The new Lada-Kalina-2, the photo of which you will see below, replaced the first generation of the VAZ model in May 2013. The first generation saw the light in 2004 and in some years rose to fourth place in the ranking of the most popular cars in Russia. In 2011, it took first place in terms of sales, and since March 2013, the first generation was completed. For nine years on the assembly line, many motorists fell in love with the model. What replaced her?
Appearance
The second generation is available in two bodies, one of which is a Kalina-2 hatchback. The sedan is produced under the name "Lada Grant." The second body is the Kalina-2 universal. The appearance of the updated model is quite different from its predecessor. The front of the body - already from the "Grants": wings, headlights, hood. The back is left from the old Kalina. Minor changes have affected the boot lid, rear wings and rear block headlights. The fact is that AvtoVAZ held a competition for the development of design, in which several agencies participated. According to the results, two were selected. One took the concept of "front end", the other - the rear. In fact, this is the same "Grant", only in the hatchback or station wagon. In general, the whole car has become more angular and looks more modern. The rigidity of the body increased by only 3% compared with the previous version.
Front view
The main difference is the wheel arches with a "thick" stamped edging. They make Kalina more stylish and modern. The wheel arch gets bigger and the car looks more muscular. Along with this are the front 14 "brake discs and rear 14" brake drums. Headlights are made, as in many foreign cars: black plastic, in which individual elements are inserted. Separately, it is necessary to mention the grille, which has greatly increased compared to the previous model and creates a "smile" in the style of the Peugeot. It consists of large plastic cells. This gives its advantages, but also its disadvantages for the Lada-Kalina-2 car. Owner reviews say that of the advantages it is worth noting good cooling of the radiator, and of the minuses - the fact that small pebbles can fly through the links of the grill and get on the radiator.
A few small nuances of the changes in the “front end” are the absence of plugs on the bolts in the windshield lining and the presence of two-nozzle nozzles for the glass washer.
Back view
The rear of the car looks compact, like European hatchbacks. The changes affected the rear headlights, fenders and trunk lid, on which the “saber” above the license plate was painted in body color. The headlamps began to look more modern, the only thing missing was the LEDs. In the station wagon, they are located only on the sides, while in the hatchback they are extended up to the roof. This visually enhances the car. Also, reflectors disappeared from the bumper. They moved to the center of the headlamp.
Chassis
The suspension of this car went from the Lada Grant. Now it’s impossible to say that the Kalina behaves on the track figuratively speaking like a cow on ice. She has a front suspension with an enlarged caster, and a rear suspension with a negative camber. The negative camber is 1 ° and is made for better stability on the road. No more can be done, since the suspension has a beam structure. The enlarged caster affects the control: the wheel spins tighter. Therefore, here stands its own electric amplifier with more powerful torque.
Under the hood
It immediately catches the eye that on the new Kalina there is no familiar poker that keeps the hood open. Instead, there is a small lever in the upper left corner, which makes picking in the engine compartment of the Kalina-2 model much more convenient. Owner reviews also praise the full insulation of the hood. In general, AvtoVAZ engineers modified the car a bit. Immediately you can notice the lack of a hood switch, which is often "buggy" on the old "Kalina", and the lack of a generator belt tensioner . There is even more free space in the engine compartment.
Motorization
Here we have three motors, one of which is the VAZ “eight-valve” from “Grants” with an updated connecting rod and piston group, one engine from “Priora”, with “automatic machines”, and one new 127th engine. It has a receiver with variable intake geometry. With this design, air travels a longer path at low speeds, and a shorter path at high speeds. This gives good traction both from below and at high speeds. To the right of the engine is a cold fence. Now the system is more reminiscent of the "Koreans." Instead of DMRV, there is now DBP (absolute pressure sensor), which reads the pressure in the receiver, and DTV (air temperature sensor), which made the torque shelf wider. The increase in power was 8 l / s. Compared with the previous version, air conditioning rotates more easily. This gives much less dynamic loss. The average consumption of gasoline in the urban cycle is 8-9 liters per 100 km. For 1.6 liter engines, this is an absolutely normal consumption.
Transmission
The new Kalina-2 is offered either with a five -speed manual gearbox with a cable drive, or with a four-speed Japanese automatic. The cable drive is located above the gearbox and serves to change gears not directly, but, actually, through this drive. This greatly facilitates gear shifting. Another nice little thing is that the reverse switch is on top. If it breaks, you no longer need to remove the engine protection and drain the oil from the box. Also, there is no oil dipstick, and the oil needs a third less than before - 2.2 liters.
The four-speed “automatic” from Nissan, familiar to us from the Mikra, is one of the most reliable in its class. According to the statistics of the manufacturer, there was not a single replacement.
Trunk
The trunk opens either with a key or a button from the passenger compartment. The lid rises smoothly and quite high, which will be convenient for people of high stature. Its volume did not change, but a handle appeared on the inner panel of the casing, with which the trunk is closed.
Salon
In the cabin, a new three-spoke steering wheel with an airbag immediately catches your eye. Klaxon moved to the center of the steering wheel, combining with an airbag. This is much more convenient than the small buttons on the sides in the old version of Kalina. In the car "Lada-Kalina-2" the reviews of the owners indicate exactly this. This is much safer, because in an emergency situation, you could simply not get to the small buttons or even forget about them.
In the second Kalina, a new torpedo with a new dashboard. A speedometer with a tachometer is located on it at the edges, and in the center is a computer screen and control lights that light up if something is wrong. The oil and coolant temperature sensors were replaced with warning lights. In the center of the console in expensive versions is the touch screen of the multimedia system, which is duplicated by button control from the remote control located below, under the ventilation grilles. Everything is accessible and convenient. You can only find fault with the sound quality of a standard audio system.
In the cheap versions, a small box for small things is located at this place. The radio can be inserted a little lower, including a two-din multimedia system. Space is provided for this. Even lower on expensive versions, an air conditioning control unit is installed, which works quite quietly and many adjustments are available. On cheaper versions, a ventilation control unit is installed here. Near the gearshift lever are two cup holders. The driver's seat is comfortable. There is enough space for drivers of large stature.
Rear seats
There is enough space in the back seat for tall passengers. Unfortunately, the center armrest is not provided. But there are plenty of pockets for little things, and enough legroom. Passengers in the rear seat also have one cup holder.
Driving performance
The Kalina-2 test showed that the car was moving smoothly. At low speeds, it is quite squat. Feels good "grassroots" traction. True, the electronic "gas" is still a little thoughtful. The new manual is much better at shifting gears. Acceleration to one hundred kilometers became faster and takes 11.6 s for the Lada-Kalina-2 model. Owner reviews indicate that the “automatic” box also picks up easily at the start. Electric power steering has become more informative, and noise insulation is much better than on previous models. By car it will be very easy to drive on busy roads. Dimensions are felt easily. But there is a minus - the brake pedal is not very informative, and you need to get used to it. But when driving on bad roads (or even their absence), energy-intensive suspension makes itself felt. The car is driving normally, you can not even brake.
Prices
The price of the new Kalina starts at 340,000 rubles. The most expensive version of Kalina-2 (complete with automatic transmission, air conditioning, multimedia and alloy wheels) will cost 465,000 rubles. Are there any other options. Kalina-2 with a 127th motor, air conditioning, multimedia, a manual transmission and alloy wheels will cost the buyer about 408,000 rubles. You can buy a car on credit for 5 years. In this case, Kalina-2, the price of which is 340,000 rubles, will cost the owner 7-9 thousand rubles a month.
Total
This car is quite competitive in its price category of new cars. Outwardly, he looks better than others. The interior is made to the level, and the choice of available options is also quite wide. The closest foreign competitors with air conditioning and multimedia cost 50-80 thousand more. The car has a lot of space, and everything is at hand. It’s easy to reach. Large enough mirrors and windows provide good visibility. It is easy and quite comfortable to ride around the city.
As a drawback, it can be noted that the car does not hold the road well at high speeds. There is a lack of a good wheelbase. But the car behaves perfectly on a bad road. So it is safe to say that this is a decent car for the money. This is a bargain from an economic point of view. Competitors may be used foreign cars, but the probability of getting into a "bucket of bolts" in this price category is very high.