The PAZ-4230 Aurora was Pavlovo’s first middle-class bus. Developed in the late 1990s, when the factory decided to build more than small buses, it went into series production in 2001, won the title of best domestic bus of that year, and was then moved to the Kurgan bus plant to avoid competing with other GAZ Group factories.
PAZ-4230 Aurora at a glance
| Maker | Pavlovo Bus Factory (PAZ) |
|---|---|
| Production at Pavlovo | 2001–2002 |
| Moved to | Kurgan Bus Plant (KAvZ), series production from 2003 |
| Class | middle-class high-floor bus |
| Engine | MMZ D-245.9 turbodiesel, 4.75 l, 136 hp |
| Torque | 456 N·m at 1,600 rpm |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual |
| Fuel tank | 105 l |
| Emissions | Euro-2 to Euro-4 |
| Built at Pavlovo | 85 in 2001, 194 in 2002 |
| Award | Best domestic bus of 2001, ComTrans 2001 |
| Later models | KAvZ-4235 and KAvZ-4238 Aurora |
Based on the Russian Wikipedia article on the PAZ-4230 Aurora; the English article on the factory gives the model dates.
History of the PAZ-4230 Aurora
A wider range for Pavlovo
At the end of the 1990s the Pavlovo Bus Factory needed to restructure its production and offer a wider spread of bus classes; until then it had built only small buses, with the PAZ-3205 as its flagship. The answer was a family of larger models: the big PAZ-5271 and PAZ-5272 and the middle-class PAZ-4230 Aurora. The new bus drew attention at exhibitions: at the 1999 Moscow motor show PAZ received a special prize from the magazine Za Rulem for the 5271, 5272 and 4230, and in 2001 at ComTrans the PAZ-4230 was named best domestic bus of the year.
Production and the move to Kurgan
Production was prepared from 2000, the year PAZ joined the RusPromAvto group. Series output began in 2001 with 85 buses and reached 194 in 2002. In 2001 the Kurgan Bus Plant joined Russian Buses of the GAZ Group, and to prevent competition inside the group Kurgan was given the middle class: production of the Aurora was transferred there in 2002, and KAvZ began building it in 2003, first as the suburban PAZ-4230-01 and the intercity PAZ-4230-02, with the city PAZ-4230-03 added at the end of 2005.
The Aurora after Pavlovo
In 2006 the range grew with the longer PAZ-4238 Aurora, and from 2007 Kurgan used its own brand, replacing the PAZ-4230 and 4238 with the KAvZ-4235 and KAvZ-4238. The KAvZ-4235 was revised in 2008 for tighter emission rules, and in 2010 a school version of the KAvZ-4238 appeared together with a restyled exterior and a modernised body structure, interior, heating and brakes. By 2011 the plant was making 70 to 80 Auroras a month, and on 24 November 2011 the 6,000th Aurora was built.
Design and features
- Middle-class body: Pavlovo’s first bus above the small class.
- Turbodiesel: the MMZ D-245.9 gave 136 hp and 456 N·m.
- Five-speed gearbox: with a single dry diaphragm clutch and a hypoid rear axle.
- Leaf suspension: with an anti-roll bar at the front.
- Wheels: 8.25/R20 on eight studs, or 11/70R22.5 on ten studs for the city version.
- Emissions: versions from Euro-2 to Euro-4.
PAZ-4230 Aurora versions
- PAZ-4230-01: suburban version.
- PAZ-4230-02: intercity version.
- PAZ-4230-03: city version, from the end of 2005.
- PAZ-4230-01U and 01K: simplified and “luxury” suburban versions.
- PAZ-4238 Aurora (2006): longer model for routes up to 500 km.
- KAvZ-4235 and KAvZ-4238: Kurgan-built successors from 2007.
The Aurora was developed alongside the small PAZ-3205, and its place in the middle class was later taken by the PAZ-4234. More buses are in the PAZ collection.
Sources
- ПАЗ-4230 «Аврора», Russian Wikipedia: history, awards, specifications
- Pavlovo Bus Factory, English Wikipedia: model dates, move to KAvZ
