Izhavto · 1972–2001

Izh 2715

The Izh 2715 (Russian: ИЖ-2715) is a family of light commercial vehicles with panel van and pickup truck body styles, produced by the Soviet, and later Russian, Lada Izhevsk (IzhAvto, initially Izhmash) with minimal changes over a span of 29 years, from 1972 to 2001. They were structurally based on the Moskvitch 412 passenger car and powered by a 1.5-liter engine. These vehicles were the most common light commercial vehicles in the Soviet Union and, from the late 1980s, were also available to private users. They were also exported to other countries, including Western nations.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Izh Comby

All Izhavto Izh 2715 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Development history

=== Emergence of the van and the start of production === Between 1968 and 1973, Lada Izhevsk in Izhevsk produced the Moskvitch 433/434 van, which was developed by the Moscow-based Moskvitch factory and based on the Moskvitch 412 passenger car, also produced at the plant. This van featured a three-door body style similar to the station wagon version (Moskvitch 426/427), with a low roofline and a rear hatch that opened upwards, making it difficult to access the cargo area and reducing the vehicle's practicality. The engineers in Izhevsk independently initiated efforts to enhance the vehicle’s usability, and by 1970, prototypes of a utility vehicle based on the Moskvitch were developed. These prototypes featured a body cut off just behind the driver's cabin, above the rear wheels, and replaced with a rectangular cuboid structure (Izh-6F) or a cargo bed (Izh-6G). However, this van had a high center of gravity and required further modifications. After refinement, the new van-bodied vehicle was put into production under the designation Izh-2715, in line with the new model numbering system. Unlike the prototypes, the cargo compartment was an integral part of the lower body. The upper housing was a separate part, attached at the end of assembly, a necessity due to the desire to produce the commercial vehicles on production lines designed for Moskvitch-412 sedans. Although the cargo compartment was not wider than the body, its sides rose almost vertically at the rear, allowing for significant widening compared to the driver’s cabin and the Moskvitch-434’s cargo area. The roof over the cargo compartment was raised, and the rear featured symmetrical double doors, with an opening height of 1,060 mm and a width of 1,040 mm. The cargo space volume was 2.6 m³, with a height of 1,170

Sales and operation

Due to their practicality, the mass-produced Izh vans became widely used across the Soviet Union. Because of their body shape, evoking a shoe with a high bootleg, they were popularly called kabluk or kabluchok (каблук/каблучок – heel/little heel), mainly in Russia and other former Soviet states. They were also nicknamed pirozhok (пирожок – little pie), due to being often used to deliver baked goods; this nickname was mainly used in Ukraine and parts of Russia that border it, including Krasnodar and Voronezh. Originally, the "pirozhok" nickname was used for the Moskvitch-433/434/2734 station wagon-based panel vans, but as they gradually disappeared from the streets into an almost total extinction (mainly due to the Soviet policy of scrapping a commercial vehicle after accumulating 250,000 km), the Izh-2715, which retook their role, inherited the nickname. Both nicknames are often used for other cars with the same body style, including later models like the ZAZ-11055 Tavria Pickup, and the comparable Western models like the earlier generations of the Volkswagen Caddy. A distinctive feature of the Soviet communist economy was that vans and pickups could not be sold to private users, as they were considered means of production. They were only used as service vehicles in various institutions, state-owned enterprises, and socialized commerce. From 1975 until the late 1980s, there was even a ban on registering such vehicles for private use. The vans also found widespread use in socialized services, managed by special ministries at the republic level. There were also specialized variants; for example, since 1982, RBTM workshop vehicles were produced in Ryazan for repair teams working on electronic and household equipment. These vehicles were also exported to some socialist coun

Technical data

Izh 2715: Body: unibody, steel, 2-door, 2-seater Dimensions (length/width/height): 4,130/1,590/1,825 mm (1,470 mm for pickup) Wheelbase: 2,400 mm Track (front/rear): 1,270/1,270 mm Cargo compartment dimensions (length/width/height): 1,600/1,440/1,160 mm Curb weight: 1,015 kg (Izh 27156: 1,095 kg) Gross vehicle weight: 1,615 kg Ground clearance under axles: 160 mm Engine: UZAM-412DE – carbureted, 4-stroke, 4-cylinder inline, OHC, liquid-cooled, longitudinally mounted in the front, rear-wheel drive Displacement: 1,478 cm³ Bore/Stroke: 82/70 mm Maximum power: 67 hp (or 75 hp) at 5,800 rpm Maximum torque: 100 Nm at 3,500 rpm Compression ratio: 7.2:1 Carburetor: K-126N or DAAZ-2140 Transmission: 4-speed manual, synchronized forward gears Final drive: hypoid gear, ratio 4.22:1 Front suspension: independent, transverse arms with coil springs, hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers Rear suspension: dependent, rigid axle on longitudinal semi-elliptic leaf springs, hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers Brakes: front disc, rear drum, hydraulic, vacuum-assisted, dual-circuit; mechanical handbrake on rear wheels Tires: 165–330 (6.45–13) Top speed: 125 km/h Fuel consumption: 6.9 l/100 km at 80 km/h 0-100 km/h acceleration: 19 seconds

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Izh 2715
aka: Izh 1500 GR, Moskvitch 1500 Gr, Elite Pick Up
Manufacturer: IZh
Production: 1972–2001
Predecessor: Moskvitch 433/434
Successor: Izh 2717
Class: light commercial vehicle
Body style: 3-door panel van, 2-door pickup truck
Engine: petrol engine, 1,478 cm³, 75 or 67 hp
Transmission: 4-speed, manual
Length: 4130 mm
Width: 1590 mm
Height: panel van: 1825 mm, pickup truck: 1470 mm
Wheelbase: 2400 mm
Kerb weight: 1015 kg
Related: Moskvitch 412
Assembly: Soviet Union/Russia: Izhevsk

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1676137CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izh_2715CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1370583031 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IZH-27156_mod_rear_view.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Kirill Borisenko · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.