Practical in use and reasonable at price, light weight trucks had no competitors at that time in Russia and their introduction was a qualitative breakthrough of the domestic automotive industry in terms of expansion of vehicles type range produced. It was the first time in Russia, that end-to-end computer technology was applied for production design and analytical calculations of dies and press molds during preproduction of GAZ-3302 vehicle.
For design and introduction of production of GAZelle vehicles the plant was awarded with the special prize of All-Russia Exhibition Centre during Moscow International Motor Show - 94. The vehicle was ranked first in All-Russia Project Contest "Design - 95". Chief developer of GAZ-3302 was trucks leading designer V.L. Chetverikov (at present Chief Designer of JSC GAZ). During 10 years new vehicles gained wide popularity both in Russia and abroad. Since the launch of the production the total number of GAZelle vehicles of all versions produced amounts to 881,515 units.

Extraordinary mobility of GAZelle vehicles important for operation in city conditions, optimal payload capacity (up to 1.5 t), availability of various interior layouts including "de luxe" version, optimal price, quick recoupment during operational process and other characteristics made it possible that these vehicles took a strong position in their market segment. GAZelle is used as a commercial vehicle in small-scale business, for passenger transportation, in different sectors of the economy.
Nowadays JSC GAZ produces over 200 versions and packagings of GAZelle vehicles. Among them there are drop side trucks, vans, buses. Due to well thought-out design, a big variety of special bodies and extensions as well as special vehicles versions were developed on the basis of GAZelle vehicle: vehicles for municipal services fitted with hoisting mechanisms, panel and tank trucks, shop-vans etc. Ambulance cars, vehicles for Ministry of Internal Affairs, labs, cash transporting vehicles are also manufactured on the basis of GAZelle vans.
Over 200 plants of Russia produce about 500 GAZelle versions of any different purpose.

In 2002, restyling of GAZelle model range was completed. Both interior and exterior of the vehicles were modernized. Now the whole range of 1.5 t vehicles has more modern appearance due to new front part, bumpers, radiator enclosure, fundamentally new lighting engineering. Dashboard appears much more attractive and meets the requirements of modern ergonomics. The project for fitting the vehicles with diesel engines meeting Euro-3 environmental norms, more effective heater as well as introduction of a new color spectrum is targeted at increasing customer characteristics of the vehicles and their competitiveness in foreign markets. Since the launch of their production GAZelle vehicles were supplied to Denmark, England, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania, Macedonia, Baltic Countries, Argentina, Cuba, Turkey, Uruguay, Guinea, Indonesia, Algeria, Nigeria, Syria, Ecuador, Iraq, Vietnam, Mongolia, RSA and others. Specially for RSA and other countries with left-hand traffic right-hand drive vehicles were designed.
Consumer characteristics of GAZelle vehicles are always being improved: the work on creation of a second generation of GAZelle vehicles with frameless design has been launched.