| ZIL-5301 | |
| Manufacturer: | ZIL |
| Production: | 1995–2014 |
| Assembly: | Moscow |
| Predecessor: | ZIL-4305 ZIL-3207 |
| Class: | Truck |
| Body Style: | 2-door standard cab 4-door double cab |
| Engine: | 4-cylinder MMZ-D245.9 Diesel engines |
| Transmission: | 5-speed manual |
| Wheelbase: | 36501NaN1 |
| Length: | 61951NaN1 |
| Width: | 22651NaN1 |
| Height: | 28951NaN1 |
| Weight: | 33500NaN0 |
| Related: | Mercedes-Benz T2 ZIL-4331 |
The ZIL-5301 (Russian: ЗИЛ-5301, usually with the name suffix Бычок – Bull) is a truck manufactured by the Russian manufacturer Zavod imeni Likhacheva, or ZIL for short. The light truck was mass-produced from 1996 to 2014 and was available on the market in various different versions. The buses ZIL-3250 and KAvZ-3244 are based on the vehicle.
As early as 1992, ZIL was working on developing the prototype of a new light truck. The resulting vehicle consisted of a combination of existing and purchased parts, including the chassis of the Mercedes-Benz T2, the cab of the ZIL-4331, with a re-styled front end, and the gearbox of the ZIL-130 truck. Initially, the truck was also going to use the Mercedes OM364 engine, but this engine was later dropped on production vehicles.[1] [2]
In the two years 1994 and 1995, a pre-series of about 200 vehicles was produced.
Most variants of the vehicle have been offered since 1996. Of importance are:
Other bodies or special model variants were also built, including tippers, a fire engine with a double cab and towing vehicles (occasionally also with three axles). There is also a model with all-wheel drive, the ZIL-4327, which was targeted at both military and civilian users. The truck was trialed by the Russian army but received no orders to its poor quality and financial problems at the factory.[3]
The ZIL-5301 was mostly intended to compete with the similairly-sized GAZ Valdai, and was placed a class higher than light vans such as the GAZelle and a class below trucks like the ZIL-130. This is also seen by the payload, which is around 2-3 tons.[4]
Several different MMZ-D245.9 diesel engines were available for the truck. All of them are four-cylinder engines that work according to the four-stroke process. They differ, for example, in the fulfilment of emission standards. While some of the engines do not meet the EURO standard, the MMZ-D245.9E3 is approved for EURO-3.[5]
The manufacturer went bankrupt around 2013, and in 2014 the production of the ZIL-5301 vehicles was also terminated.