For a good number of men and young boys, owning any piece of military equipment stands as one of the ultimate dreams. And one of the easiest ways to attain it is by getting into an off road military truck. For those who live in Europe, especially eastern Europe, the choice would more often than not fall on the Kraz truck 6x6. Although modern Kraz trucks are made in Ukraine, they still trace their roots back to Soviet trucks from the cold war era. And for those who don’t know, Soviet trucks are some of the most resilient vehicles ever made while also being incredibly simple, making them cheap and easy to repair. At the same time, they can run on virtually any combustible fluid, and are built to thrive in extreme temperatures, water, snow, mud and sand. However, while these characteristics make them attractive, the fact that Kraz trucks are based on ancient technology come with a ton of downsides as well. But before we uncover what those are, take a look at the 6x6 trucks currently for sale here at Exotic Car Trader.
This Kraz truck 6x6, also known as Kraz 6322, is built by a Ukrainian manufacturer that started its life in 1945 building mechanical bridges for the Soviet military. Since then, it continued making military equipment with the first trucks coming out in 1958. And right from the beginning, Kraz began making its own engines as well as complete drivetrains. The 6322 model in particular traces its roots to those original trucks as it’s built on the same platform, and uses a slightly more modernized version of the original engine. By 1993, Kraz had made 750,000 trucks serving over twenty countries. But the 6322 model came out after Kraz went into private ownership with around 50,000 units being built between 1999 and 2006. Despite being a privately owned manufacturer, Kraz continued making the 6322 trucks primarily for military use and over a dozen countries still use them today.
Inside, the Kraz truck 6x6 is as basic as they get. After all, this is a truck built exclusively for the military. That said, the latest versions can be ordered with a backup camera as well as AC thanks to Kraz making different models for civilian use. All trucks also get air ride seats so they are not particularly uncomfortable either. But make no mistake, this is far from an F150. The entire dashboard is riddled with switches for the drivetrain, locking differentials, the transfer case and other systems that get you out of trouble. And with so many mechanical systems that can go wrong, warning lights are spanning across the full length of the dashboard. The point is, you should really know what you are doing before jumping in one of these. That said, the standard automatic transmission does make it more civilized and easier to drive. But don’t expect any additional creature comforts since it doesn’t even get power windows.
Although some of the original character had been lost after 1999, the Kraz truck 6x6 still looks more menacing than anything else on the road that doesn’t have a military camo. Even the dimensions alone are enough to turn heads as it’s nearly 30 feet long, over 10 tall, 9 feet wide. That said, its two box cabin design does fit right in with the trucks we see on our roads and with the more modern design it got in 1999, it could easily be mistaken for a US military vehicle. But public roads are not where this truck thrives which is evident by the giant 56” off road tires and enormous ground clearance. The Kraz 6322 exterior is also made to be modular and while most versions include standard truck bed with a tarp cover, there are versions with water tanks, hydraulic digging buckets, and lifts.
The Kraz truck 6x6 is no lightweight which is why it uses a giant 14.9 liter V8 diesel engine. That’s substantially bigger than what’s usually found in US military trucks. Coupled with a turbocharger and it’s good for 330 horsepower and 904 lb-ft of torque. And while that doesn’t sound all too impressive, it’s more than enough for driving off road, especially with an 8 speed automatic transmission which isn’t short of low gear ratios. That’s good to give the Kraz 6322 a towing capacity of 30 tons on flat roads and 10 tons off road, while also being able to pull aircraft of up 75 tons for short distances. At the same time, the Kraz 6322 includes a low range box so the power is transferred to all six wheels as efficiently as possible. It also helps that it gets locking differentials for equal torque distribution which ensures the truck will almost never get stuck. As a matter of fact, it’s advertised to drive through two feet of snow and five feet of water. Ultimately, there is virtually nothing a civilian can throw at this truck without it completing the task successfully.
No, not really. But finding the price a Kraz truck 6x6 goes for online is virtually impossible. What we can say is that the older Kraz 255 models go for between $10,000 and $15,000 in Ukraine. Considering those are decades older than the model in question, our best guess is that a military grade Kraz 6322 won’t be under $40,000 even in the worst condition. Still, even at $60,000 a Kraz 6322 is good value considering that this truck still serves a dozen different armies across the world.
A Kraz truck 6x6 is one of few purpose built Soviet trucks that are still being made today. That makes it historically significant, being tied to the cold war and surviving the dissolution of the Soviet Union. But at the same time one of the most capable 6x6 trucks ever made and one of few that can easily withstand temperatures of negative 40 degrees just the same as temperatures of over 100 degrees. While we can’t say that we will have a Kraz truck for sale any time soon, we still get a good number of alternative 6x6 trucks and if you are in the market for one, consider buying it through Exotic Car Trader. With escrow protection, delivery and first inspection, Exotic Car Trader makes the process both safe and incredibly convenient. And selling a car with Exotic Car Trader gets you the same level of safety, but even more convenience.
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