GAZ SPV-16 Ruta Nova

Currently, a large number of various minibuses based on the Russian "Gazelle" chassis are seen on the streets of Ukrainian cities. Many of them are produced in the small town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region. The Chasiv Yar Repair Plant (ChRZ) was established in 1958 as an automotive repair enterprise. During the Soviet period, it conducted major repairs of GAZ and ZIL trucks and produced special vehicles on UAZ chassis. Despite the crisis in Ukraine's automotive industry in the post-Soviet era, the plant not only maintained its production but even increased its output and expanded the range of equipment produced. The first product of the Chasiv Yar plant was the SPV-15 minibus (SPV-33021.01.15) with 14 seats. Its uniquely designed body consists of a welded frame made of rectangular tubes, covered externally with steel and fiberglass panels. This frame construction principle allowed for a significant increase in body rigidity, ensured a high level of passive safety, and enabled quick modifications to its design when necessary. In 2003, GAZ conducted a facelift of the base model GAZ-3302, which also affected the design of Chasiv Yar minibuses. In the same year, production of the SPV-15 model was finally discontinued, and the SPV-16 minibuses began to be produced under the "Ruta" brand. With the introduction of larger SPV-17 minibuses, the production volumes of SPV-16 began to decline, and eventually, their production was also halted.