There have been many conflicting opinions about the Soviet truck with the poetic name "Kolkhida." In most cases, the assessments agreed on one thing: the vehicle was distinguished by poor build quality, unsuccessful balance, and was extremely difficult in everyday operation. Working with equipment from the Kutaisi Automobile Plant was often perceived by drivers as a heavy burden.
This reputation was partly explained by the fact that the first models, the KAZ-605 and KAZ-606, were created by a team that did not have much experience in designing trucks and truck tractors. The Kutaisi Automobile Plant itself was founded in 1945 and initially focused on producing automotive components.
The enterprise switched to automobile production only in the early 1950s. In 1951, the first ZIS-150 was assembled here, and by 1961 the plant had mastered the production of its own vehicles, those very "Kolkhidas" (KAZ-605 and KAZ-606). At the same time, the KAZ-605 was a standard flatbed truck, while the KAZ-606 was a truck tractor, a type of vehicle highly sought after in the national economy.
It was the KAZ-606 tractors that were produced in the greatest numbers. Two design centers worked on their creation at once: the Likhachyov Plant and the Kutaisi enterprise. Nevertheless, this model was not popular among drivers: many tried by any means to avoid working on the "Kolkhida."
The main complaints concerned the crude design and insufficiently refined units. A significant portion of the components was borrowed from the ZIL-164, but this did not provide the necessary level of reliability. Even after the modernizations of the 1970s, including the promised installation of an engine from the ZIL-130 and transmission improvements, the situation did not fundamentally change. The key problem remained the quality of assembly: production was focused more on volume than on refining the design.
At the same time, it is important to take into account that the "Kolkhida" was originally designed for specific operating conditions. The main task was movement on mountain roads. That is why the KAZ-606 turned out to be slow-moving: its maximum speed was about 50 km/h, and fuel consumption reached roughly 50 liters per 100 km.
The vehicle's design features were dictated by this task:
- shortened wheelbase, about 2.9 m, comparable to passenger cars
- high maneuverability for operation on serpentine roads
- orientation toward movement at low speeds
However, on ordinary roads such solutions turned into problems. The truck was difficult to keep in a straight line, the driver was constantly under strain, and after a shift experienced severe fatigue. Often, after just a month of operation, drivers sought reassignment to other vehicles.
At the same time, it cannot be said that the developers completely ignored comfort. On the contrary, the "Kolkhida" became one of the first Soviet cab-over tractors with a higher level of convenience. It featured:
- effective ventilation
- soft seats
- a sleeping berth for the driver
However, these advantages were offset by poor build quality. Typical problems included:
- unreliable mounts for the tilting cab, up to and including spontaneous unlatching
- poor door sealing with numerous gaps
- general mismatch of components with the stated specifications
Maintenance also caused difficulties. Although the process itself could not be called excessively complicated, it was extremely inconvenient. At the same time, repairs were often needed: heavily loaded transmission elements failed faster than the tires wore out.
Later, attempts were made to improve the design. In 1968, the KAZ-608 appeared with a more powerful engine and an increased wheelbase, and in 1984, the KAZ-4540 model. The latter really was better, but it was still not possible to completely eliminate transmission reliability problems.
Nevertheless, the true reason for drivers' dislike lay not only in the technical shortcomings. In the conditions of the Soviet economy, a truck was often seen as a means of additional income. The possibility of side earnings, transporting building materials or agricultural products, directly depended on the vehicle's efficiency.
In this respect, the "Kolkhida" lost to its competitors. With fuel consumption of about 50 liters per 100 km, it was practically impossible to count on additional income, especially in comparison with models such as the GAZ-66 and ZIL-130.
A logical question arises: why did motor transport enterprises not refuse such problematic equipment? The answer lies in the specifics of that time. Since the early 1980s, the USSR had experienced fuel shortages at filling stations, although enterprises continued to receive it centrally.
Under such conditions, the presence of "Kolkhidas" made it possible to write off significant volumes of gasoline and spare parts. In practice, however, more reliable trucks were more often used to perform the work, while the KAZ-606 often remained on the sidelines.