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Presentation

Cars for Oilmen: Generation NEXT

Vladimir Kotelnikov, general director of

The new GAZ brand vehicles, presented in October in Astana Kazakhstan Motor Show, are already available for sale at the network of Virazh car dealers throughout Kazakhstan. GAZ proposes the oil businesses in Kazakhstan the buses for rotation workers, trucks, special machinery for exploration, laboratories, technical crews, ambulances and mobile intensive care units. Moreover, the vehicles can be customized, in accordance with the  buyer’s needs.

The company Virazh Autosalons is an absolute leader in the area of the special and commercial vehicles in Kazakhstan, occupying, according to the Association of Automobile Business in Kazakhstan, more than 60% of the market share. This is not surprising. The holding company works since 1998 and has the branches in all the regions of the country, providing the services and exclusively represents the most popular brands of commercial vehicles. Moreover, the Group of companies Virazh Autosalons includes the SemAZ car assembly plant, being 100% Kazakhstani company.

GAZ vehicles occupy a special place among the cars produced by the motor company. A well-known brand, attractive prices, compliance with the climatic conditions of Kazakhstan, availability of the car service and parts, variety of models for different sectors of the national economy is only a part of the obvious advantages, proposed by this Gorky-based vehicle plant. Moreover, due to the cooperation of Virazh Autosalons holding with multiple banks of Kazakhstan, the GAZ vehicles can be bought by instalments, on credit with particularly attractive terms. The Group of Companies include a leasing company that offers its customers exclusive conditions for purchase of the vehicles in leasing.

Vladimir M. Kotelnikov, General Director of Virazh Autosalons, told our magazine about the advantages that GAZ can offer the oil industry in Kazakhstan.

-GAZ vehicles are characterized by increased accessibility, reliability and simplicity in operation, which is especially important, when operating in the difficult geographical and climate conditions. As you know, almost all the exploration, gas production and transportation processes are carried out in such conditions in our country. Therefore, we can meet the demand of oil and transport industry workers in buses and special vehicles, able perform a variety of tasks.

-Our readers are mostly interested in the new products of this year, presented at the exhibitions-economical vehicles with good environmental characteristics, adapted for our climate conditions. Please tell us about them.

-It happens quite often that you want to move the quite large cargo and working crew at the same time. The best new car is GAZel NEXT with 2-row cabin. Almost any special option can be installed on its basis: from the classical side platform to all the sorts of vans and crane& manipulator systems. This car is perfect for repair or delivery of emergency crews to the repairing shops. The double-cabin can comfortably accommodate 6 more people in addition to the driver: two for two front seats and four more in the back seat.

-For those who work in the rotational settlements or in the remote sites, far from the city, comfortable and reliable bus is important. Since the passengers shall sometimes spend more than one hour in the bus, the comfort makes sense for them. What can you offer for passenger transport over long distances?

-For transportation of the work brigades and for the intra-city travel, we offer a comfortable, modern and safe GAZelle NEXT bus. The distinctive features of this model are the spacious 19-seat passenger cabin with 1.9 m height, panoramic view, rich standard equipment and wide range of additional options. The comfortable passenger seats, autonomous heater, modern braking system with ABS make the trip pleasant and safe.

At the same time, the car still have a high mobility, excellent operability and it has considerable (ranging from 30 to 60 percent) price advantage, compared to the competitors".

The bus is the third model in the line of light commercial vehicles of the NEXT family. Production of a new range was launched by GAZ in April 2013, with with on-board standard model and extended versions of the platforms. In early March, 2014, we started production of the NEXT cargo and passenger model with double-row cabin. GAZ Group development program provides creation of a complete line of commercial vehicles with full weight from 2.8 to 5 tons.

-What can you offer for the hard-to-reach places and difficult climatic conditions? For example, for the geologists, surveyors, working in the desert, far from populated areas?

- Our new four-wheel drive Sobol has virtually no obstacles. This is a powerful all-terrain vehicle, equipped with diesel and petrol engines. Sobol is a universal car, suitable for both freight and passenger transport. The entire line of 4 x 4 Sobol vehicles has the ability to connect and disconnect four-wheel drive, which is very convenient for the country, as well as for the travels to remote places.

-Trucks seem to be another popular group of vehicles, demanded by the oil and gas companies. Your GAZon has a good reputation during many years of service. However, GAZ decided to improve this model. Please, tell us about the features of the fifth GAZon NEXT.

-New version of GAZonNEXTis a practical and stylish truck with average tonnage. Over a quarter of century, dedicated to production of its precursors, we released about one and a half million cars, about one million of them are still in operation. So, the time has proven the truck reliability. However, the business needed a new, modern model, and we could not respond to this need.

As to the fifth version, the front suspension is changed, now it has the longer springs. I would like to mention the upgraded gearbox with synchronizers at all gears, ZF clutch, anti-roll bars on both racks, wheel mounting in compliance with ISO, a strengthened frame and the non-serviced cardan drive. In general, the GAZon NEXT is a vehicle, meeting the requirements of serious business.

-Is it possible to install a laboratory, for example, based on the same GAZelle, upon a customer’s request?

- Of course. There are a wide variety of options: vehicle repair shop, gas repair shop, mobile repair shop, service station, we can also equip an ambulance or first aid car, laboratory, emergency operation office, garbage trucks, armoured vehicles, cars for the rotational workers and so on. It is done in Kazakhstan, on the basis of Semipalatinsk car assembly plant.

Let’s recognize the fact that our special equipment, don’t need any additional comments. The medical cars, trucks, vehicles for emergency services-we see them every day in every corner of Kazakhstan.  The buyer, as people say, votes with his money! No additional evidences of the quality and usability of our vehicles are required.

Another advantage is the availability of the service and spare parts for our cars. We have the service centres in all the regions of Kazakhstan, which in turn reduces not only the cost of owning a car, but it also facilitates the car maintenance.

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