It’s no secret that most of the technical solutions of Grants migrated to Kalina, and the body and interior of these cars have a lot in common. If you think that the appearance of Kalina 2 is more modern, then you can borrow some of the parts for Granta from this model!
What makes the front of the Kalina 2 more attractive? The hood, fenders and fog lights of these two cars are no different and have the same catalog number (hood 21900-8402010-00, fenders 21900-8403010-00, 21900-8403011-00). The only differences are in the bumper and headlights.
You will need: Kalina 2 bumper (part number 2192-28030152) and left (number 21920-3711011-00) and right headlight unit (number 21920-3711010-00).
When installing the bumper and headlights from Kalina 2 on the Grant, no modifications are required. There will be inconsistencies only when connecting:
- head optics (headlights have different connectors, so you will have to buy chips and connect them according to the diagram);
- electric headlight leveler (depending on the configuration, you may need a headlight leveler control unit from Kalina 2 (21920-3709590-00), and connect according to the diagram).
It is worth noting that now, after turning on the high beam, the low beam will go out. To correct this shortcoming, the design will have to be modified. The result is a Lada Kalina 2 sedan! Such tuning may be of interest to traffic police officers or when passing a state technical inspection. All installed parts comply with all standards, so there should be no problems.
You can install similar headlights and a bumper from Granta on Kalina 2. It turns out Granta station wagon or hatchback.
How do you evaluate this crossing of two Lada cars? Which option do you prefer? Don’t forget about upgrading the interior, for example, covering the interior decorative trims with vinyl film.
Let me start by saying that my thread from the forum about multimedia Grants was deleted. I’m not offended, the only pity is that people sent few applications there and now I don’t know who to send the information to. So whoever is waiting for an answer, it’s not my fault, write in a personal message. I responded to everyone who sent applications directly to a personal message. Surprisingly often people ask about delivery to Kazakhstan. I answer: it’s real, I went to Business Lines, they said it’s easy, but you need accompanying documents, but I think this can be solved. Here is the DL calculator www.dellin.ru/ And the TK KIT calculator, which, as I understand it, specializes in sending goods to Kazakhstan tk-kit.ru/calculate/.
PS In the future, in order to leave a BZ car for your car, such information will be located on my personal blog on Drive2, so if you are interested, subscribe.
Design of Granta and Kalina 2 cars
A whole group of engineers worked on the design of both cars, and this time they did a much better job. The cars turned out to be quite modern, similar to some foreign cars, but have their own recognizable features.
The Granta's design was created from scratch and is not similar to previous AvtoVAZ cars, and the second Kalina is not very different from the first, but looks much more modern and aggressive.
Engines Grants and Kalinas 2
AvtoVAZ practices using one engine model on several models at once. The difference is small - if on the Grant in the “standard” configuration the heart of the car is the “old” 8-valve with 81 hp, then such an engine is not installed on the Kalina 2 at all. 16-valve engine 21126 with 98 hp. installed on luxury Grants and Kalinas (including the second generation Kalina), an 8-valve 1.6-liter engine with a capacity of 87 horses is available in the “norm” configuration on both Kalina and Grant. The engines installed on the Grant are almost no different from the Kalina engines.
Story
Kalina was born in the early turbulent 1990s, when serious passions were boiling around AvtoVAZ: Boris Berezovsky and his LogoVAZ, the All-Russian Automobile Alliance (AVVA), the failed project of the “people's car” VAZ-1116, criminal showdowns... Nevertheless, there was a clear understanding (in including at the level of the country’s government) that you won’t be satisfied with the “classics”; a new modern model is needed. Prototypes were created on the basis of the “ten” VAZ-2110 and Samara. The designers, as evil tongues say, were “inspired” by examples of Fiat, Renault and GM. A powerful impulse in 2000 was given by the order to re-equip the plant to produce the new VAZ-1118 family. The developers found themselves on a tight schedule, and in just four years the sedan was ready for series.
Kalina's birthday (who came up with the name is unclear) is considered to be November 18, 2004. Two years later, the VAZ-1118 sedan was joined by the VAZ-1119 hatchback. Already in 2007, the VAZ-1117 station wagon entered the assembly line. At the same time, Vladimir Putin tested the new Lada for the first time, accelerating at the test site to 120 km/h. In 2020, he made a four-day trip from Chita to Khabarovsk in a yellow Kalina, after which he praised the five-door. At that time, the cars were equipped with eight- and 16-valve gasoline engines 1.4 and 1.6 (82–106 hp) paired with a five-speed manual transmission. At the end of five months of 2020, Lada Kalina became the most popular passenger car in Russia with sales of 59,249 units.
The second generation of Kalina was released at the Moscow Motor Show 2020. Many considered the change of generations to be a deep restyling, since the reform lacked scale. The sedan had disappeared from the line by that time, and the hatch and station wagon received new indices VAZ-21921 and VAZ-21941. The redesign took place virtually without the participation of Steve Mattin, who had just arrived at AvtoVAZ. The line of power units has taken its current form: eight-valve 1.6 engine (87 hp), 16-valve 1.6 (98 and 106 hp), five-speed manual and four-speed automatic. Now a hatchback costs from 420,600 rubles, a station wagon from 435,200. There is also an all-terrain “barn” Kalina Cross (505,800) and a racing Kalina Sport (536,900). In 2022, 19,989 Kalina, 93,686 Grant and 77,291 Vesta were sold.
Transmission
Again, it is not clear who is better here... The latest releases of Grant's car receive a new manual gearbox with a cable mechanism, the same ones are planned to be installed on Kalina 2. The new gearbox is distinguished by good selectivity, absence of vibrations and ease of switching. Don't forget the fact that Kalina 2 and Granta will have the same Japanese automatic transmission. The automatic transmission from Jatco (a subsidiary of Nissan), although not the latest development, receives only positive reviews. Nissan Tiida cars are still supplied with this automatic transmission. Again it's a draw - our cars have the same gearbox.
Selection by technical characteristics
If you are thinking about which is better - Granta liftback or Kalina 2, then first of all you should pay attention to the external design and technical characteristics. Kalina is considered an older model, while Granta is the same Kalina, but improved, complemented by modern attributes
It is important to immediately decide for what purpose you need a car. If you plan to make most of your trips along the highway, then it is better to stay at Kalina Sport or Grant Sport
Such cars drive well at high speed; they are considered more resistant to potholes and other irregularities on the roads when it is not possible to drive slowly.
If you plan to drive exclusively around the city, and rarely go on the highway, then you can easily limit yourself to a Granta liftback or a Kalina station wagon. In this case, the Kalina station wagon will be even better in terms of characteristics. If repairs are necessary, you can save a lot of money.
Particular attention should be paid to the costs of operating the car. Practice shows that in almost all respects, Kalina is considered a more acceptable option for family trips and daily use
The fact is that it has lower gas mileage than the Granta. But we should not forget that all this is due to a simpler configuration and the absence of many modern functions.
Body and paint
After the release of Granta, many began to measure the thickness of the body and were surprised: the new AvtoVAZ product had a very thin layer of metal body! The manufacturer explained this by saying that for the Granta a completely different metal is used, with better qualities and, in general, equal in characteristics to the first Kalina. We beg to differ with this and assure you that bending the body of a Granta is not that difficult; the body is really made of thin metal. They even saved on the plastic bumper - the thickness is no more than 2-3mm. At the time of writing, it is not yet known about the thickness of the body of the updated Kalina 2, but if compared with the first Kalina, the Grant is inferior here.
Here we also note the quality of door locking. If everything is still fine on the new Grant, then over time, closing/opening the doors (especially) the rear ones becomes difficult, you need to make an effort. There is no such defect observed on Kalina.
IF WE WERE CONDUCTING THE RECALL CAMPAIGN
Back in the February issue (pp. 112–114) , when we were first able to look at “Grant,” as they say, under a magnifying glass, we talked about much more significant shortcomings. For example, at the entrance to the engine compartment there is a plastic casing dangling - protecting the fuel line pipes and adsorber. The lower radiator hose, which rubs against adjacent parts, clearly lacks fastenings. Mediocre clamps on the engine ventilation pipes do not provide tight connections: after a year of operation, the engine will be covered with an oil coating. And this is only part of the shortcomings. We will definitely tell you about the rest in the near future - look forward to regular reports on the editorial “Grant”.
Returning to the recall campaign: it is a pity that the forces and means were used ineffectively. It is possible that eliminating the shortcomings we have identified would cost the manufacturer more, but in the future it will pay off faster. After all, it is serious investments in reliability that AVTOVAZ now lacks in order to build a high-quality car.
Options
If we don’t go into prices and just compare the options available in cars by trim level, we get the following.
Lada Kalina 2 cars in the “standard” configuration, unlike the standard Grants, have electric power steering, driver airbags, a short steering rack, athermal windows, top handrails, a cigarette lighter, an ashtray, power windows for the front doors, 14” wheels, bumpers in body color.
In the “norm” and “luxury” trim levels there is such a range of additional equipment that it’s impossible to say for sure, so let’s compare the “norm” Kalina 2 and the “luxury” Grant since they are approximately the same in price.
Lada Granta in almost the most expensive version (369 thousand rubles) in contrast to Norma Kalina 2 (about the same cost - still unknown):
- - fog lights
- - electric windows for rear doors
- — electric drive and heated exterior mirrors
- — exterior mirrors and door handles painted in body color
How to replace front pads
It is known that the disc mechanism consists of a brake disc and a caliper, and pads resembling flat plates in shape are attached to the latter. To replace the pads, the body is hung on a jack, the wheel is removed, and then the caliper fasteners are dismantled. This mount itself consists of two screws “1”, but only one of them (the top one) is unscrewed.
When the front brake pads are replaced, be it on a Lada Kalina or any other car, you need to change the entire set at once. It consists of four identical parts. This requirement cannot be violated (we only change the kit). Otherwise, the car will skid every time you brake.
The sequence of replacement actions is “recorded” in the photo. Each photo corresponds to one of the steps.
The total of these steps is five:
- We remove the wheel as if we are going to change it;
- Find the locking plate “2”, which will be bent, and unbend it (use pliers);
- Holding part “3” with a 17mm wrench, unscrew screw “1” with a 13mm wrench (a socket head fits well here);
- Remove the brake hose from the groove;
- Fold the caliper up to gain access to the pads.
It is easy to select front brake pads for a Lada Kalina car.
But if a tuning kit is used, most likely the wheels also need to be changed. After replacing the pads, the caliper must be replaced. To do this, you will need to press on the piston of the brake cylinder (it needs to be pushed inward).
We used a makeshift lever from a flathead screwdriver. Nobody forbids, however, pressing the piston with a sliding clamp. Happy replacement!
It is important to know! When installing brake pads, do not press the brake pedal. Otherwise, the piston may come out of the cylinder, which will lead to depressurization of the system
Stay safe!
After replacing any part related to the brake system, it must be allowed to “break in”. You need to press the brake pedal 3-5 times, and only then you can drive out onto the road. Still, installing new pads is not the same as replacing a light bulb. At first, the brakes feel like they are ineffective, but this feeling will go away after 10-20 braking sessions.
Salon – interior, sound insulation
As you know, the instrument panel on Grant and Kalina 2 is almost the same - the only exception is the different shape of the air vents. It is impossible to determine the winner with the most successful torpedo - it is difficult to compare the same...
But there are differences in the seats of the cars - the Lada Granta has cheaper seats and cannot boast of comfort. Kalina 2, like the first, has so-called anatomical seats (replicating the shape of a person) and is more comfortable to sit on. The interior of both cars is wide - it will not be cramped, both in front and in the back.
The Granta cannot be called quiet - when driving on gravel, the impacts of stones on the body are heard as if it happened right in front of your nose. Kalina 2, like the first, is not ideal in terms of sound insulation, but there is a difference - it’s quieter in the cabin.
There is already a lot of talk about the materials used in Grant - in pursuit of reducing the cost of the car, it was necessary to install low-quality plastic, which scratches very easily, looks cheap and is in no way comparable to what is used in Kalina.
Do you want a sedan, hatchback or station wagon?
When choosing between the Lada Granta and Kalina 2 cars, you will have to make a choice between body types, since the Granta is currently available only in a sedan, and the Kalina 2 is a hatchback and station wagon. If you open the trunk in a hatchback or station wagon in winter, the cold will seep into the cabin, but in a sedan the rear seats are blocked. But most drivers like hatchback bodies, and station wagons are loved for their spaciousness and ease of luggage storage. But Granta can boast of its trunk - its volume is as much as 480 liters!
The rest is no less interesting...
Owners of the Lada Granta can boast of the aerodynamic characteristics of their cars - sedans (the Lada Granta is currently available only as a sedan, and the Kalina 2 is only available as a hatchback and station wagon) traditionally have the best performance.
If we judge the little things, then there are little things like hydraulic headlight adjustment, limit switches on the doors, which are not present on the Grant. And the trunk opening mechanism on the budget car is like on the old VAZ 21099, with a torsion spring.
Both cars have high ground clearance, comfortable seating, easy operation and a warranty of 36 months or 50 thousand km (whichever comes first).
First meeting
"Lada Kalina" is a family of front-wheel drive small class cars (B-segment). The car has been mass-produced since 2004 in two generations (the body is a five-door hatchback). "Kalina-2" was released in 2020 and amazed many. The manufacturer refined the appearance, improved the interior and added new engines. "Kalina" has earned the title of people's car.
- Liftback.
- Five-door hatchback.
- Sedan.
The main feature of Grants is its low price. It is due to its low cost that this machine has become so widespread. "Granta" replaced several outdated models at once - "Lada Samara" and "Ten" in different bodies. The manufacturer claims that the components of these cars are 70 percent unified with Grant. This indicates the high maintainability of the model.
