The MAZ-6430 is a 6×4 tractor unit of the Minsk Automobile Plant, intended for long-distance and international haulage. It opened the fourth generation of MAZ lorries and succeeded the MAZ-6422, reaching series production only in the autumn of 1997, six years after its first prototype.
MAZ-6430 at a glance
| Maker | Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), Belarus |
|---|---|
| First prototype | 1991 |
| First serial lorry | autumn 1997 |
| Layout | 6×4 tractor unit |
| Generation | fourth-generation MAZ lorries |
| New features | entirely new cab, deflectors on the rear wall and roof |
| Two-axle partner | MAZ-5440, presented in 1996 |
| Restyling | 2008, with a trapezoidal radiator grille and new block headlights |
| Name | Prostor for the MAZ tractors from 2011 |
| Engines | YaMZ from Euro-2 to Euro-5, Mercedes-Benz, Cummins |
The MAZ-6430 is covered only by the Russian Wikipedia article; this page is based on one source.
History of the MAZ-6430
A cab for a new generation
In the second half of the 1980s work began at the Minsk Automobile Plant on a new, fourth generation of MAZ lorries to replace the MAZ-6422 and MAZ-5432 family designed back in the 1970s. The main effort went into a completely new cab that would meet contemporary standards of driver comfort, and deflectors were added on the rear wall and roof for better aerodynamics and lower fuel consumption. The first prototype of the new family was, as usual, the long-haul 6×4 tractor unit, the MAZ-6430, built in 1991; after tests and refinements it was recommended for series production.
A difficult start
Preparations for series production coincided with the break-up of the Soviet Union and the loss of the old economic and inter-republican links. The plant found itself in a difficult position without its Soviet market, and the first serial MAZ-6430 was built only in the autumn of 1997, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the first MAZ lorry. Even then the plant did not hurry: the new lorries were expensive for buyers in the CIS, who preferred the older MAZ-6422 and MAZ-5432 family, so no more than a hundred fourth-generation lorries were built in the first three years. Stable production of the 6430 and 5440 series was established only from the early 2000s, and versions with various engines, including imported units to Euro-3, Euro-4 and Euro-5, gradually appeared.
The 5440 and the 2008 update
As with the previous family, the 4×2 tractor unit MAZ-5440 was developed alongside the MAZ-6430 and presented in 1996. In 2008 the 6430 and 5440 family was modernised: the cab received a front panel with better deflectors and a radiator grille of a new trapezoidal design, the bumper was changed and new block headlights of Belarusian manufacture were fitted, in black plastic or painted to match the cab depending on the version. From 2011 the MAZ tractor units carry their own name, Prostor. By 2018 the MAZ-6430 and MAZ-5440 family was the top of the MAZ range, while the more affordable MAZ-6422 and MAZ-5432 were still in production.
The versions
The MAZ-643005 and MAZ-643018 carried Euro-2 YaMZ and Mercedes-Benz engines of 330 and 435 hp, the MAZ-6430A5, A8 and A9 Euro-3 units of 330, 400 and 412 hp, the MAZ-6430V9 a Euro-4 YaMZ of 420 hp with an optional 430 hp version, and the MAZ-6430W8 the Cummins ISLe to Euro-4. The Euro-5 machines were the MAZ-6430C5 with the YaMZ-53603 of 328 hp and the MAZ-6430C9 and E9 with 420 and 435 hp.
Design and features
- New cab: the fourth-generation cab was the main effort of the design, with deflectors on the rear wall and roof.
- Delayed debut: designed in 1991, it reached series production in 1997 because of the end of the Soviet Union.
- Prostor: the family has carried its own name since 2011.
- Many engines: YaMZ units from Euro-2 to Euro-5, plus Mercedes-Benz and Cummins.
MAZ-6430 versions
- MAZ-6430 (prototype 1991): the first lorry of the fourth generation.
- MAZ-643005 and MAZ-643008: Euro-2 YaMZ engines of 330 and 400 hp.
- MAZ-6430A5, A8 and A9: Euro-3 engines of 330, 400 and 412 hp.
- MAZ-6430V9: Euro-4 YaMZ of 420 hp.
- MAZ-6430W8: Cummins ISLe to Euro-4.
- MAZ-6430C5, C9 and E9: Euro-5 engines of 328, 420 and 435 hp.
The MAZ-6430 replaced the MAZ-6422 and shares the fourth generation with the 4×2 MAZ-5440. More are in the MAZ collection.
Sources
- MAZ-6430, Russian Wikipedia: development, delayed production, 2008 update, versions
