UAZ Hunter

UAZ Hunter at a glance

The Hunter was introduced in 2003 as an updated UAZ-31514, replacing the earlier basic versions of the family. Its design is deliberately simple and rugged. It was sold in Germany and some Asian markets under the name UAZ Tigr, later renamed, and a kit called Vallarta was offered for Mexico. The company's story is told in the history of UAZ, and its range is in the UAZ catalogue.

Design

The Hunter's shape has changed very little from its predecessor. It has a boxy, upright body with round headlights flanking a simple two-bar grille, a pressed-steel front bumper with towing hooks and a vertical tailgate carrying the spare wheel. The old 1cars text notes that the narrow doors open through 90 degrees and that the large windows all round give a good view. A 2011 facelift brought back classic bumpers and removed the plastic mouldings fitted to earlier Hunters, returning to a look closer to the original UAZ-469.

Five-seat cabin

The cabin is basic but more comfortable than in older UAZ models. The front seats have adjustable backrest angle, fore-and-aft travel and lumbar support, and all seats have head restraints. The rear seats can be folded or removed to increase the load space. According to the old 1cars text, the floor is carpeted, power steering is fitted, but the steering column is not adjustable and the instruments are partly hidden behind the steering wheel. Heating performance was a common complaint.

Petrol and diesel engines, transfer case

The 2.7-litre ZMZ-409 petrol engine runs on fuel of at least 92 octane. Wikipedia also lists a 2.7-litre version with 82 kW (112 PS) from 2010 to 2013. The petrol Hunter reaches 130 km/h and, according to the old 1cars text, uses about 13.2 litres per 100 km at 90 km/h, while the diesel uses about 10 litres at the same speed.

The gearbox is a five-speed manual of Korean origin, which the old 1cars text describes as easier to shift than the older four-speed. The two-speed transfer case drives the rear wheels permanently, with the front axle engaged rigidly when needed, so the Hunter has a part-time four-wheel-drive system rather than permanent all-wheel drive.

Chassis and off-road ability

The Hunter uses a separate ladder frame and live axles front and rear. The front axle is located by coil springs with telescopic dampers and an anti-roll bar, while the rear axle has semi-elliptic leaf springs. The brakes are discs at the front and drums at the rear, and the tyres are 225/75 R16 on 16-inch steel or alloy wheels. With 210 mm of ground clearance, a low-range transfer case and a 500 mm wading depth, the Hunter is very capable off-road, though less refined on the road.

Hunter size and weights

All dimensions are from the old 1cars text's specification table for the petrol version.

Special editions

The Hunter has been offered in many special editions:

UAZ announced in 2015 that the Hunter would be discontinued but resumed production the following year. Since 2021 the Czech company MW Motors has offered an electric conversion based on the same design, called the Spartan.

Crash safety

The Hunter has never been tested by Euro NCAP or any comparable programme. It has seat belts and head restraints for all seats. According to the old 1cars text, the maker chose not to invest in further crash-safety improvements to keep the price low, so buyers should see it as a utility off-roader rather than a family car.

Rivals: how the Hunter compares

The Hunter competes with other body-on-frame and rugged 4x4s such as the Jeep Wrangler, the Chevrolet Niva and its larger stablemate, the UAZ Patriot. Its strengths are excellent off-road ability, a robust frame and simple, repairable mechanicals. Its weaknesses are poor refinement, high fuel use, a basic cabin and weak crash protection.