Exactly ten years ago, ZAZ produced more than 280 thousand new cars. And this is just for one year, 2007! In those days, the management of the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant had one problem - whether there would be enough capacity...
Today, the Ukrainian auto giant faces another pressing question: how to survive. Moreover, information about visits of foreign guests to ZAZ was recently distributed on the Internet.
Is the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant really on the verge of closure, what does it “breathe” and does it have prospects – Avtotsentr.ua found out
Our journalists visited AvtoZAZ several times, however, often the reasons were good - the expansion of the model line, the appearance of new equipment, etc. This time the reason for the visit was unverified rumors about the catastrophic situation of the plant and losses. It is enough to know that in 2016 ZAZ received UAH 602.81 million. net loss.
The good news is that a year earlier they were even larger. This means that the patient is still more likely to be alive than dead.
Upon arrival in Zaporozhye, the first thing that set us up for optimism was the meeting of journalists on the new ZAZ A10 bus, which has already found a place in the sun in the Old World.
No money, but you hold on
On the way to the enterprise, journalists immediately bombarded the top officials of the car plant with questions. How long will Lanos be produced, why are there no new models, when will prices finally drop, etc. I confess that the top managers were very sensitive about them, but, as it seemed to me, they answered sincerely and with hope. But what I remember most is what prevents Ukraine from producing “normal” cars.
It turns out that it is enough to project the experience of neighboring Slovakia, or more precisely, its legislation - the state compensates for up to 70% of investments in the automotive industry and rewards bonuses for each new job. In Ukraine, the state’s attitude towards the automotive industry is, to put it mildly, indifferent, so there is no need to talk about creating attractive conditions for investors. The same applies to tax policy, when, for example, when importing equipment, etc. for production, you also need to pay VAT.
Zaporozhye also points to Belarus and Uzbekistan as examples. The latter was recently associated with cotton and melons, and now it is in full swing producing and selling cars throughout Eastern Europe. As for Belarus, there is also progress, which is confirmed by Lukashenko’s recent statement about the need to create a Belarusian electric car.
By the way, ZAZ is also trying to follow global trends. According to management, ZAZ plans to produce a large one for Novaya Poshta and is preparing one, which will most likely be exported to Poland. In the future, it would be entirely possible for the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant to produce electric cars and buses for sale within the country, but at the moment this is unlikely - there is no incentive for the purchase of such vehicles from the state, and the cost of batteries does not yet allow the production of ZAZ electric cars affordable for Ukrainians.
At the moment, the plant produces mainly Lanos and Sens. ZAZ Vida is much less common on the assembly line. And the ZAZ Forza production line has been completely mothballed. It must be said that there are also fewer people - in the past years of the peak of car sales in Ukraine, everything was “seething” here, and robots worked 20 hours a day. Well, today some of the equipment is idle, and the personnel are optimized accordingly - many who had to leave the enterprise, according to the plant management, are leaving the city. Among them are valuable personnel whose training took years.
In 9 months, 6 and a half hundred new cars rolled off the assembly line. This is actually negligible and may not even cover energy costs. By the way, in order to save money, engineers had to “rethink” and optimize costs. Therefore, part of the work was transferred to the shoulders of people - in order to retain personnel and save on electricity.
In order for the conveyor not to stop once and for all, as director of the enterprise Nikolai Evdokimenko says, we had to shrink and limit ourselves to the production of 25 cars per day.
Not Lanos alone
Now it is Sens and Lanos who are helping ZAZ survive. And we are talking not only about the Ukrainian market, but also about Egypt, where the Ukrainian company exports stampings for Lanos and Aveo.
Management agrees that without a “new breath,” the once mighty auto giant is facing its last breath. And ZAZ has a solution to the problem - a crossover and a new Slavuta.
In Zaporozhye they are ready to produce a ZAZ crossover, which may be the Chery Tiggo2, already familiar to Ukrainians. Cherie again, our brand again? This can be viewed differently, but we should not forget that ZAZ is one of the few full-cycle plants with a high level of localization. That is, most parts and components are made in Ukraine and by Ukrainians.
And these are jobs, the regional economy, etc. As for Slavuta, many probably remember how in 2016, created on the basis of the conceptual Chery Riich G2, created a surprising amount of noise and caused heated discussions on the Internet. This means that people are still waiting and believing that AvtoZAZ will finally release something new and affordable. And most importantly - your...
The plant says that they would be happy to start producing a new model. They claim that there are ideas and that the technical capability is there. What is missing? Investments, economic policy of the state, focused on the development of the industry, or, at least, determination of priorities by the government. After all, once upon a time, namely now, it is difficult for ZAZ to compete with non-customs cleared cars from Europe and, let’s be honest, with the new state employees of the Uzbek Ravon.
“So let them make their cars cheaper,” you say. Yes, probably, this could help get out of the “financial hole,” but the notorious events in the Donbass have led to the fact that foreign investors are not only afraid to invest, but are also wary of even visiting the plant, explaining this by the proximity of the front line, to which only 200 km.
Moreover, recently ZAZ has been buying metal in... Slovakia. Paradox: one of the most powerful countries in the metallurgy market buys metal abroad. For what? Ukraine does not produce metal suitable for car bodies. Previously, the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant purchased it in Russia, but for obvious reasons it changed the supplier, and now pays for this product in foreign currency. And this, of course, affects the cost of cars.
Close and forget?
To be honest, many Ukrainians believe that ZAZ should be closed and forgotten about. Judging by the government's inaction, statesmen are in solidarity with the people. Of course, this is an option, because public opinion says that it is better to take a used foreign car than a new ZAZ. But if we continue to argue this way, it could all end in the fact that only shopping and entertainment centers will remain in Ukraine, and once-powerful enterprises will be converted into pubs and loft spaces for freelancers. I don’t exclude that it will be even more profitable, but is it right?
Despite the difficult situation, ZAZ top managers say that they do not expect financial assistance and preferences, but simply want to receive from the state a clear position on the vector of the country’s development for the foreseeable future, which can help potential investors understand the “rules of the game” and, perhaps, attract them attention. Moreover, there is no need to create anything from scratch, since there is huge potential.
That is, if Ukraine defines itself as an agricultural country, the plant will be retrained to produce agricultural machinery. If it is aviation, this can also be solved. They want to switch Ukrainians to electric cars – and this is possible. But for now, the management of the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant and its staff, like you and me, are in a state of “hedgehog in the fog,” and even though the enterprise itself is trying to enlighten the foggy future with its “fog lights,” visibility is still almost zero...
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(PJSC ZAZ) is the only enterprise in Ukraine that has a full cycle of production of passenger cars, which includes stamping, welding, painting, body equipment and vehicle assembly. The company has created and is constantly improving a qualitatively new, modern high-tech production facility. The priorities of ZAZ PJSC are the constant desire to improve its own products, work on introducing new ideas and expanding the range of cars.
The high level of technical support for production has become the basis for fruitful cooperation between ZAZ PJSC and the leaders of the global automotive industry: Adam Opel, Daimler AG, GM DAT, VAZ, TATA, Chery, KIA. Production is focused mainly on consumers of class C cars (the fastest growing market segment).
PJSC ZAZ is part of the UkrAVTO group of companies. Ukrainian Automobile Corporation is the leader of the Ukrainian automobile market; largest manufacturer and distributor of cars, provider of high-quality car service.
The dynamics of the development of the car plant, the priorities of which are the constant desire to improve its own products, work on putting new ideas into practice and expanding the model range of cars, speaks of the progress in creating a domestic car.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND POLICY
The company's quality policy is aimed at meeting the requirements and expectations of consumers and improving the quality management system. Production complies with the requirements of the international standard ISO 9001:2000 and the requirements put forward by the partners of ZAZ PJSC:
- ensures the production of high-quality products and their continuous improvement;
- increases customer satisfaction;
- defines the functions, powers and responsibilities of all personnel, improves interaction and mutual understanding of personnel;
- increases the effectiveness of decisions made;
- constantly improves design, production, control and management processes;
- increases the performance of the enterprise as a whole due to the priority of prevention methods over methods of eliminating deficiencies;
- increases the competitiveness of the enterprise.
WELDING PRODUCTION
Automation of production, which almost completely eliminated human resources, especially at the body welding stage, improved the speed and quality of operations. Body welding is carried out on lines that are equipped with unique equipment that has no analogues in Ukraine. Operations are performed using robotic technology systems. Maximum mechanization and automation of welding production allows, with little labor input, not only to ensure quality in accordance with the most stringent requirements, but also to control it with modern diagnostic tools.
The welding production includes flexible automatic lines "FANUC", "COMAU", "KUKA", control systems "Texas-500", "Alen-Bredley", "Simatik-110".
The quality level of welded bodies is determined in the body geometry laboratory using modern equipment that meets international standards. The PRO Compact coordinate measuring machine installed in the laboratory is multidisciplinary, performs measuring functions, scans surfaces, and, using software, converts them into three-dimensional image surfaces. The quality of welded joints is controlled by destructive and non-destructive methods. The quality of the front surface and the compliance of the gaps of the mounted units are controlled on 100% of manufactured bodies.
Productivity is 22 knots per hour.
PAINTING PRODUCTION
The painting process has two components: painting the body and painting the plastic parts.
Before the parts are supplied to the painting chambers, degreasing, washing, blowing and drying are carried out in a surface preparation unit. After gas-flame treatment and blowing with ionized air, the parts enter the priming and painting chambers. All processes are carried out using robots.
Preparation of the body surface at the stage of degreasing and phosphating is carried out by immersion in a cataphoresis bath and spraying using a phosphating composition and cathodic electrophoresis. The use of paint materials produced by BASF and KCC and modern painting technology provide a 5-year guarantee against through body corrosion.
The sealant application phase is followed by a tricycle of painting. The spray head of each SAMES robot rotates at a speed of 30 thousand revolutions per minute, painting one body takes 1 minute 25 seconds.
The lines provide the possibility of using pastel and metallic enamels. Nine modern robots are installed in the painting shop, five of them are designed for applying paint, four for applying varnish. The capabilities of the painting shop are a conveyor belt with a speed of 3.75 m/min, where bodies are painted in 12 colors: 8 - metallic, 4 - pastel.
New robotic equipment can be easily reprogrammed, performing painting quickly and efficiently. The production operates two automatic lines with a total length of the cargo conveyor of 4,100 m.
Painting conveyors provide a capacity of 32 bodies per hour.
MOTOR PRODUCTION
The Melitopol Motor Plant is a self-supporting enterprise of PJSC ZAZ and traces its history back to 1908, when I. Zaferman founded a plant for the production of oil engines.
The history of the enterprise is inextricably linked with specialization in the production of power units and constant development. It was in Melitopol that the first engines for the legendary Zaporozhets car were produced. Cars of the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant “Tavria”, “Slavuta” and “Sens” are also equipped with Melitopol engines.
Melitopol Motor Plant became the first plant in Ukraine to develop an engine design with an extensive fuel injection system and an electronic engine control system (MeMZ-307 with a power of 70 hp).
In 2004, the plant was awarded a Certificate of Compliance of the quality management system with the International Standard ISO 9001:2000, issued by the transnational International Technical Society BUREAU VERITAS.
Despite the fact that the main customer of the Melitopol plant remains the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant, some of the products (spare parts) are also exported. Today the company employs more than three thousand people. Its work is provided by 256 suppliers (in Ukraine - 203, in Russia - 45, far abroad - 8). In addition to the production of engines, MeMZ produces new types of products: car transporter semi-trailer, tow truck, cargo platform, TATA-based van.
Melitopol Motor Plant produces power units that meet the Euro 2 standard: engines up to 1.4 liters and transmissions.
ASSEMBLY PRODUCTION
The production uses the principle of production lines using a system of overhead and floor-mounted sidewalk conveyors. Assembly, for example, of Lanos cars is carried out simultaneously at a rate of 32 cars per hour. Every two minutes for 8 hours a finished car rolls off the assembly line here, that is, 240 cars per shift.
The new conveyor line and equipment used for assembly are universal, which makes it easy to adapt the workshop for the assembly of new car models.
The Zaporozhye Automobile Plant produces 5 models of passenger cars under the ZAZ brand using full-scale production. Some components - power units, fittings, seats, plastic products - are produced at the enterprise. The rest is provided by supplier companies, more than 80% of which are localized in Ukraine.
TESTS
The vehicle's parameters are checked on test stands installed in the assembly shop for running in, testing brakes, adjusting the angles of the steering wheels and adjusting the headlights.
After bench tests, the car is sent for road tests. The track consists of different types of surfaces - speed bumps, plates for checking asymmetric loads, ropes for checking symmetric loads, various types of road surfaces. Test experts check the vehicle for compliance with noise, vibration and harshness requirements, and conduct an additional visual inspection of all components and assemblies of the tested vehicle on the ascent/descent ramp. Each vehicle undergoes final processing, which includes the following steps:
- washing after road running;
- inspection control for leaks;
- elimination of defects identified after road testing;
- control of facial surfaces;
- installation of additional options.
LOGISTICS
After testing and final processing, the formed batch of cars is moved to the finished product warehouse, to the car logistics department. The modernized logistics system at ZAZ is constantly developing, ensuring efficiency, efficiency and quality of the complex of works related to both timely delivery of components to factory conveyors, and prompt delivery of the finished car to the sales network under the order of its future owner. The logistics center (area 12 thousand sq.m.), located on the territory of the plant, allows us to continuously receive hundreds of thousands of goods necessary for production, process them efficiently and promptly deliver them to their destination for production. Today, the logistics system also includes two sections for the accumulation and shipment of finished products with a total area of 51,289 sq.m., where there can be over 1,300 new cars that are ready for shipment to different parts of Ukraine every day.
PJSC ZAZ is actively implementing its export policy, consolidating its achieved positions in export markets and developing new directions. The company exports cars, vehicle kits and components to Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt.
There are several versions about the year the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant was founded. The factory workers themselves are accustomed to consider 1863 as the date of creation of the plant, when the Dutchman Abraham Koop created a plant for the production of agricultural machinery. Another option is 1908, when the Melitopol Motor Plant (MeMZ) was founded, which began supplying its engines to ZAZ in 1960. Another date is 1923, then the former Abraham Koop plant was renamed “Kommunar”. However, the direction of the enterprise's activity remained until 1960 - the production of agricultural machinery.
And so, probably, until now the Kommunar plant would have been producing haymowers and harrows, if one day Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev had not come up with the idea of overtaking the States in terms of the number of cars per capita. True, unlike America, our car (like our apartment) should be small. Well, Khrushchev didn’t like big things!
And the choice fell on the “Fiat” new FIAT-600. Initially, the car was planned to be assembled at the MOSKVICH plant, and that is why the development of the car was undertaken by the MZMA Design Bureau, which, together with the NAMI Automotive Institute, developed the so-called Moskvich-444, later renamed Moskvich-560. But by decision of the Gosplan board, due to the overload of the MOSKVICH plant, it was decided to start production at the Kommunar plant in Zaporozhye.
And on November 22, 1960, the company produced the first batch of ZAZ-965, popularly called “Humpbacked” for its original body shape.
Almost immediately after the release of the “humpback”, the ZAZ design bureau began developing a new car, the ZAZ-966, which has a completely new body.
However, its production was delayed by the Union leadership, possibly for economic reasons: putting a new model on the assembly line just a year after the release of the previous one was considered wasteful. Therefore, ZAZ-966 was released only six years later.
It was a typical 1960s "rectangular" sedan, with side air intakes as a characteristic design feature. People immediately called them “ears”, and the car itself was “eared”. So the era of the “hunchbacked” ZAZ gave way to the long era of its even more anecdotal “eared” heir.
Its engine was also located at the rear. At first it was the 30-horsepower MeMZ-966A, which was installed on the latest modifications of its “hunchbacked” predecessor. Then the 40-horsepower MeMZ-966V appeared, which allowed the car to accelerate to a speed of 120 km/h on a straight road. True, in practice, not everyone achieved it, and fines for speeding by “Cossacks” were indeed so rare that they were regarded as a joke.
The model underwent a more serious modification in 1979-1980. "ZAZ-968M" became the last domestic car with an engine located in the rear compartment - but also the longest-lived, as it was produced until 1994. Having lost its “ears”, replaced by simple grilles, the car received the nickname “soap box” - for its already outdated and too simple design. But later more powerful engines were manufactured for it: MeMZ-968GE (45 hp) and MeMZ-968BE (50 hp).
Perhaps further modernization of the model would have made it possible to create something interesting, but in the 1990s the prevailing opinion was that the Zaporozhets were a disgrace to the Ukrainian automobile industry. And the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant concentrated on the production of TAVRIA.
In November 1963, the idea of creating a front-wheel drive minicar was brought to ZAZ by 29-year-old engineer Vladimir Steshenko. The new chief designer “infected” it first with the design bureau, and then with the leadership of the entire association. Steshenko himself was inspired by the idea of front-wheel drive after meeting the famous Mini. The Ukrainian designer was especially impressed by the fact that this modest Mini “box”, solely thanks to the front-wheel drive, as well as the engine turned across and shifted forward, completely defeated all competitors in the 1962 rally. And including the Porsche 911, Fiat Abarth 600 and Volkswagen 1200L.
By 1976, two more prototypes were created - a sedan with front-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive hatchback. These two options formed the basis of the “Perspective” (that’s what the KB then called the “TAVRIA” car). In 1980, the creation of the car was completed and it took 7 long years to bring the design idea to life. It was only in 1988 that full-fledged production of this car began. On the basis of the developed "TAVRIA" a sedan car was created, which received the name "SLAVUTA".
The experimental developments of ZAZ, which were not put into mass production, deserve a special mention.
In 1961, under the leadership of Yu.N. Sorochkin, in parallel with the development of the 966th vehicle, an experimental ZAZ-970 truck with a carrying capacity of 350 kg was designed.
In essence, the car was a kind of exploratory layout work. The car was nicknamed “Sharpened” by the factory workers and, unlike subsequent cars of the 970 family, it had a small hood.
In 1962, along with the ZAZ-970B van, a six-seater minibus (according to the current classification - a minivan) ZAZ-970B was created. The seats of the second and third rows were designed to fold, so the car was, in fact, a cargo-passenger vehicle - with the two rear seats folded, it could carry 175 kg of cargo, and with the two rows of seats folded, 350 kg of cargo.
Like the ZAZ-970B van, the engine protruded into the cabin with a noticeable “hump,” which is why the two third-row seats were separate and placed at a noticeable distance from each other - between them there was a service hatch for access to the engine. Unlike the van, the interior of the minibus had a ventilation hatch in the roof, and there was only one door for passengers to enter and exit - on the starboard side.
At the end of the 70s of the twentieth century, ZAZ considered the “Taxi” project as one of the options for expanding the model range produced at that time. An internal factory competition was announced for the best car of this type.
One of the winning options of the competition was a car based on the units of the promising Tavria and its length did not exceed 3.5 meters. The location of the driver is noteworthy - above the left front wheel, while the engine was supposed to be placed to the right of it.
During 1990-1992, an unusual modification of the basic ZAZ-968M was produced - the ZAZ-968MP pickup truck.
It should be noted right away that pickups of a similar design were produced by ZAZ, like any automobile plant, always for its own in-plant needs (a typical example is the ZAZ-965P). However, the ZAZ-968MP included in the series is nothing more than an attempt by the plant to offer the market its in-plant pickup truck as a delivery vehicle in the early 90s of the 20th century.
In fact, the ZAZ-968MP was made using a slipway-bypass technology - the rear part of the cab was cut off from a rejected or even standard (depending on the level of demand for pickup trucks in a particular period) ZAZ-968M body and the rear wall with a window was welded behind the front seats. The rear seat was not installed, the resulting niche was the cargo compartment.
But the experience was unsuccessful and, following the reduction in production of this car, the ZAZ-968M was also discontinued.
Another global change in Zaporozhye occurred in 1998, when a joint Ukrainian-Korean enterprise with foreign investment was registered in the form of AvtoZAZ-Daewoo CJSC. and large-scale assembly of Daewoo Lanos, Daewoo Nubira and Daewoo Leganza cars began - the first models of the Korean company created by its own specialists.
The history of the LANOS car (supplied to Russia under the CHANCE brand) is very interesting. This front-wheel drive car, designed by ItalDesign, was first shown back in 1997. In 2002, Daewoo showed a new model called Kalos (in Russia, which changed the name, which was dissonant to the Russian ear, to AVEO), but Lanos continued to exist! In 1998, production of this car was launched in Poland and Ukraine.
And for almost 10 years now, this car has been one of the best-selling foreign cars in Russia, having proven itself well as a workhorse for taxi companies, courier services, traffic police, and enterprises that use it as a “traveling” car.
In 2003, the plant in Zaporozhye again changed its form of ownership and became a closed joint stock company with foreign investment, Zaporozhye Automobile Plant. Now 50% of the enterprise belongs to the UkrAvto company and another 50% to the Swiss company Hirsch & Cie.
Since 2004, in addition to the ZAZ and Daewoo models, full-scale production of VAZ-2107, 21093 and 21099 cars has been mastered directly at the Zaporozhye plant, which are still being produced.
An interesting project in the development of the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant was the Opel project.
On March 25, 2003, a cooperation agreement was signed in Kyiv between Ukravto, ZAZ CJSC and Adam Opel AG. According to the contract, the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant in the spring of 2003 began assembling Opel cars of the Vectra, Astra, and Corsa models from vehicle kits imported to Ukraine.
According to the automakers themselves, cooperation with the German automaker taught the factory workers a clear German approach to the quality of assembled cars. And, despite the fact that this cooperation has now been terminated for reasons of economic efficiency, car manufacturers still use the quality system that they mastered together with German partners.
In 2009, the Zaporozhye automobile plant began producing KIA cars at its facilities. Together with Korean partners, at the facilities of ZAZ CJSC, 2 models of the Korean concern are currently being produced, these are the KIA Cee"d and the KIA Sportage.
But 2010 may become another serious milestone in the history of the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant. In December 2010, a new model was delivered to the main assembly line of ZAZ, which will replace the most popular LANOS (in the Russian Federation since 2009 presented as CHANCE).
Based on the Chinese Chery A-13, the Zaporozhye automobile plant began producing cars under its own ZAZ-FORZA brand.
Car manufacturers already had experience in assembling cars from China; in 2006, “pilot” batches of Chinese cars were assembled at the plant in Ilyichevsk, part of ZAZ CJSC.
And in December 2010, full assembly of the new car began on the ZAZ assembly line. It will be supplied not only to the domestic market of Ukraine, but also to the Russian Federation. Base, Comfort, Luxury versions will be presented in sedan and hatchback bodies. The cars are currently undergoing certification tests at a testing ground in Dmitrov near Moscow and will appear at dealers in mid-2011.
The text of the article and photographic materials were provided by A.O. Kremlev. - head of the marketing department of the car dealership "", the official dealer of the joint-stock company.
In 1956, at MZMA (Moscow Small Car Plant - now Moskvich JSC) it was decided to create a small-class car. The Italian FIAT-600 was taken as the basis. The car was named Moskvich-444.This is how the future “humpbacked” Zaporozhets ZAZ-965 was born. It was decided to establish serial production of this car in Zaporozhye, on the site of the former Kommunar combine plant. Before the appearance of the VAZ Oka in the early 1990s, the Zaporozhets was the most affordable car, mainly due to its low price - about 3 thousand rubles. For comparison: the price of a VAZ-2101 was about 6 thousand rubles. Moskvich 2140/412 - about 7 thousand rubles Volga GAZ-24 - about 12 thousand rubles.
In 1958, the first Ukrainian car rolled off the assembly line in Zaporozhye - ZAZ-965. At first, it was planned to equip the first-born with a 2-cylinder air-cooled motorcycle engine from the Irbit Motorcycle Plant, but this engine had a lot of disadvantages: it was very noisy, low-power and had a resource of only 25 thousand km As a result, MeMZ-965 was chosen - a 4-cylinder, air-cooled engine, developed by NAMI specialists at
based on a German BMW engine from the early 50s. 
In 1967, serial production of our own design began - the ZAZ-966 model. The design of this model began back in 1961, but due to a number of circumstances, the 966th entered production only six years later. This car was equipped with a MeMZ-966 engine with a power of 30 hp. Later, a more powerful one was added to it - MeMZ-968 (40 hp) 
In 1971, the ZAZ-968 model appeared, which was not much different from the previous model. As it was “eared,” it remained so (it was also called a “soap box”). This model was mainly equipped with a MeMZ-968 engine with a power of 40 hp and a new, improved gearbox. As for the design, in modern terms, it was a facelift model ZAZ-966. Changes affected mainly the front part of the body. New bumpers appeared, and reverse lights appeared at the rear. There was another change that made it easier to store the car in urban conditions - the neck of the gas tank was now hidden under the hood of the engine compartment. (On Model 966 it was located openly on the slope of the rear left wing). 
In 1980, the ZAZ-968M appeared, which got rid of the nickname “eared”
due to the lack of side air intakes. Instead, bars appeared. This Zaporozhets had two nicknames at once: “pop-eyed” and “soap box”. Unlike the previous model, the Emka had a more modern body design and new bumpers. The electrical system was improved and an alarm system appeared. The spare tire moved from the trunk to the engine compartment.
The engine and gearbox remained the same - MeMZ-968 (40 hp). The ZAZ-968M-005 model with the ZAZ-966G engine (30 hp) was produced in small quantities. The last ZAZ-968M rolled off the production line in 1994. This marked the end of the era of the most affordable Soviet car.
In 1988, Tavria (ZAZ-1102) appeared. When developing this model, the Ford Fiesta was taken as a basis. However, in the process of adapting Tavria to Soviet conditions, the car changed significantly and these changes were not for the better. Compared to the Fiesta, the Tavria decreased in size and width, which negatively affected the space and comfort of the interior; the design of the entire car was changed, so much so that compared to the Fiesta, the trunk opening turned out to be high, which made loading/unloading luggage significantly more difficult. (VAZ-2108/09, M2141 and IZH Orbita (ODA) also suffered from this drawback. The chassis underwent serious changes. The front suspension was almost completely redesigned, as a result, practically nothing remained from the progressive design of the Fiesta front suspension, which had a negative impact on the stability of the Tavria at high speeds. This is only a small part of the differences between the Tavria and the Fiesta. It seems that the designers tried to hide the origin of the car as much as possible. Of course, compared to the previous model (ZAZ-968M), this was a serious step forward, but the start of perestroika made its own adjustments . 
A flood of cheap used foreign cars poured into the country, often exceeding
many parameters even new domestic cars. But despite this, the demand for domestic cars remained stable and Tavria also found its buyers. The latest modification of this model - Slavuta, with a five-door hatchback body, was released in 2008.
In 1998, cooperation began with the Korean company Daewoo Motors. The AvtoZAZ-Daewoo joint venture was created, which, in addition to the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant, also included the Melitopol Motor Plant (MeMZ) and several other Ukrainian enterprises. In the same year, large-scale assembly of Daewoo Lanos, Nubira and Leganza cars began. 
In 2001, production of the budget model ZAZ Sens began. The body for this car was borrowed from Daewoo Lanos model 1997, the engine and gearbox were migrated from Tavria. In Russia, Sens began to be sold only in 2007. In the same year, 2007, the Daewoo Lanos model underwent a mild restyling and changed its name to Chevrolet Lanos (the result of General Motors purchasing a controlling stake in Daewoo Motors).
In 2009, cooperation with General Motors, which includes Daewoo, ended. The American partners no longer wanted to renew the contract, and as a result, the production of the Chevrolet Lanos model was stopped. However, the management of the Zaporozhye plant decided to continue producing this car, but under its own brand - ZAZ Chance. The car has not undergone any changes, only the nameplate on the radiator grille has changed. . At the same time, the ZAZ Sens model, which was a mixture of Tavria and Daewoo Lanos, was discontinued. In 2012, the ZAZ-Vida model appeared, created on the basis of the 2011 Chevrolet Aveo. .
On the basis of which the emergence of industry in this country took place. In pre-revolutionary times, it consisted of four small enterprises that were located on the same territory and specialized in the production of agricultural machinery. During the war, production facilities were busy creating equipment for the army. The Zaporozhye automobile plant survived all this difficult time. And today he works successfully in Ukraine.
Short description
ZAZ is the only company that makes cars in Ukraine. Moreover, it carries out the full cycle of manufacturing passenger cars: stamping, welding, painting, body equipment, assembly. The plant uses high-quality technological production, which is improved over time. It cannot be said that the Zaporozhye automobile plant uses the latest technological production lines, but innovative solutions do take place. At a minimum, production complies with the requirements of the ISO 90001 standard from 2000.
Today the company is actively developing, purchasing European equipment and cooperating with large Korean and even Russian companies, in particular with JSC LIMA. JSC "Zaporozhye Automobile Plant" produces its own and assembles European famous brands of cars. Let's look at this in more detail.
What cars does the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant produce?
Over the entire period of its existence, many series of different cars were produced.
Full-scale production:
- "Zaporozhets" version 965.
- "Zaporozhets" version 966.
- "Tavria" version 1102.
- "Dana."
- "Tavria Nova" version 1102.
- "Tavria Pickup" version 11055.
- "Slavuta".
- "Lanos".
- "Lanos" van.
Multi-node assembly:
- Daewoo Lanos.
- Daewoo Sens.
- Mercedes-Benz M-class.
- Mercedes-Benz E-class.
- Opel Astra, Vectra, Corsa.
- Chevrolet Aveo, Lacetti.
- VAZ-21093 and VAZ-21099.
- Chrysler 300C.
All these models were produced at the Zaporozhye automobile plant. Almost everyone remembers the legendary cars "Tavria" and "Slavuta", which are still in great demand on the market today. And although these cars are no longer produced, they are still present on domestic roads, and some of them look like new.
Today on the official website you can see a list of cars produced by the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant. The price of cars is quite affordable for the consumer:
- "Sens" sedan (176,000 hryvnia or about 6,800 US dollars).
- "Sens" hatchback (price not specified).
- Forza sedan (225,000 hryvnia or 8,600 US dollars).
- Forza hatchback (220,000 hryvnia or 4,500 US dollars).
- "Vida" sedan (228,000 hryvnia or 8,760 US dollars).
- "Vida" hatchback (260 thousand hryvnia or 10,000 US dollars).
- "Lanos Cargo" (221,000 hryvnia or 8,500 US dollars).
- "Vida Cargo" (274,300 hryvnia or 10,500 US dollars).
- City, suburban and tourist buses.
This list shows prices from the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant only for basic configurations. Some models have a “comfort” class, and there the cost is approximately 5-10% higher.
Judging by customer reviews, the quality of all these cars is quite consistent with the cost. They are no better than imported analogues, but not more expensive either. ZAZ produces budget-class cars, and they are ideally adapted for Ukrainian operating conditions and roads. These cars are easy and cheap to maintain, are available on the market and can even compete with budget cars from well-known Chinese, Korean, and European brands.
Structure
In addition to the main plant in Zaporozhye, ZAZ includes various self-supporting enterprises specializing in certain works. At a minimum, the following large enterprises can be distinguished:
- "Avtozaz-motor". Manufactures engines for passenger vehicles with a volume of 1.1-1.3 liters. Gearboxes are also produced here. About 130,000 power units are produced here annually.
- "Ilyichevsk Automotive Units Plant" (Odessa region). The production capacity of this plant allows the assembly of cars. The Zaporozhye Automobile Plant assembles passenger cars of the brands Mercedes-benz, Chevrolet, Jeep, Chrysler, as well as Dong Feng trucks and ZAZ I-VAN buses.
- Factory "Iskra" in Rody. Various components for car services are mainly manufactured here: tanks for lubricants and fuel, awnings, covers, towing devices for cars, workwear, etc.
- "Tavria-Magna" (Zaporozhye). The company is a Canadian-Ukrainian joint venture, which includes the Ukrainian company Avtozazavtobaz and the Canadian industrial giant Magna International Inc. Large and extra-large molds are made here for the production of parts for cars and more.
As you can see, the enterprise is quite extensive and represents a whole group of different companies.
Press production
The division of the plant in which pressing production is implemented is the largest. Here, steel sheets of metal are turned into full-fledged bodies and components. It consists of three workshops and a special area for the repair of pressing equipment. The area of the entire division is 31.5 thousand square meters. m.
At the moment, pressing production is carried out using high-tech equipment - multi-position press machines, cutting lines, as well as presses from Japanese and German manufacturers. In total, this division produces more than two thousand types of parts.
Welding
Body welding is carried out on lines with equipment that has no analogues in Ukraine. The structure includes flexible production lines from Italian, German, and American companies. The bodies are manufactured using robotic technology systems, which ensures high quality assembly and welding, as well as reduced labor costs. Quality control using modern diagnostic tools is included.
Coloring
The plant has a special painting workshop with equipment from leading manufacturers in Germany, Italy, and France. The body surface here is pre-prepared using special phosphating compounds and lead-free primers. The introduction of new technologies has made it possible to reduce labor costs, increase productivity and, as a result, reduce the cost of the car.
Engine manufacturing
The engine plant in Melitopol is a self-supporting enterprise of the ZAZ manufacturer. However, this is where car engines are made. The first engines, primitive by modern standards, for the Zaporozhets were manufactured here, and the first engine in Ukraine with extensive fuel injection and an electronic control system was invented and implemented here. In 2004 received a certificate of compliance with international standards.
The main customer of this plant's products is ZAZ, but some of the products are exported.
Change
In the delivery workshop, finished cars undergo special tests and inspections. Only after successful completion the car is transported to the dealer network. This workshop uses testing equipment that fully complies with European standards. In particular, a new tightness chamber has been installed in the workshop, where each car is checked for water resistance.
Tests
It uses a test track created by analogy with the tracks of the General Motors company. Five sections of the track with a special coating make it possible to test the operation of each transport unit under vibration conditions. All these tests allow faults, noises or other possible problems to be identified in time and quickly eliminated.
All cars produced at the Zaporozhye automobile plant are first tested on special sections of the track, and then a control inspection of the car is carried out. This guarantees the complete safety of transport that buyers receive.
