In the Market for a New Russian SUV? You May Be In Luck

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai

Russian SUV maker UAZ, and Bremach, Inc., an American automotive manufacturer in Southern California, are introducing the Bremach 2022 Taos 4X4 mid-sized SUV. It matters little that you’ve not heard of UAZ or Bremach, they are collaborating to bring the Russian SUV and other vehicles to the U.S.

According to Bremach, their brand has been in Europe and around the world for decades. Founded in Varese, Italy in 1956 by the Brenna brothers, they first produced under license from Aermacchi a three-wheeled motorcycle called the Macchi MB1. The name Bremach was a combination of Brenna and Macchi.

In 1983, Bremach began production of the Brenmach GR, a multi-purpose, all-wheel-drive car. Launching the BRIO 4X2, a 75 horsepower municipal service vehicle in 1993, Bremach later offered the all-wheel-drive Family Extreme.

Since 2006, the company has introduced a new range of cars, the Brick, Extreme, and Job, and in 2008, the T-Rex was their replacement. 2009 saw Bremach and Russia’s UAZ produce the Bremach-UAZ T-Rex, to meet the needs of governmental agencies, road construction crews, and emergency vehicle outfitters, especially in remote areas. Production rights to the T-Rex were sold to Tekne in 2015, as Bremach s.r.l. filed for bankruptcy, and in March of 2018, the bankruptcy was completed.

Bremach Inc., an American division, survived the bankruptcy and started development of a new SUV 4X4 for the U.S. market with UAZ. This month, Bremach announced the UAZ Patriot 4X4 and pickup would be imported as the Bremach Taos and the Brio in 2021, going on sale as 2022 models. The 2022 Bremach Taos 4×4 SUV at $26,405 MSRP, is said to provide owners with massive value, apparently through offering as standard features a seven-inch touchscreen, in-dash multimedia MP3/USB audio system with 4 speakers and navigation, a rear-view camera, LTE, Wi-Fi, SD, and Bluetooth, heated front and rear leather seats, steering wheel, windshield and side mirrors; and a refrigerated glove box.

Eighteen-inch Sahara alloy wheels, 6-speed automatic transmission, remote ignition, front and rear parking sensors, anti-lock braking systems, electronic brakeforce distribution, driver and passenger airbags, electronic stability program, electronic stability control, computerized technology-improving vehicle stability, LED daytime running lights, front fog lights, cornering brake control (CBC), and a hydraulic brake assist system round out the list of standard features on the Taos.

Bremach’s Brio 4X4 pickup will also come loaded with advanced features as standard equipment. At $27,882.00 MSRP, the Brio will have the same warranty as the Taos. Like the Taos, the Brio pickup is made possible by working with UAZ and other suppliers. Limited information about the Brio’s content was available at this time, and calls to Bremach were not returned by press time.

Realizing Bremach isn’t a household name, the company is offering a five-year, 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper, and a 10-year, 120,000-mile powertrain warranty. Comparing their SUV to the security and utility of a Lexus LX, or the advanced gearing and 4×4 ability of a Land Rover, the company is aiming high for a manufacturer without dealers listed on their website. At present, Bremach is accepting pre-orders, which will be directed to the nearest dealer once they are established. To Bremach, their most important partners are dealers as a conduit to customers, it will be interesting to see if their network materializes.

[Images: Bremach]

Jason R. Sakurai
Jason R. Sakurai

With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.

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  • Mcs Mcs on Dec 31, 2020

    Forget this little gopnitsa toy. If I'm getting a Soviet truck, I want a Kamaz: youtube.com/watch?v=xrYRjV1ijvA youtube.com/watch?v=MkRI6JgMaMM

  • Carserviceboston Carserviceboston on Feb 22, 2022

    Blue Nile Livery SUV vehicle is a guarantee of road stability, excellent design and plenty of comfort readily available for the whole family. Some SUV models can carry up to seven passengers and usually have unlimited kilometers.

  • EBFlex No they shouldn’t. It would be signing their death warrant. The UAW is steadfast in moving as much production out of this country as possible
  • Groza George The South is one of the few places in the U.S. where we still build cars. Unionizing Southern factories will speed up the move to Mexico.
  • FreedMike I'd say that question is up to the southern auto workers. If I were in their shoes, I probably wouldn't if the wages/benefits were at at some kind of parity with unionized shops. But let's be clear here: the only thing keeping those wages/benefits at par IS the threat of unionization.
  • 1995 SC So if they vote it down, the UAW gets to keep trying. Is there a means for a UAW factory to decide they no longer wish to be represented and vote the union out?
  • Lorenzo The Longshoreman/philosopher Eri Hoffer postulated "Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and ends up as a racket." That pretty much describes the progression of the United Auto Workers since World War II, so if THEY are the union, the answer is 'no'.
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