Yahoo Autos Russia's UAZ Patriot off-roader is coming to America as the 2022 Bremach Taos
Nestled in northern New Mexico's high desert, the town of Taos will enter the 2022 model year with two vehicles named after it. Volkswagen unveiled its Taos, a sub-Tiguan crossover, earlier in 2020, and an Italian heavy-duty truck manufacturer named Bremach plans to use the name on a variant of the Russian-built UAZ Patriot.
Bremach isn't a household name, even in Italy. It filed for bankruptcy in 2018, but its American division somewhat miraculously survived and has been collaborating with UAZ since. Both companies are eyeing a share of the lucrative off-roader market in the United States. Rather than aim for the segment's highest echelons, they'll disembark here with a pair of rugged, body-on-frame models that have proven their mettle globally.
With 8.26 inches of ground clearance, a 35-degree approach angle, and the ability to drive through nearly 20 inches of water without modifications, the Taos is marketed as a stout, old-school family hauler. It's reasonably common in rural Russia, where it's notably used by the military, and it's not a rare sight in many Eastern European countries. Time will tell if Siberia-tested means America-approved, however.
