Car "Lada Kalina" (station wagon): feedback from owners, bundling, tuning, advantages and disadvantages

For more than 9 years domestic motorists have been driving cars called Lada Kalina (station wagon). The owners' testimonies indicate that the specimen was fully adequate to its value. Small deficiencies are also present, but with its price for all the shortcomings, you can safely close your eyes. Let's see what the car that AvtoVAZ created - Lada Kalina (station wagon) - is, especially since the second generation of these budget cars has recently appeared. Has the product matured? Overview of the car "Lada Kalina" (station wagon) - later in this article.

Platform

Engineers AvtoVAZ as a platform for these family stationers did not begin to develop something new. At the heart of the car of the first and second generation is all the same VAZ chassis 2190, which with the "Kalina" divided the "Grant". This can explain the availability of the car "Kalina" (station wagon). The price is acceptable, but we'll talk about it at the end of the article. After a few minor improvements, the same platform will be used for the production of Japanese public sector cars from Datsun. The Japanese auto concern to the given chassis has become interested just at the expense of cheapness.

Body

He also decided not to change fundamentally, but there are some minor changes. They are local. So, on the back of the station wagon and the hatchback are now completely new wings, bumpers and rear windows on the sides. The front part of the new "Kalina" got a hood and wings, the same as on the "Grant". However, there were also original details - it's a bumper and optics. At the same time, the front bumper has increased in size, slightly extended. This is done because of the new radiator. Due to the bumper the car has added 44 mm to its length. And those who do not like this bumper will be helped by tuning.

"Kalina" can be equipped with other plastic elements. Now you can buy 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 earlier. His task was to protect the evaporator and the radiator of the air conditioner during an accident at low speeds. AvtoVAZ engineers said that after a crash test at a speed of 15 km / h, a new bumper, which is internally equipped with stiffeners, even without an amplifier, can protect the air conditioner units. Headlights have built-in daytime running lights. However, optics with lenses installed on AvtoVAZ did not. This is expensive, so the lensed headlights could be seen only on the exhibition copy. And as for the exhibition colors, they all go to the series. And what is interesting, for the color does not have to pay extra, as for all other metallized shades. By the way, the first generation of cars had many unpainted details. Now the picture has changed a little. On some complete sets of steel paint in the body color door handles and mirrors. Due to this, the car looks more stylish.

Salon

Since the overall dimensions of the body have not changed, we will consider the salon of the new car "Kalina" (station wagon). Reviews of owners report that the size of the cabin remained unchanged. There is also a lot of space above your head - high people comfortably sat down earlier, in the first versions. In the new modification, there is no problem with a lack of free space. In addition, people with a height above 180 cm can sit comfortably in the back row. All those who experienced that the body becomes smaller and in it will not be so comfortable, can breathe a sigh of relief. In the interior, even at first glance, a lot of new and interesting is noticeable. Now here are installed door cards and panels with "Lada Grants". Above the head in the driver's seat, the designers decided to install the ochechnitsu - this is an unusual move from AvtoVAZ. For the rear passengers on the casing of the parking brake appeared loop-cup holder, where you can insert even a bottle of water for 0.5 liters. In addition, the rear seat belt locks are now located in a special mesh. The advantage is that they are at hand when necessary. Another feature - added a buzzer, informing about the fastened belts of the driver and the passenger.

Dashboard

As you can see, significant improvements were made inside. The same goes for the front panel. The car "Kalina" (station wagon) has a fully informative instrument panel. It is unified with the "Grant" and is supplied by the domestic company "Itelma". For "Kalina" the designers made separate scales for the tachometer and speedometer, however, like the "Grants", there is no information on the temperature of the coolant. There is only a small light bulb indicating overheating. This is a rather strange decision.

Climate system

At the same time designers and other specialists of AvtoVAZ made a panel with the expectation of installing a new climate system, which now has a more successful layout. Yes, and its work is now accompanied by a lower level of noise than before, note the reviews. Air ducts in the new climate system are much better and more reliable, say motorists. And if in simple complete sets, such as "Norma", the car will be equiped with ordinary air conditioning, then for the car "Lada Kalina" (station wagon), the newest automatic American air conditioner from Visteon is laid. He is able to independently control the temperature in the cabin, the intensity of the blowing, as well as the direction of the air flows. Even on a hot day, this air conditioner will not let its owner down. Its operation is very quiet, it cools the air in the cabin, it is stable, and also convenient controls can be identified. However, the "Kalina" (universal) car also has shortcomings. The owners' comments indicate that the air conditioner significantly takes power from the engine. The consumption also increases. But if you need comfort, you have to sacrifice something.

Multimedia

In simple complete sets from entertainments - only a radio tape recorder. But if this VAZ-1117 is 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 high enough - it is convenient to look at while driving. As for the possibilities of multimedia, it is multifunctional. But if you want to view large photos, it is better not to do this - the system starts to slow down. Although this is not "Mercedes" or "BMW", but "Kalina" (station wagon). The owners' feedback also shows that the developers of the multimedia system have complicated the management of it - the interface is not immediately understood. It takes a long time to "travel" through the menu to learn all the features of the system. And let the multimedia is far from ideal, but it is a product of the domestic automotive industry, and the very presence of multimedia is already a big breakthrough. Earlier on VAZ there was only audio preparation.

Comfort and seating

With the seats at avtovazovtsev breakthrough did not work. On the new VAZ-1117, the seat architecture remained practically unchanged. They are all also soft, and some owners think that even too much. They detained 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 pull the headrest. The car "Kalina" (station wagon) is designed in such a way that it is impossible to carry out this procedure alone. Adjusting the steering wheel on the slope is also not finalized, but this has so far only been seen on several copies. The handlebars are sometimes pulled with two hands, but 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 adjustment.

Engines and transmission

Three gasoline power units are proposed, which, as before, operate only on the 95th gasoline. The car "Lada Kalina" (wagon) "Standard" and "Norma" equipment will be equipped for the first time ever by 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 87-force engine is 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 transmission box. The power of this unit is increased from 98 forces to 106. However, the main change is not in engines, but in a new four-stage automatic machine. This CAT will be installed only on luxury versions. Over time, the manufacturer plans to equip the automatic and the "Norma" kit. With automatic transmission and a 106-horsepower engine, the station wagon reaches 100 km / h in 14 seconds.

Price list

And now the most interesting. For those who want to buy a car "Kalina" (station wagon), the price starts from 394 thousand rubles for a car in the basic configuration. It offers an 87-horsepower 8-valve engine, a five-speed manual transmission, an immobilizer, daytime running lights and much more. In the most complete configuration, the car costs 547 thousand rubles. AvtoVAZ offers an engine for 106 forces 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.