GAZ-2330 "Tiger" - why do civilians need this SUV?

The Hummer is the most famous military SUV. According to the Russian classification, it belongs to trucks, at least the HMMWV.


Not everyone knows that the Hummer, which is coveted by many drivers, is a special brand created to promote the SUV on the civilian market. And in general, only the first generation has a “kinship” with the military HMMWV car – H1.

The second and third generation models, that is, H2 and H3, are completely different machines. They have nothing in common with military vehicles. And they were created on the chassis of frame SUVs. By the way, these models were also assembled in Russia.


But we have our own analogue of the HMMWV – the GAZ-2330 “Tiger” and its modifications. On the one hand, this is military equipment. On the other, no one forbids ordering “civilian” copies from the factory or buying them on the used market.

The only nuance is that the Tiger is expensive, even the old one. And this is despite its domestic origin. It is rare, and structurally it is a more serious car than the Hummer H1. For example, there are only two Tigers on sale now. They are asking five million rubles for one, and nine million rubles for the second. By the way, the cars were produced in 2003 and 2004.

History

GAZ-2330 appeared in Russia, one might say, by accident. The project is a kind of victim of circumstances. It all started when the leadership of one of the states that are part of the United Arab Emirates decided to order brutal SUVs for some of their needs.


They liked the HMMWV and Hummer H1. But they decided to buy cars from the Gorky Automobile Plant. The only problem was that GAZ did not have an analogue of the Hummer, it still had to be developed.

The reasons why Arab customers took this step are various:

✅ Political problems in relations with the USA
✅ An attempt to establish close cooperation with Russia
✅ Confidence that GAZ will produce more reliable cars

Some believe that the UAE customers were trying to negotiate with the US firm in this way. In fact, this is unlikely, given how much money they transferred to GAZ.

The problem was that the Gorky plant was not in the best financial position in the late 1990s. Simply put, they did not have the money to develop a new product.


This is surprising for the 90s, but the Russian plant quickly got its bearings, and in a little more than a year, presented several cars to customers. They were then called Tiger HMTV. Everyone liked the technology, receiving the highest marks at the IDEX-2001 exhibition, held in Abu Dhabi.


But the Arabs refused to pay for serial production. After thinking about it, they decided to order a batch of HMMWV. However, everyone benefited from this. The Americans signed a contract, the Gorky Automobile Plant received money and a new development, the customer received "Hummers".

By the way, the technical documentation was also given to the Arabs under the agreement. And after some time they began to assemble their own "Tiger"-like vehicles in Jordan.

Recognition in Russia

Since the Gorky Automobile Plant had an interesting SUV, it would be a sin not to take advantage of it. They decided to launch the car into production – with an eye on the military. But the SOBR and the Ministry of Internal Affairs were interested in the "Tiger".

Then the model in various versions began to be supplied to the Ministry of Defense. However, this did not last long - the Ministry decided that it was better to buy Italian models - Iveco LMV. We renamed them "Lynxes".


The "Tigers" were considered insufficiently armored, which forced the manufacturer to look for sales on the civilian market. There, the model was met with delight, but the take was weak. No wonder - the price seemed prohibitive. The GAZ-2330 was affordable only to oligarchs.

The military returned to the Tigers after the appointment of Sergei Shoigu as Minister of Defense. The manufacturer only had to increase the level of armor protection. Soon, the production of vehicles for the army was transferred to the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant. GAZ continued to produce civilian versions of SUVs.

Technical features

There are three engines under the hood of the GAZ-2330. They are related by their large volume and diesel component. Initially, Cummins 5,9 liter engines were installed. Their power is 180 and 205 hp. With such a volume, this hinted at colossal traction.

After 2022, when economic sanctions were imposed on the Russian Federation, American power units had to be abandoned. Instead, the YaMZ-5347-10 with a volume of 4,4 liters and a power of 215 hp appeared. Despite its domestic origin, it also has Common Rail fuel equipment.


All Tigers are based on a frame chassis. Their bodies are mostly all-metal. Only all-wheel drive. The cabin can accommodate from four to nine passengers. The cargo compartment is designed to carry from 1,2 to 1,5 tons.

The car's suspension is taken from an armored personnel carrier - it is independent torsion. The shock absorbers are hydraulic, there are anti-roll bars. The SUV is serious - with a transfer case and interaxle differential lock.

Options include automatic tire inflation and wheel reducers, electric winch. A standard fuel heater is provided to start the diesel engine in the cold season.

In general, there is no limit to tuning for the civilian "Tiger". The manufacturer does not indulge in this, but third-party companies are ready to make almost anything to order. Naturally, it will not be cheap.

Driving on asphalt and off-road

In the city, the GAZ-2330 is definitely a problematic car – it is too big. It does not fit on some narrow lanes, and turning around in the yard is a real epic.


Of course, given that it is a truck, it is assumed that it will be driven by drivers with the appropriate category. But some people specifically get their license before buying a Tiger. And they have no experience.

The GAZ-2330 drives well on asphalt, but mostly in a straight line. But if you try to turn at speed, especially in the presence of a rolled track, especially sharply - nothing may work.


Once you get off-road, it becomes clear for what conditions the GAZ-2330 was developed. It easily overcomes fords, slopes, and does not notice dirt. It seems that the car can only get stuck if it is buried up to the roof.

Who is it for?

Naturally, many Russian drivers like the brutal SUV, similar to the Hummer. They do not buy it for one main reason - the car is expensive. And it is inconvenient in the city - too large. However, if it were not for the price issue, this would not be taken into account.


Wealthy hunters and fishermen buy the Tiger. This vehicle can easily get into the wilds, loading the car with all the necessary equipment. And if you really need to, you can spend the night in the Tiger itself.

GAZ-2330 could replace UAZ in all areas, but this will not happen. The prices for these cars are very different. Therefore, the "Tiger", especially in civilian version, is an exclusive, available to a few.

It is much cheaper to buy a Hummer H2. But, compared to the GAZ-2330, it seems like an ordinary crossover.