About the prospects of the new Niva, Renault Duster in Togliatti design and the reason AVTOVAZ has no plans to work on hybrids...
Sergey Kurdyuk, chief designer of AvtoVAZ, is working as chief designer of AVTOVAZ just over a year. But it was this year that Lada Granta was launched, and the work on the new "Prior", and the change of the main designer ... The saturated year-but Sergey Askoldovich was cheerful and cheerful, there is no fatigue and apathy from constant stress, from the pressure of leadership or counter inertia of the subordinates. Kurdyuk's leadership, he was perfectly fit to fit into his current chair. Delegations, meetings, reports, discussions -- it's a natural habitat, not a heavy cross. There is a feeling that the rate of change on AVTOVAZ is not going to decline ... -You're exactly one year in chief designer. A lot of gray hair for this year? -I feel like it's final.-Which solutions were the most difficult, painful, unpleasant? What was the first fight? Is there a result-how have we managed to adapt to this work? " The most difficult thing is to consistently go to the goals set a year ago. There are a lot of problems with the pipeline, the suppliers, the units, the current projects ... These problems are taking the time necessary to meet strategic objectives. -The objectives that you mentioned are technical or organizational? Are the transformations going on? -They're organizational and technical. There's already a transformation. For example, we have created a special unit that works on consumer properties of cars. In it, about 200 people are already formed professionals, you can say, the best in the country (mainly tester). But there's an important renminbi.In the past, a prototype had been built, the test team had identified its shortcomings, and the second sample had been built, and the test team had also been trained ... Reliable, but for a long time: the car development process lasted up to five years, and then two years away from implementation. It's so unaffordable right now. We come to the fact that the prototype is better off at all, and testers working at the same time with the designer-to say that in the car is good or bad. "The vertical of power, consisting of you-Shmeelev and Komarov," she, from your point of view, works perfectly or is there a problem? " I will say carefully: I don't see any catastrophic problems. Did you have to face something that you would like to change, but you don't have the authority? Give the best example. They gave you absolute power-what would you do? -There is a fairly rigid management pyramid on AvtoVAZ-decisions are made at the top, even smallFor example, the Vice President signs documents for both twenty million roubles and twenty roubles. A simple example: in the context of work on reducing the noise in a gearbox, we need to tony some of the stubs. There is no such possibility at the plant, but a Western firm can do it for fifteen thousand euros. If I had the proper authority, the question would be solved instantly: here's the money, do it. And according to the current rules, we have to organize the competition, to conduct a conjunctural design, to conduct a tender, to form a contract ... It is good, if only the "higher forces" make decisions. It turns out that every "higher power" has a machine that solutions are "working out". The Bureau Chief, Head of Division, Economic Security Service ... Do I undermine the economic security of the plant? And if I'm not interested in a particular vendor? For what reasons did I choose this? -Let' s talk about the motor strategy. The license is bought for the Renault engines, the money is paid. Are you going to collect Renault's engines from the VAZ? It was reported that the project had been abandoned. -No, they didn' t. All models will be picked up on the B0 platform. If you want to ask about Granta, we don't plan on it yet. " Nissan LB1A has now been launched in the VAZ. What kind of car is this? -It's also a V0 car, only under the Nissan brand. It looks different from Logan, but it will be picked up by K4M and K7M engines. -Is there no plan to build a Japanese engine in the VAZ? That is what the most persistent rumours circulate. " Now this issue is being discussed-perhaps it will be replaced by K4M. But I'd be very careful about that replacement. We all know about K4M, we've studied it well. And the study of the Japanese engine will take time again: we have to test, calculate the cost price ...In addition, the engine has an aluminium unit, which means a certain reorganization of production. -And your engine 1. 8, which has been developed for the "Project C", how soon will you start to release? -It's a high-reference engine (175 Nm), so it needs a gearbox. It's planned for a new "Prior." But it is not ruled out that the reinforced box will start with the current one. -Is the automatic box of other models expected, except for the "Grants"? -After "Grant" will be " Kalina with the same 4-speed Jatco box. There are some plans for cooperation with KATE, we have even signed certain agreements. ACAT is developing in cooperation with AVL-and if this development is successful, it will be close to producing vehicles with CATE. They use our machines as an aggregate. We did not carry out serious tests, but gave KATE the car. They set up their box, the car rides. -Are the development of a fundamentally new engine? What do you mean by the long term? "It is necessary to understand that another three to four years-and Europe erects a barrier for" ordinary " engines. We need to reach 90 grams of CO2 per kilometer if we want to sell cars in the EU. For a gasoline engine, it's just impossible. In principle, even with all turbocharged, advanced gas distribution systems, etc. This, too, is not achievable for the gas engine. Even with hybrids, I have big doubts-it should be a machine with a miniature LAN! " You are about Europe, and the VAZ is mainly working for the domestic market. Euro-3 has been extended for another year ... The engine is a long-lived thing, usually the engine produces more than one car model. If we are now starting a fundamentally new development, it is a complete cycle of R&D and high production costs. The engine shall then be in the production of twenty years. That is, we should now assess the situation 2035-2040! It is very likely that the European norms will be "overflow" to Russia. However, we are often in a belligerable manner. Let' s put Euro 4 on the cars, and we don't put gas on the gas ... We have several projects to upgrade existing engines. Not radical, but just to improve performance. There are several proposals from NAMI and similar organizations on fundamentally other engines. But these proposals have not yet been evaluated-and their assessment will take into account what we have been talking about. -Is this fundamentally new? -Compressed compression, for example. We cannot say that we are not seeking in this direction at all. But I think it'll be over soon. -On the existing engines, you plan to put units and knots which increase efficiency-turbocharging, fazovs? -The fazovs are 1. 8 already planned. The turbocharged weren't really doing it yet, but I guess we'll do it. Life will make you. -Tell me about the Nive-3 project. If you remember, there is no "Niyot-3" in the AVTOVAZ Development Strategy until 2020, it only refers to the modernization of old "Niwa", "Lada" 4x4. This mythical "Nive-3" will be just another one of the existing machines? -This is how it happened. First we talk about the modernization of the "Ladas" 4x4. Technical specialists sit down, think and say: guys, the platform has been living for decades; and if we want to fully develop this direction, we need a new platform. We choose the concept and start working. At this time, GM partners come out and say: let' s upgrade the existing "Niwa", the old chassis. Time has come, we need new consumer qualities, let' s work on it. That is, the partners are not inclined to think about the new platform, it should have a perspective in 20 to 30 years, taking into account the rework. Apparently, so far away investors and shareholders don't want to look. Now, in my view, the project's doubling down. The first subproject is fast, on the Chevrolet Niwa platform with a small volume of changes. To just stay in that segment. But next year we will definitely continue development on a new platform. The main issue is now in the concept of the 1.8 l engine platform and the choice of transmission for this unit. As soon as this issue is resolved, we can talk seriously about the development of a new platform. -The AVTOVAZ strategy has a kind of B-class crossover. Tell me honestly, is this the Renault Duster? -I do. -But at least with the original Wazowski design? -I do. I don't see any resources yet, I don't see the machine being developed on another platform. But neither B cross nor C-cross from the platform's point of view has yet been adopted. There is simply a settled view that this should be. It's probably too early to make a final decision. "In the near future, the development of a new version of the AVTOVAZ strategy until 2020 will be completed," Komarov said. Are you taking part in this work? Are you making recommendations on how to change the product line? " We express our opinion, but we do not know how much it will be taken into account. We say what the "elasticity" parameters have our platforms: this can be stretched and taken to a higher class, this can be done with so many models ... " But you know what I'm asking: is it possible to have in the new version of the Strategy of cars with alternative energy sources-hybrids or electro? " My forecast is that until 2020 we have to achieve normal environmental indicators with the improvement of the existing drive. -Euro-5? -We already have Euro5. You just have to spread it to the whole linemade. Or release all the cars at Euro 4 and solve the gasoline problem. It is now as follows: 35,000,000 cars go by country-and 80% are old, tehing machines. It is necessary for these machines to be withdrawn from service (which are magical or not, I do not know), and then demand from AVTOVAZ more environmentally friendly products. We tried to build models and watch what happens if the average age of the car park doesn't change. Thus, even if we have electric cars, we will have to release as much as is now in the operation of conventional cars (which is unrealistic)-only then will the environmental situation improve. If we want hybrids and electric vehicles, that desire must be synchronized with that of the state. -But something is happening in the VAZ with the development of hybrid cars? Not "soft" hybrids that have made you Bosch and NIEs of the electronics, and the full hybrids, with an electric car in a pair with an EMU? -Nothing. I don't really know what the cost of these cars is yet. Other producers do business in other niches. There's a business in a hundred cars. We have a different way of selling tens of thousands of cars per year to our projects. Having two engines (DMU and electric motor) on one car means to make it more expensive. Plus inefficient power generation, loss of extra ... So if we're talking about cheap cars, it's either a habitual car with a DMV or an electric car.