In the 90s, the plant experienced a difficult situation associated with a sharp decline in car production. The most unsuccessful years in the history of the plant were 1992-98. If 31371 cars were assembled in 1991, then in 1998 the production was reduced to 2489 cars — by 12.6 times! The automobile plant had to master the production of non—core products - the reconstruction and re-equipment of production was carried out in the amount of 938.5 million rubles. The situation began to improve, the company's production activity was fully restored, production volumes increased 2.4 times, and production of cars increased 4 times with an average annual growth of 130% (in 1999 - 5,470 units, in 2000 - 8,500, in 2001 – 10010). To maximize the preservation of the production complex for the production of cars, a new company A3 URAL was created on its basis.
In 1999-2000, a new range of four-wheel drive transport vehicles with a bonnetless layout with a load capacity of 10-12 tons and a family of multi-purpose vehicles with a load capacity of 6 and 10 tons were developed and put into production. The design has been developed and serial production of 3 types of shift buses of the Ural-3255, Ural-32551, and Ural-32552 models has begun. In 2000, 28 of them were produced.
Since 2003, output has been growing again at an average annual rate of 30%. In 2004, the car assemblers began to implement a new production system, Lean Manufacturing. Due to this, reference areas for car assembly, cabin assembly, etc. were created. The new system has increased labor productivity by 2 times, reduced costs by 3 times, and work-in-progress by 4 times.
In November 2005, the first truck of the road family, the Ural—63685 dump truck, rolled off the main assembly line. In 2005, repair vans were developed by order of Russian Railways. Special guard buses have been designed and manufactured by order of the oil and gas industry, and a pilot batch of unified metal platforms has been produced.
In 2005-2007, the production of passenger and cargo vehicles with hydraulic manipulator was mastered. In 2006, a platform for the installation of drilling rigs with an 8x8 wheel formula was released for the oil industry.
Ural cars with van bodies are shown at exhibitions in Russia: Surgut, Novokuznetsk, Moscow, Khanty-Mansiysk. According to their consumer properties, Ural shift buses had no competitors in the sales market in this class of SUVs. In 2007, 987 buses were produced, including short buses with 24 passenger seats and long buses with 28 seats.
In 2008, the total production of cars at the URAL Automobile Plant was increased to 15,158 units.
In 2009, a pilot batch of new Ural-4320-58 off-road vehicles was produced, equipped with a comfortable three-seat cockpit with a driver's seat. Equipped with the YaMZ-236NE2 engine (230 hp), it is possible to install the YaMZ-7601 engine. Various special equipment can be placed on the base of the car. In 2010, a presentation of a new Laempe rod machine and an absorption and biochemical plant took place at the rod manufacturing site of foundry No. 4. The introduction of a new process technology makes it possible to produce rods of any complexity for steel, cast iron and non-ferrous casting.
In 2009, a pilot batch of new Ural-4320-58 off-road vehicles was produced, equipped with a comfortable three-seat cockpit with a driver's seat. Equipped with the YaMZ-236NE2 engine (230 hp), it is possible to install the YaMZ-7601 engine. Various special equipment can be placed on the base of the car. In 2010, a presentation of a new Laempe rod machine and an absorption and biochemical plant took place at the rod manufacturing site of foundry No. 4. The introduction of a new process technology makes it possible to produce rods of any complexity for steel, cast iron and non-ferrous casting.
In 2010, the plant began mass production of the Ural-32552- 3011-59 four-wheel drive car with a 4x4 wheel formula. The car can be produced in several versions: a shift bus, an on-board car and a chassis for various superstructures. Since 2010, an automatic hydraulic pipe bending machine has been operating at the procurement site of the universal technologies workshop. Designed for bending workpieces to the exhaust pipe, it has a wide bending angle range.
In 2013, the company is developing a car of the Ural-M project. One of the most important areas of development of the Ural brand of equipment is the constant updating of its model range. Customer orientation is the main principle that the company continues to follow. In 2014, the URAL automobile Plant began mass production of the upgraded Ural-M family of four-wheel drive vehicles. The Ural-M family, developed on the basis of the Ural-4320 serial chassis, includes a range of vehicles with 4x4 and 6x6 wheel formulas in both traditional bonnet and bonnetless versions. During the development, about 50 changes and technological improvements were introduced into the design of Ural-M cars.
In early July 2015, a new generation Ural NEXT car was presented for the first time at the International Specialized Exhibition Construction Machinery and Technologies, which will increase Ural's share in the Russian heavy truck market. While retaining the traditional advantages of the Ural brand – its unique cross-country ability and high functionality, Ural NEXT has increased reliability and comfort, improved handling and economy. The new cabin module is mounted on a deeply upgraded chassis with a high-tech assembly base. The modern exterior and interior, spacious and comfortable cabin, ease of operation, and excellent ergonomics are achieved through the use of modern design solutions and components that meet international quality standards. The car has become even more reliable and comfortable, complementing its qualities with improved handling and operational efficiency. The start of production and sales of the Ural NEXT car was carried out in 2015.
In 2016, the Ural NEXT car was awarded the title "Truck of the Year" following the results of the most prestigious competition in the field of commercial vehicle production - the 16th annual competition "The Best Commercial Vehicle of the Year in Russia".
In 2018, the Ural Automobile Plant announced the launch of mass production and the start of sales of vehicles of the road family. Ural NEXT 6x4 cars can be used on public roads and technological roads.
The road family includes dump trucks with a load capacity of up to 15.6 tons for the transportation of bulk and bulk cargo, tractors with a total weight of up to 62 tons and a chassis for the installation of special equipment.
It is planned to produce a large number of special equipment variants on the Ural NEXT 6x4 chassis, including cranes, vans, garbage trucks, tankers, tankers, combined road vehicles, etc. Ural NEXT 6x4 vehicles are suitable for operation in any conditions, behave confidently on roads with any surface and, most importantly, take care of the comfort of the driver and passengers. The low cost of ownership and long service interval (up to 30,000 kilometers), some of the best warranty conditions among trucks (36 months or 150 thousand kilometers) make it attractive to customers.
