For more than 9 years, domestic motorists have been driving cars under the name "Lada Kalina" (station wagon). Owner reviews indicate that the copy turned out to be fully adequate to its value. Small flaws are also present, but at its price all minuses can be safely closed. Let's see what the car AvtoVAZ created - the Lada Kalina (station wagon) - especially since the second generation of these budget cars has recently appeared. Is this product ripe? Overview of the car "Lada Kalina" (wagon) - further in our article.
Platform
AvtoVAZ engineers as a platform for these family wagons did not begin to develop something new. At the heart of the car of the first and second generation lies the same VAZ 2190 chassis, which Grant shared with Kalina.
This can explain the availability of the car "Kalina" (wagon). The price is acceptable, but we'll talk about it at the end of the article. After several minor modifications, the same platform will be used in the production of Japanese state-owned cars from Datsun. The Japanese automaker is interested in this chassis just due to cheapness.
Body
They also decided not to radically change it, but there are still some minor changes. They are local. So, on the back of the station wagon and hatchback, completely new wings, bumpers and rear windows on the sides are now installed. The front part of the new Kalina acquired a hood and wings, the same as on the Grant. However, original parts remained - these are the bumper and optics. At the same time, the front bumper has increased in size, it is slightly extended. This is due to the new radiator. Due to the bumper, the car added 44 mm to its length. And for those who do not like this bumper, tuning will help.
Kalina can be equipped with other plastic elements. Now you can purchase and install a variety of body kits. You can change the appearance of the machine almost beyond recognition. But with the advent of the new bumper, the car lost the previous amplifier, which was located earlier. His task was to protect the evaporator and radiator of the air conditioner during an accident at low speeds. AvtoVAZ engineers said in this regard that after a crash test at speeds of 15 km / h, the new bumper, which is equipped with stiffeners inside, is even able to protect air conditioning units without an amplifier.
The headlights have built-in daytime
running lights. However, optics with lenses were not installed at AvtoVAZ. It is expensive, so
linzovannye headlights could be seen only on the exhibition copy. As for the exhibition flowers, they all go in series. And interestingly, you don’t have to pay extra for the color, like for all other metallic shades. By the way, the first generation car had a lot of unpainted parts. Now the picture has changed a bit. On some trim levels, door handles and mirrors began to be painted in body color. Due to this, the car looks more stylish.
Salon
Since the dimensions of the body have not changed, consider the interior of the new car "Kalina" (wagon).
Owner reviews report that the dimensions of the cabin remained unchanged. There is also comparatively a lot of space above your head - tall people comfortably sat down earlier, in the first versions. In the new modification there are no problems with a lack of free space. In addition, people with height above 180 cm can sit comfortably in the back row. All those who worried that the body will become smaller and will not be so comfortable in it can breathe a sigh of relief. In the interior, even at first glance, much is new and interesting. Now they install door cards and panels from Lada Grants. Overhead, in a driver's seat, the designers decided to install an eyeglass case - this is an unusual move from AvtoVAZ. For rear passengers, a cup holder loop appeared on the parking brake cover, where you can even insert a 0.5 liter bottle of water. Additionally, the rear seat belt locks are now located in a special mesh. The advantage is that they are at hand when needed. Another feature - added a buzzer, informing about unfastened belts in the driver and passenger.
Dashboard
Apparently, significant improvements were made inside. The same goes for the front panel. The car "Kalina" (wagon) has a fully informative dashboard. It is unified with Grant and supplied by Itelma, a domestic company. For Kalina, designers made separate scales for the tachometer and speedometer, however, like Granta, there is no information on the temperature of the coolant. There is only a small light bulb reporting overheating. This is a rather strange decision.
Climate system
At the same time, designers and other AvtoVAZ specialists made a panel with the expectation of installing a new climate system, which now has a more successful layout. Yes, and her work is now accompanied by a lower noise level than before, according to reviews. Ducts in the new air conditioning system are much better and more secure, the motorists say. And if in simple trim levels, such as Norma, the car will be equipped with an ordinary air conditioner, then for the Lada Kalina car (station wagon luxury), the latest American automatic air conditioner from Visteon is already installed. He is able to independently control the temperature in the cabin, the intensity of blowing, as well as the direction of air flow. Even on a hot day, this air conditioner will not let its owner down. Its work is very quiet, it cools the air in the cabin stably, and you can also highlight convenient controls. However, the Kalina car (station wagon) also has drawbacks. Owner reviews indicate that the air conditioner significantly takes power from the engine. Consumption also increases. But if you need comfort, you have to sacrifice something.
Multimedia
In simple trim levels from entertainment - only a radio tape recorder. But if it is a VAZ-1117 in the maximum configuration, then a new multimedia system equipped with a touch screen will be installed here.
At the same time, the display is located quite high - it is convenient to look at it in the process of driving. As for the capabilities of multimedia, it is multifunctional. But if you need to view large photographs, it is better not to do this - the system starts to slow down. Although this is not a Mercedes or BMW, but Kalina (station wagon). Owner reviews also indicate that the developers of the multimedia system have complicated its management - the interface is not immediately clear. It takes a long “travel” on the menu to explore all the features of the system. And while multimedia is far from ideal, but it is a product of the domestic automobile industry, and the very presence of multimedia is already a big breakthrough. Previously, on VAZs there was only audio training.
Comfort and seating
AvtoVAZ did not make a breakthrough with chairs.
The architecture of the seats on the new VAZ-1117 car has not changed. They are all also soft, and some owners find it even too much. They delayed the appearance of a driver's seat with a height adjustment function, which the plant had already planned. But all this is nothing compared to trying to stretch out the headrest. The Kalina car (station wagon) is designed in such a way that it is impossible to carry out this procedure alone. The tilt steering wheel is also not finalized, but so far it has been found only on a few copies. Sometimes you have to pull the steering wheel with two hands, and this car is positioned as a family car, which is suitable for both men and women. However, fragile girls are unlikely to be able to perform such an adjustment.
Engines and Transmission
Three gasoline power units are proposed, which, as before, work only on 95th gasoline. The Lada Kalina car (station wagon) of the Standard and Norm configurations will be equipped for the first time with an 8-valve 1.6-liter unit with a capacity of 87 liters. from. - It is more powerful than the last 8-valve. The previous 1.4-liter engine will not be. This 8-valve engine is 87 hp simpler and cheaper.
Models in the "Lux" trim levels will be equipped with a 1.6-liter 16-valve engine with an improved intake system. It only works with a five-speed manual gearbox with a cable drive. The power of this unit has been increased from 98 forces to 106. However, the main change is not in the engines, but in the new four-speed automatic. This gearbox will be installed only on the luxury version. Over time, the manufacturer plans to equip the Norma equipment with a machine gun. With an automatic transmission and a 106-horsepower engine, the station wagon reaches 100 km / h in 14 seconds.
Prices
And now the most interesting. For those who want to buy a Kalina car (station wagon), the price starts from 394 thousand rubles for a standard car. It offers a 87-horsepower 8-valve engine, a five-speed manual gearbox, an immobilizer, daytime running lights and much more. In the maximum configuration, the car costs 547 thousand rubles. AvtoVAZ offers a 106-horsepower engine and a robotic transmission.
There are also many interesting options, including tuning. Kalina can be equipped with beautiful discs or body kits for an additional fee.