Introductory review and video test drive of Lada Granta Sport

According to statistics from our automobile industry, in the last two years a real breakthrough in sales has been made by the new AVTOVAZ model Lada Granta. According to all the laws of economics, success must be developed, and now another new product is entering the market - Lada Granta Sport. A sort of intermediate option between the base model and a sports car.

The technical characteristics declared by the plant are quite high, but it is human nature to initially doubt. Therefore, we decided to test this car ourselves, conduct a test on the Lada Granta Sport - record a drive video and share the results.

The goals we set are quite simple - to test the new sports suspension, achieve maximum speed, find out the real acceleration to 100 km/h, see how the car behaves when taking various turns.

The main assistant in this process will be the Racelogik Performance Box, which allows you to measure any vehicle speed, tilt angles and other characteristics.

For our test drive of the Lada Granta Sport, we chose an ordinary car, recently purchased at one of the car dealerships. What distinguishes it from the standard Lada Granta is its modified appearance - the car has different plastic body kits, the radiator grille and sills have been changed, and the bumpers look slightly different both front and rear. This model comes from the factory with an understatement of minus thirty.

It has a sixteen-inch casting and, accordingly, 195-50-R16 tires. To improve cornering stability, manufacturers used a slight negative camber and slightly shortened the steering rack.

There is a strong impression that the car has been fully tuned at the factory. The impression is completed by a small spoiler mounted on the trunk.

The parameters of the 16-valve engine with a volume of 1.6 liters and a power of 119 horsepower are stated as follows:

– acceleration to 100 km/h is 9.5 seconds; – maximum speed 197 km/h; – maximum torque 154 Hm at 4750 rpm.

For testing, we chose a small airfield for private aircraft located on the outskirts of the city. The runway is usually unoccupied and is ideal for racing. On the road through the city we get ideal conditions to test the car's performance.

To ensure the authenticity of what is happening, the test drive of the Lada Granta Sport video will be filmed by an operator, and cameras have been installed in the car’s interior that will record the speedometer and tachometer readings.

So, we got into the car and the Lada Granta Sport video test drive began!

Lada Granta Sport pleases us with a spacious interior, especially the driver's seat is comfortable and ergonomic. The car behaves steadily on the road, the engine is moderately responsive, torquey and especially good when changing lanes and overtaking.

After dialing 3800 rpm. this is especially noticeable, it seems that this is the best engine in the VAZ line today. The suspension is quite stiff, but it is not the classic stiffness of a sports car. She feels the road terrain quite well, but the springs soften the bumps and depressions. Rolls became almost unnoticeable, and handling improved.

Here is the intermediate goal of the trip ahead - a double ring at the exit from the city. A sort of “figure eight”, driving along which we will get the most reliable picture. We pass a difficult section several times at speeds of 80, 100 and 120 km/h, respectively.

Impressions: the car is head and shoulders above other standard VAZ models, it corners confidently, rolls have disappeared, and it goes into a slide much later after releasing the gas. Despite the fact that the steering rack has been shortened sufficiently, there is just a little bit of turning of the steering wheel missing.

I would like the feedback to be more informative. But in general, this stage of the Lada Granta Sport test drive showed that this model is the best in handling.

Finally the airfield - the final stage of the video test - drive of the Lada Granta Sport. We make several runs. The results so far are frankly not encouraging. It turns out to accelerate to 100 km/h in 10.6 seconds, and the top speed is 185 km/h. Then we decide to take drastic measures and make the car as light as possible - we disembark the operator.

We repeat the race and achieve a record: – acceleration to 100 km/h. in 9.9 seconds, the achieved speed is 191 km/h! Summarizing the results of our test drive video of the Lada Granta Sport, we can safely conclude the following - the car has a significant reserve. If, for example, you replace the catalyst with a standard flame arrester, the speed performance will significantly improve.

The general result of our conversation today can be concluded as follows: Lada Granta Sport, today, is one of the best cars in terms of handling and speed characteristics.

Watching a video review of the Lada Granta Sport on the Internet, you notice that it is constantly being compared with advanced foreign cars. Do not do this! Lada Granta Sport belongs to its price niche and nothing more. For 500,000 rubles it is almost impossible to find a new, I emphasize - exactly new, car with the same characteristics.

In our test drive video review, we showed the real state of affairs. It certainly pleases us, and we hope it will please you too.

There is one more interesting point that I would like to dwell on. Already from the factory, the Lada Granta Sport looks like a well-tuned car. Therefore, there is no point in pumping it yourself.

If you have a desire to buy a simple Grant, and then start improving it yourself, then it is better not to do this. Don’t waste your time, it’s better to buy a Lada Granta Sport right away. It is unlikely that you will be able to surpass the factory specialists.

There is no limit to perfection. I would like to believe that the Lada Granta Sport video test drive in 2016 will give us many pleasant surprises.

If you follow the statistics regarding processes in the domestic auto industry, you can see an interesting feature, namely, an impressive breakthrough of the popular AvtoVAZ model Lada Granta in the field of sales. In such cases, the laws of economics dictate not to stop there and develop a successful project. This is what the manufacturer did, releasing another new modification of the Lada Granta Sport, which was the middle link between the basic version and the sports car. Many people are interested in the review of this car, which you will find in this post. Plus, owner reviews also play an important role.

About technical aspects

The plant created quite impressive technical parameters for the Lada Granta Sport, which some car enthusiasts allowed themselves to doubt.

This fact prompted us to independently test the sports modification and share the results obtained with the public through video material and provide a review. We set fairly mundane goals:

• check the functionality of the new sports suspension;
• reach the maximum declared speed;
• identify real dynamics up to 100 km per hour;
• determine the maneuverability of the vehicle when performing various elements of aerobatics.

An indispensable assistant will be the “Racelogik Performance Box” recording device, which allows you to correctly measure speed parameters, vehicle roll angles and other characteristics.

In our test we use the regular version of the Lada Granta Sport, purchased at one of the showrooms. Its differences from the “civilian” Grants consist of different plastic body kits, as well as modified ones: the front grille, sills and bumpers. The review covers all aspects of this model.

For this model, the factory uses 16-inch alloy wheels shod with 195/50/R16 tires. To ensure better stability when maneuvering, use negative camber and slightly shorten the steering rack.

The modified exterior hints at full-scale tuning performed at the factory. The finishing touch to the exterior appearance of the sports Lada is the spoiler, which the developers traditionally placed on top of the trunk.

Powerplant overview. The “heart” of the car is a 16-valve 1.6-liter 119-horsepower unit, characterized by the following capabilities:

• provide dynamics up to the first “hundred” in 9.5 seconds;
• allow the car to reach a maximum speed of 197 km per hour;
• have a maximum torque of 154 Nm, realized when reaching 4750 rpm.

A small suburban airfield for basing private aircraft served as a testing site for us. The runway is uncluttered and ideal for speed tests. Moving around the city, we get a comprehensive feeling of the operation of the suspension components.

To ensure that the ongoing test was endowed with a sufficient aura of authenticity, we hired an operator, who will also be filming from the side, and placed cameras inside the car aimed at displaying the speedometer and tachometer indicators.

Interior and exterior

Looking at the appearance of “Granta”, you understand perfectly well that the designers did not even try to make it beautiful.
This is confirmed by the “anti test drive Lada”. While from the front the car looks even more or less decent, from the side it seems too simple and old-fashioned, and from the rear it looks completely tasteless. The similarity with the Kalina is very close: the same doors and the same clumsy trunk, which greatly spoils the exterior of the car. However, the capacity of the cargo compartment significantly benefits from this. A similar solution was borrowed from another budget sedan - Renault Logan. One of the main advantages of Logan is its spacious trunk. Thanks to the relatively thin metal of the body, the car is lightweight and accelerates quite briskly, but forget about sound insulation. While in the cabin, you will hear almost everything that happens outside near the car. Is it worth saying that Granta failed all sorts of tests for the safety of the driver and passengers? Or have you already guessed that in the event of a serious collision, your chances of survival are very small? If you have doubts, watch the crash test video and draw your own conclusions.

The Granta's steering wheel turned out to be quite comfortable, even despite its excessive convexity. This is clearly visible in the video from Revazov. An airbag is hidden inside. The cheap plastic interior is unpleasant to the touch and scratches very quickly. The ventilation system is reminiscent of the same Renault Logan. The deflectors allow you to direct air flow in any direction, but they are excessively creaky, which is especially noticeable on bad roads. After about a year of active use of the car, unpleasant sounds will begin to be heard from many plastic parts of the interior.

Two cup holders are poorly located near the gear lever. When you engage third and fifth gears, your glass or bottle of drink may well tip over. The Granta's handbrake is outdated and needs frequent tightening. On the dashboard, in addition to the tachometer and speedometer, there is an on-board computer, which for some reason does not display the antifreeze temperature. This is a rather dangerous decision by the designers, because in the event of a coolant leak, the driver may not detect the problem in time, and as a result the engine will fail.

A significant advantage is the spacious rear seat. The ceiling is high and there is plenty of legroom.

What information does the anti-test drive of the Lada Granta liftback provide? The answer is simple - it clearly demonstrates all the weak points of the car. Despite not the most favorable economic conditions, consumer demand for cars is not weakening at all, and manufacturers only contribute to this by offering more and more advanced models to the spoiled consumer.

In order not to make a mistake in such a serious matter as choosing a car, you need to study the test results and watch videos of test drives of various cars. Most of these materials are obviously promotional in nature. Videos made by the owners of a particular car brand and their honest reviews about their “iron horse” will help you distinguish the truth from the manufacturer’s fairy tales. Only this information can give a complete picture of the pros and cons of the car.

A video with a competent expert is very rare. It is even more difficult to find a correctly removed anti-test drive. Such a test is carried out by an independent expert who is absolutely not interested in hiding problem areas of the car and will tell in the video about his personal impressions associated with the brainchild of the domestic automobile industry. Such a review of the Lada before a possible purchase is unlikely to be superfluous, so it is worth studying in more detail the results of the anti-drive test of the Lada Granda.

Let's start testing

The Lada Granta Sport immediately pleased us with its spacious interior. The driver's seat is characterized by comfortable seating and sufficient ergonomics.

The stability of the car gives confidence, and the engine exhibits enviable traction, which is an advantage when overtaking. Having reached 3800 rpm, the engine continues to “spin”, easily carrying the fast Lada Granta Sport beyond the horizon and hinting at its leadership among all the units that AvtoVAZ has.

The suspension is moderately stiff, although not like a sports car. Setting it up allows you to perfectly feel the unevenness of the road and not succumb to rolls.

An intermediate target appeared in front of us, in the role of which was a double ring. After several attempts we overcome this section, deliberately changing the speed: 80; 100; and 120 km per hour.

We share our impressions, and all this is confirmed by reviews from the owners: the car is head and shoulders above all other VAZ modifications. It allows you to take corners with enviable confidence without the slightest hint of roll. Relieving the gas is not accompanied by the car's desire to rush into an instant slide, and this moment appears much later. Despite the rack being shortened by the manufacturer, the car seems to lack a tiny amount of steering wheel turn. It would also be useful to add information to the entire steering unit.

Generally speaking, the LADA Granta Sport passed the first stage of the test with excellent marks, showing that it cannot find a competitor among the VAZ models.

We are moving to the airfield, where the final stage of our testing of the LADA Granta Sport will take place. We carry out several runs. So far there is no reason to be happy with the results. An attempt to check the dynamics ultimately showed 10.6 seconds to the first “hundred”. The maximum speed was recorded at 185 km per hour. This course of events forced us to resort to drastic measures - to disembark the operator, which will significantly lighten the car.

When we race again, we reach a conditional record, because acceleration occurred in 9.9 seconds, and the needle on the speedometer reached 191 km per hour. Having obtained such results, we can safely testify that this sports version has an enviable stock of characteristics. For example, if you dismantle the catalyst and replace its flame with an extinguisher, then the speed capabilities will definitely improve. On the Internet you will find reviews from the owners of this model.

Small roughness.

Lo and behold, the right rear door did not close. For the future (she didn’t close every other time), we forgave this savior everything. Even opening, when you need to have a strong brush.

Hot modification from AvtoVAZ subsidiary Lada Sport. On the outside, the Lada Granta Sport is distinguished from its production “sisters” by original bumpers, door sills, a new radiator grille, a spoiler on the trunk lid, a muffler with the inscription “Sport”, emblems with carbon fiber inserts, exclusive light alloy wheels with 195/50R16 tires , doors without moldings, low ground clearance.

As they say in the sports car country of Italy, it is not the clothes that make the monk. Looking at those numerous almost manual modifications in the Russian folk sports car Lada Granta Sport for a very small increase in price, I almost said “wrap it up”. But then I was stopped by the Lada Kalina Sport, which we paired with the Lada Granta Sport - the Kalina’s reverse gear refused to engage.

Pushing Kalina Sport with your hands (see in the video below ), you can’t think of many thoughts, for example, why spend so much effort decorating a withered bush with flowers. But having returned Kalina Sport to the dealer, we were encouraged. I still had a living Lada Granta Sport in my hands, I just had to remember the keys in the car.

Let's sum it up

Summing up the final result, we responsibly declare that LADA Granta Sport is currently among the best cars in terms of speed capabilities and behavior on the road, this is confirmed by the presented review, plus reviews from owners.

If you look at the video material on the Internet, a review of the sports Grant, you will notice that they are constantly trying to compare it with advanced representatives of the foreign automobile industry. This idea is useless, since the domestic model is characterized by its own niche in the price hierarchy of the market. For 500 thousand rubles. It is impossible to find a new car of foreign origin with similar characteristics.

Another important aspect is the factory modification of body panels, which can rightfully be compared to tuning. This saves the new owner from the temptation to further “pump” the car. Reviews from the owners of this car are very positive.

Lada Granta Sport - photo 1

Lada Granta Sport - photo 2

Lada Granta Sport - photo 3

Lada Granta Sport - photo 4

Lada Granta Sport - photo 5

The engine is ready to start

The modified exhaust system with the inscription “Sport” provides the exhalation of 118 horses of the engine, familiar to us from the sports version of Kalina.

This type of tuning can also be mastered by a specialized studio that is well acquainted with VAZ front-wheel drive vehicles. We take a 106-horsepower 16-valve engine, change a pair of camshafts for sports ones, and reflash the control unit to operate at higher speeds. In addition to power, by the way, torque also increases, now it is comparable to the 123-horsepower Hyundai Solaris, but the peak is reached at higher speeds, which means the gearbox will require more frequent shifts.

The downside of this boost was increased idle speed (about 1000 rpm) and not very stable engine operation up to the 2,000 rpm mark.

High idle speeds and high-spirited temperament throw out waste from 8-12 liters of 95 per hundred through this pipe. One pipe is not enough - there is a stamping for the second. A powerful engine and a short main pair (4.3) mean more frequent trips to the gas station.

But driving off in the Lada Granta Sport has become easier. Even on inclines, it is enough to release the clutch smoothly; there is no need to add gas. Rather, on the contrary, pressing too hard at the bottom leads to failure instead of acceleration. But how lucky it is after 3500 rpm! By VAZ standards, the thrust seems endless, the engine spins perfectly right up to the cutoff, which is triggered far in the red zone, beyond the 6500 rpm mark.

It is strange that, having spent so much money on such a serious modification, the VAZ studio did not change the color of the instrument panel; perhaps they did not agree on a price with a foreign supplier of shields.

Technical characteristics of Lada Granta Sport

Modifications of Lada Granta Sport

Lada Granta Sport 1.6 MT

"Bite" electric power steering and sport are incompatible

Power steering is another reason for improvement. It is electric and on our Lada Granta Sport it was of domestic production. Whatever the speed, it is almost impossible to find zero. On a track or on a circuit there are no complaints about it; with constant shifting, zero is simply not needed, but when driving in the city or on the highway, you want more confidence in the car.

The thoughtful “steering wheel” compromises the car in the city and on the highway.

Without a clear steering wheel, the driver is constantly in tension, doubting whether the car is going straight, the steering wheel has to be squeezed more than usual, and on a long journey this becomes tiring. So the ride is not relaxed, but truly sporty, even when you don’t ask this from the car. Quite a bit - 150-200 km along the highway, and you already want to get out from behind the wheel and take a break. It's too early for a modern car.

There are no complaints about the brakes. The rear spring cups have been raised relative to stock to accommodate 16-inch wheels.

All-round disc brakes are completely tireless. In various exercises and on the race track, we were unable to make them lose efficiency. Even paired with very grippy tires and sports ABS. Under sudden decelerations, the Lada Granta Sport can yaw a little, but this is a response to the possibility of easy blocking. It is this setting that helps to effectively brake not only on asphalt, but also on weak-bearing soils such as sand or snow.

Needless to say, the Lada Granta Sport loves to drive.

Reviews from Lada Granta Sport owners

Lada Granta Sport, 2013

Arriving at the dealer, I saw the Lada Granta Sport, and honestly, I liked it. It has a nice body kit, full power accessories, touch-screen music, air conditioning, fog lights, and sound insulation. Inside there are good seats with lateral support, nice leatherette on the steering wheel, gearbox, and handbrake. Alloy wheels 16 inches. 120 hp engine, modified suspension, improved exhaust and basically that’s it. Lada Granta Sport cost 443 thousand rubles at the time of purchase. Minor drawbacks: the brake and gas pedals are very close to each other, the first couple of days there was a slight discomfort, then I got used to it. Shifting reverse gear - at the moment it shifts a little hard, but I think it will work out and everything will be fine. The pads are creaking - the dealer said that they will rub in and everything will disappear, if the creaking remains, then I will replace it at the first maintenance. Of course, if you drive in a vacuum - the windows are closed, the air conditioning and music are playing, you can’t hear anything, but it’s still annoying. On the plus side: I don’t seem to have an ear for music, but I like the music, it’s convenient to configure the central sound point on the screen, on which the sound is focused. It’s very playful compared to regular carts; I press the gas a little and it accelerates quite well. I remember the old “Kalina” - on the highway you press the pedal after 110, and it barely moves, but here at 5 revolutions the roar of the engine is almost inaudible compared to other VAZs, and it picks up speed well (so far I’ve tried up to 160 only on the highway). Handling, good steering wheel, very comfortable and pleasant, informative. I don’t know about others, but in Kalina, when I turned the steering wheel, I knew where the wheels were; in Priora, when I turned the steering wheel, I didn’t know this until I got used to it. Everything in the Lada Granta Sport is just as convenient as in the Kalina. Good interior finishing. VAZ never liked poor seats, especially the standard gray ones. There's good lateral support, firmer seats, and a fairly good riding position. Nice Loganov air ducts - they look nice, although I really don’t like the aluminum inserts; it would be better if they were just black or real aluminum, not Chinese plastic. Large trunk - in autumn and spring all wheels can easily fit when “changing shoes” or 5-6 bags of potatoes. Automatic running lights are a good thing, so you don’t have to turn the low beam “twist”. A nice body kit transforms the Lada Granta Sport and gives it, along with the wheels, a sportier look.

Advantages

: nice appearance. Dynamics compared to other VAZs. Improved salon.

Flaws

: no serious ones.

Lada Granta Sport, 2013

I drove quite a bit, about 350 km, the average consumption according to the computer is 11 liters of 95 (about 60 on the highway and 40 in the city with traffic jams), but with every kilometer the car opens up, and more and more new emotions appear. Mostly positive, but there are also some not entirely pleasant surprises. Already signed up for warranty repairs. The revs fluctuate at idle, the parking sensors are capricious, the seat heating buttons are mixed up (the right one warms the driver’s seat, and the left one warms the passenger’s seat). In general, nothing criminal, adjusted for VAZ. The modernized engine of the Lada Granta Sport is rather weak in the “lower” range, which requires more frequent gear shifts, there is extraneous noise in the gearbox and the air conditioning compressor (I hope it will go away after break-in), the suspension of the Lada Granta Sport is stiff and shakes even on small bumps. It’s inconvenient without reading the coolant temperature; the windows don’t go all the way down, even in the front seats. And all this is covered by the drive that this car gives to its owner. I hope that I will solve all the problems that have arisen and will continue to enjoy my purchase. In the interior of the Lada Granta Sport, of course, everything is made of hard and cheap plastic, but the beauty of this car is not in comfort, which in principle is not found in cars for this money, but in its behavior on the road. It gives you the same feeling that you are driving a good car that you enjoy and want to drive in, what BMW calls “driving pleasure.”

Advantages

: drive. Dynamics. Driving pleasure.

Flaws

: little comfort. Small problems are annoying.

Vladimir, Sergiev Posad

Lada Granta Sport, 2013

I thought for a long time about what kind of car to buy and, after driving a Lada Granta Sport, I realized that this is the car that suits my driving style. While the standard Granta cannot be called very beautiful, the Sport version is a completely different matter. It seems to be the same car, but somehow more massive and pumped up. Perhaps he’s “dabbling” in steroids? Not in this case. New, more voluminous bumpers with a sporty relief, different thresholds, a small wing on the trunk lid and huge 16-inch wheels made in the form of many small spokes - the whole secret lies here. There are also a lot of changes inside the Lada Granta Sport. The architecture of the front panel is still the same, familiar, but now there is a fairly large display in the middle, with touch control capabilities. Below it, just below, are the air conditioning control knobs. The interior trim of the Lada Granta Sport has not changed radically, except that the steering wheel is covered in leather with red stitching, which is present on the gearshift lever and seats. Now a little about the latter: the front seats are made of more pleasant materials, and, most importantly, they are endowed with fairly well-developed lateral support, which does a good job of holding the riders in their arms. Now you can easily “butt heads” with VAZ’s predecessors. After all, the Lada Granta Sport now has a powerful engine, at least by domestic standards. For example, Kalina and Priora, which had the “Sport” nameplate, were such only formally, since they had standard engines. But not here. Thus, for the “civilian version” of the Lada Granta Sport, a 120-horsepower 16-valve engine with 1.6 liters of volume is offered. It is equipped with a manual 5-speed gearbox, thanks to which the “charged” sedan overcomes its first hundred kilometers per hour in 9.5 seconds. At the same time, the most sporty Granta can reach 200 km/h.

Salon

We continue with the video review. The differences from Grants are minimal and maximum at the same time. The interior is perceived as a whole differently anyway, because semi-sports seats are installed here. Previously, there was no such clearly expressed lateral support. Even the chairs that are installed in Vesta do not have this. There seems to be such support there, but it is soft, only outwardly so beautiful, but in fact useless.

There is a long pillow, and it is also made in a sporty style. They could have made it simpler, but it would have been less beautiful. It is noticeable that the pillow has been lengthened here.

Gearbox lever. All shifts are good, there are no gears that stick.

The interesting place here is the steering wheel. It is adjustable in one plane up and down, but nevertheless its structure and coverage are decent. There are sporty serifs that I liked.

If we look at the on-board computer, we can see that there is an outside temperature and an engine temperature. There is no separate arrow that would show the temperature; it is all displayed electronically.

There are heated mirrors, air conditioning, heated windshield and seats. There is no climate control. Overall a good place for a driver.