The full details have yet to surface but Belarus has developed a 500hp tractor prototype.
Called the 5022, it was hidden inside one of the extensive network of buildings during our visit to the Minsk factory earlier this year.
The recent sighting at a Belarussian show suggests that the company is now keener to talk about the new tractor, the launch of which we believe is imminent.
We understand that it has a different rear axle to the 466hp 4522 we took a look at earlier this year, and that the 5022 tractor will be available with larger tyre options. Otherwise, we can only guess at the specification and whether it hides the same in-house-made four-stage (16 forward, eight reverse) powershift transmission as the 4522.
The engine in the 500hp flagship is from Cat, but it is larger than the 12.5-litre six-pot Stage IIIa block in 4522. The 5022 will be offered with either a Stage V compliant six-cylinder C18 (18.1l) engine for Europe or a Stage IIIa motor for non-emission markets, such as Russia.
The question now is which of the new high-horsepower Minsk-made monsters the Belarussian tractor maker plans to show at Agritechnica, the 466hp 4522, which was at the last show in 2017, or the 500hp 5022? Also, will the yellow livery be swapped for traditional Belarus red when the 5022 makes it to the price lists, or does it herald the start of a new yellow series of Cat-powered Minsk-made tractors? We will have to wait and see.
