of valves – 8;
• volume – 2, 45 l;
• power - 100 hp p.;
• compression value - 8, 2;
• environmental performance class - 0.

2. Name - ZMZ-4062.10:

• type - gasoline four-stroke;
• number of cylinders – 4;
• number of valves - 16;
• volume - 2, 29 l;
• power - 145 hp p.;
• compression value - 9, 3;
• environmental performance class - 0.

3. Name - ZMZ-40525:

• type - gasoline four-stroke;
• number of cylinders – 4;
• number of valves - 16;
• volume – 2.46 l;
• power - 152 hp p.;
• compression value - 9, 3;
• class environmentalperformance - 3.

4. Name - Chrysler DOHC 2.4L:

• type - gasoline four-stroke;
• number of cylinders – 4;
• number of valves - 16;
• volume - 2, 43 l;
• power - 137 hp p.;
• compression value - 9, 3;
• green performance class - 3.

GAZ-31105 has been produced with the Chrysler engine since mid-2006. To install the motor on the car, it was necessary to perform alterations. In particular, the following have been changed:

• power unit attachment points;
• removed stiffeners on the inner surface of the hood;
• gear ratios replaced;
• redesigned injection system.

As a result of these decisions, engine power has decreased from 150 to 137 hp.

Technical parameters

For the GAZ-31105, the characteristics in the basic version and the ZMZ-4062.10 engine were:

• body type - sedan;
• number of doors - 4;
• passenger capacity - 5 pax;
• wheelbase - 2.80 m;
• length - 4.92 m;
• width – 1.81m;
• height - 1.42 m;
• ground clearance - 16.0 cm;
• front track - 1.50 m;
• rear track - 1.44 m;
• curb weight - 1.40 tons;
• gross weight – 1.89 t;
• trunk size - 505 l;
• transmission - mechanical;
• wheel drive - rear;
• gearbox (KP) - five-speed;
• engine power - 145 hp p.;
• maximum speed -165.0 km/h;
• acceleration to 100 km/h - 13.6 sec;
• fuel consumption (speed 80/120 km/h) - 8, 8/11, 0 l/100 km;
• fuel consumption (urban) - 13.5 l/100 km;
• front brakes - ventilated, disc;
• rear brakes - drum;
• disc size - 6.5J x 15;
• tire size - 195/65R15.

Depending on the power of the installed power units on the car, the dynamic properties and indicators of the GAZ-31105 in terms of fuel consumption changed.

Advantages and disadvantages

Despite the updated interesting design, high-quality technical characteristics, the GAZ-31105 car was hopelessly outdated by the beginning of the 20th century. Only 190,000 copies of the car were made. The last "Volga" had the following main advantages:

• affordable cost;
• general reliability;
• spacious interior;
• good handling;
• quality headlights;
• high liquidity;
• suitability for domestic use;
• economical operation.

Among the shortcomings, car owners singled out:

• poor soundproofing;
• poor paint quality;
• weak momentum.

Despite the fact that the GAZ-31105 had certain advantages, it could not stand the competition with the beginning of the arrival of similar foreign-made cars on the domestic car market. First of all, foreign cars were superior to the last domestic "Volga"design, comfort, equipment, safety.

With the cessation of production of the GAZ-31105 in 2010, the production of the Volga family of passenger cars was not only completed, but the production of domestic passenger cars at the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant was also stopped.