MAZ-131020
Specs, engines and history
Updated Published Report an error
By Oleksandr Hnatiuk, Automotive Editor & Used Car Specialist
- Built
- 2016
- Top power
- 184 kW (250 PS)
The MAZ-131020 is a one-off off-road bus that the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) in Belarus built in 2016 for buyers in sub-Saharan Africa. It sat on a lengthened MAZ-5336 truck chassis, carried 73 people plus luggage on the roof and found no buyers. In January 2019 the Belarusian government decided to send it to Syria as humanitarian aid.
In short
- A 2016 prototype for an African client who needed a bus for unpaved roads.
- An 11.5 m body on a truck chassis, a YaMZ-236 diesel of about 184 kW (250 PS) and a Chinese Fast Gear gearbox.
- 44 seats, 73 passengers in total and a full-length roof rack rated at about 3 tonnes.
- No orders followed; the only example, with about 30 km on the clock, went to Syria as aid.
Specs by version
Engines
Dimensions and weight
Show all 1 versions
| Version | Length |
|---|---|
| YaMZ-236 (184 kW) | 11,500 mm452.8 in |
Manufacturer and type-approval data from our catalog
What MAZ announced and when
MAZ presented the 131020 in 2016 as a rural bus for "black Africa", the plant's own phrase for the markets south of the Sahara, and called it "the most unusual bus of all time". The client wanted an off-road vehicle more than a city bus: high ground clearance, a simple body and space for passengers and goods.
The bus returned to the news in January 2019, when the Belarusian portal ABW reported that the Council of Ministers had signed a resolution to send it to Syria. The same aid package listed MAZ dump trucks, a diesel power station, medicines and children's clothes.
MAZ-131020 specifications
According to MAZ's press service, the single prototype had these key figures.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), Belarus |
| Built | 2016, one example |
| Chassis | Lengthened MAZ-5336 truck chassis |
| Overall length / rear overhang | 11.5 m / 4.2 m |
| Engine | YaMZ-236 V6 diesel, about 184 kW (250 PS) |
| Gearbox | Fast Gear (China), manual |
| Seats / total capacity | 44 / 73 passengers |
| Roof rack | about 3 tonnes, reached by a ladder |
The 4.2 m overhang, compared with 11.5 m overall, means that more than a third of the body hangs behind the rear axle. Seats and fittings came from MAZ's bus range. The roof rack ran almost to the driver's seat, so extra passengers could ride on top, as on many rural African routes.
The 131020 compared with MAZ's trucks and buses
MAZ was founded in Minsk in 1944 and is fully state-owned. It is best known for heavy trucks, from the MAZ-200 and the MAZ-500 to six-wheel chassis such as the MAZ-6312. Buses came later: the MAZ-101 of 1993 was based on a Neoplan design, and the MAZ-103 followed in 1996. Its truck running gear and bus fittings kept costs down but left it outside both ranges. A year later MAZ also announced minibuses and vans.
What happened next
The prototype stayed at the factory for visiting delegations, and a later sale offer found no buyer. Under the 2019 resolution, the Ministry of Finance paid for the bus, its transport and the travel costs through the Ministry of Industry, using a fund for natural disasters and emergencies.
MAZ kept its African plans. In 2019 it said its design office would develop suburban buses for African roads, with high ground clearance, a simple engine and strong air conditioning. In April 2025 Belarus announced that MAZ intended to assemble trucks and buses in Algeria, and in May 2025 Syrian media reported that 50 MAZ city buses, a gift from Belarus, had arrived at the port of Tartus.
Price and availability
The MAZ-131020 was never sold in Europe and has no official euro price. Current MAZ models are in the MAZ catalogue, the 1cars specifications tool lists their versions, and the comparison tool sets them side by side.
It suits only a very narrow buyer: a rural operator who carries people and freight together on dirt roads. Its long overhang, basic cabin and single-client brief explain why it stayed a prototype.
FAQ
What is the MAZ-131020?
It is a one-off off-road bus built by the Minsk Automobile Plant in 2016 for African customers. It uses a lengthened MAZ-5336 truck chassis, an 11.5 m body, 44 seats and a roof rack for luggage and extra passengers.
What engine does the MAZ-131020 have?
It has a YaMZ-236 V6 diesel rated at about 184 kW (250 PS), according to MAZ. It drives through a manual gearbox from the Chinese maker Fast Gear, chosen to keep repairs simple.
Why was the bus sent to Syria?
Nobody bought the prototype, so in January 2019 the Belarusian Council of Ministers included it in a humanitarian aid package for Syria. The state budget covered the bus as well as its transport and related travel costs.
Did MAZ build more buses for Africa?
Not as a series model. MAZ said in 2019 that it would design suburban buses for African conditions, and in 2025 Belarus announced that MAZ planned to assemble trucks and buses in Algeria.
