Ilnur Sakhabiev, General Director of Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant (UAZ), said that the updated "Patriot" will receive an automatic transmission no earlier than mid-2028. The plant is already working on integrating an eight-speed "automatic" that is already used in UAZ pickups.
We lost a lot of time in 2022 searching for a gearbox. And we asked ourselves: do we need to deal with a six-speed or should we still look at other solutions? Now we are actively working on integrating an eight-speed automatic into the "Patriot".
As Sakhabiev explained, installing the gearbox requires not only calibration and re-layout, but also interface changes, as the plant intends to retain its own gasoline engine. Specialists have already refined the torque converter configuration and completed the technical concept.
Summer and winter calibration tests are scheduled until mid-2028. The updated version of the SUV without an "automatic" will appear at dealerships in October 2026. Earlier it was reported that UAZ is also working on a hybrid power plant for the "Patriot". The cost of the car after the appearance of the automatic transmission has not yet been disclosed, but, according to experts, it may increase by 150-200 thousand rubles.
Background: How UAZ Approached the "Automatic" for the "Patriot"
As early as the end of 2024, it was reported that an automatic transmission would appear on the SUV in 2026 — at the same time when the model was supposed to receive a new diesel engine and a six-speed manual. At the same time, more cautious estimates were voiced: in August 2025, the plant's press service admitted that tests of the version with an "automatic" had not been conducted at that time, and the main efforts were focused on diesel vehicles with a "manual" transmission.
The root of the problem lies in the departure of the French supplier. Until 2022, the "Patriot" was equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission model 6L50 from Punch Powerglide. After the cessation of supplies, the plant began searching for a replacement among Chinese manufacturers, which required going through the entire cycle again: adaptation of electronics, bench and road tests, assessment of resource in Russian conditions.