Gorky Automobile Plant transferred Valdai truck to a new engine and increased its carrying capacity. Due to the fact that the gross weight increased by 790 kg to 7.5 tons, and the carrying capacity - by 840 kg (up to 4628 kg), from 2023 the model will not be called "Valdai Next", but "Valdai 8", writes the portal Motor.ru. The main competitor of the novelty will be another Russian-Chinese medium-duty truck - KAMAZ Compass 9.
Recall that the second-generation Valdai debuted in 2020, and until recently it was offered only with a Cummins ISF 2.8 turbo diesel (133 hp, 353 Nm). Now, under the bonnet of the truck, a localized 2.5-liter G21B turbo diesel will appear in the 150 hp boost version and 420 Nm.
Since Valdai was built on the platform of heavy GAZon Next, there was no need to make changes to the chassis. But the driver's comfort was taken care of: the parking brake lever was shifted 170 miles back so that the front seats could be used for recreation. A new option will also appear - a full-fledged cabin with a factory "sleeping bag".
The list of other announced improvements includes additional heat and noise insulation of the cab, the installation of new protective plates near the engine, as well as the refinement of the cooling system. Otherwise, Valdai is unchanged: the thrust is transmitted to the rear axle through the domestic 6-speed "mechanics", and the cab is borrowed from the Chinese Foton trucks.
