Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora: We are not stokers, not carpenters

A folding ladder, a box with wrenches, a box with wires, a tray with small tools... All that's missing is the fitter's cats. The voluminous and rather heavy luggage moves into the bowels of the Kalina, and the movers are already grumbling: everything seems to be fine - the trunk capacity is enough for most items, the opening is wide enough, there is no risk of crashing your head into the open door, but transferring heavy items over the high side is not very convenient . Have you downloaded everything? No, no matter how much we turned the folded stepladder, we couldn’t fit it in; there was no room left for a portable generator either. But it is possible to increase the cargo compartment by folding the rear sofa.

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora

They didn’t waste time on trifles - they removed the backrests entirely, and not in parts. Now it’s another matter: the ladder fits. True, she lay down a little crookedly: although the back of the sofa does not form a step, it protrudes with a small hump. Okay, the main thing is that everyone took it - at least go to the most difficult object. But we’re not in a hurry: we’ll have to load all our belongings into the Priora’s trunk—we’ll check its capabilities. Get to work!

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora

The compact Kalina impresses with its cargo capacity.
The staircase, although with difficulty, went in! They didn’t try to see if the water pump would fit. The compact Kalina impresses with its cargo capacity. The staircase, although with difficulty, went in! They didn’t try to see if the water pump would fit.

It is better for tall “high-altitude climbers” to bend down - here the door hangs a little closer to the head. But it is much more important that it is easier to lift the boxes: the loading height is less, and the side is half as low as in Kalina. Are you packed? Why did one of the boxes seem to have fallen through somewhere? It turns out that the side elements of the raised floor hang over the niches in the wings without any support. This means that a heavy load should be placed only in the middle of the floor, above the spare wheel. And so they did. And we realized: there is more free space here. True, the ill-fated generator with a ladder was still left behind... Let’s again resort to transforming the salon “furniture”.

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora

You can load heavy items into the Kalina without bending over - this is a plus.
But the high threshold through which you have to pass luggage is a minus. You can load heavy items into the Kalina without bending over - this is a plus. But the high threshold through which you have to pass luggage is a minus.

Having unfolded the seat, we discovered that we could safely add another one of the same type to our “installer’s kit”. A stepladder lay on the flat floor and the tools were laid out. What to do with free space? Of course, the supply has never bothered anyone - what if for particularly complex work you need additional equipment, bulky and heavy? In such a situation, Priora will help out the owner, but its competitor will not.

Interior tuning

Car owners also make a lot of changes to the Kalina’s interior.

Replacement of upholstery. The standard interior trim in Kalina is a combination of plastic inserts and leatherette. Many tuning enthusiasts remove the tabs and replace them with leatherette. Connoisseurs of comfort also get rid of leatherette, replacing it with velor or carpet. These materials can transform the interior, but they cannot be called durable. Genuine leather is also used for finishing. But this option is only available to very wealthy drivers, so it is extremely rare.

Replacing seats. When a car undergoes deep tuning, it rarely happens without replacing the standard seats with sports ones. They are more suitable for the aggressive driving style for which the car is being prepared. Anatomical Kalina-Sport seats with high headrests and back support are in great demand. The cost of one such seat is from 7 thousand rubles.

Tuning enthusiasts often install sports seats on Kalina, making aggressive driving easier.

Dashboard and steering wheel trim. To add individuality to the dashboard, Kalina owners usually use vinyl film. Film painted to look like carbon is in particular demand. It looks very stylish on the dashboard. But there is also a minus - after 5 years, even the highest quality vinyl film becomes unusable. As for the steering braid, you can purchase it at any specialized store. The range of braids is now very wide.

Additional interior lighting. For illumination, various LED strips are used, connected to the vehicle’s on-board network. The cost of one such tape is from 400 rubles. Most often, additional lighting is installed on the floor of the car. Its purpose is not only aesthetic, but also practical: if the driver drops some small item on the floor of the cabin, it will not be difficult to find it. Drivers also illuminate the door handles inside the cabin using the same diode strips. This is a relatively new direction in tuning, which is quickly gaining popularity.

They started lighting door handles in the Kalina cabin just a couple of years ago

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora

The control measurement confirmed the manufacturer’s data: the trunk volume of the Kalina is 348 liters, with the stated 350 liters.
The control measurement confirmed the manufacturer’s data: the trunk volume of the Kalina is 348 liters, with the stated 350 liters.

Well, what is it like for our installers behind the wheel? There are no revelations here - both cars are already familiar. High seating position, good visibility, decent cabin width - the layout of the Kalina's interior space deserves high praise. In addition, one cannot help but notice how much the build quality has increased compared to copies from earlier batches. What will the passengers say? After you unload some of the equipment to seat your household, they will rejoice at the unexpected space. But here’s what’s not good: even in the event of a minor accident, it is the occupants of the rear sofa that will be at risk - there are seat belts, but not a single headrest!

general characteristics

classifies Lada Kalina as a subcompact model. These cars performed excellently in urban conditions. For optimal operation, the range of external temperatures ranges from minus 40 to plus 45 degrees (Celsius). Also, to ensure that this vehicle exhibits its optimal characteristics, it must be used on paved roads.

Most Lada Kalinas are equipped with 8-valve engines. There are also versions with engines whose heads are equipped with 16-valve designs. Such motors are marked as “11194” and “11184”. Both versions of the power unit are located in the engine compartment according to a transverse arrangement. The power plants are equipped with modern distributed fuel injection systems.

The exhaust manifolds of these models have exhaust gas catalysts, which is done for the sake of the environment.

As a modern option, you can consider remote control of the central door lock and window drives. Also, as an option, a locking unit for the luggage compartment lock can be installed.

If there is a need to activate or deactivate the security system, then such an action is available in any situation. This mechanism allows you to lock all doors at once. This useful feature allows you to quickly lock yourself in your car, for example, while hiding from being chased.

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora

According to factory data, the trunk volume of the Priora is 444 liters;
According to our measurement method, it turned out to be 416 liters. According to factory data, the trunk volume of the Priora is 444 liters; According to our measurement method, it turned out to be 416 liters.

Compared to its rival, the Priora seems more austere... and comfortable, despite the low driving position, small exterior mirrors, and high box armrest that makes it difficult to engage even-numbered gears. But the panel is neat, the instruments are easy to read, and the microclimate controls are convenient. If you move to the back, you will lose a fair amount of optimism - it’s a bit cramped here. Especially for a large passenger: the ceiling presses on him from above, and the back of the driver’s seat in front.

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora

The low threshold of the Priora trunk is not an obstacle when loading.
But the overhanging fifth door is an unsafe barrier to the loader’s head. The low threshold of the Priora trunk is not an obstacle when loading. But the overhanging fifth door is an unsafe barrier to the loader’s head.

However, our installer friends do not live by their luggage alone - we still need to get to construction! On the move, Kalina evokes conflicting feelings. It seems that the 1.4-liter engine (this is the version tested) can be confidently called modern (and economical), but its power is not enough even for an empty car. How will it accelerate when fully loaded? The station wagon loses all semblance of dynamics and, like a KamAZ with a full tank, becomes an obstacle to the flow. What a flow there is - even at the start the engine choke, you have to add gas, fire the clutch.

Problems and resource

The main problems that many owners have encountered are too much vertical body movement, low levels of sound insulation, and wind noise when driving at high speeds. The engine has a surprisingly long service life and, with proper care, can operate for more than 400 thousand kilometers. But there are also problems that are noted by owner reviews. On a Lada Kalina Universal car, faults with electronics can begin after the 30 thousand km mark. By the way, AvtoVAZ engineers measured a limit of 100 thousand km for the gearbox, which is not very much. This is a significant disadvantage. According to statistics, clutch discs last about 30 thousand kilometers.

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora

Having loaded the “installer’s kit” into the Priora, we discovered that there was still room for several more boxes.
Having loaded the “installer’s kit” into the Priora, we discovered that there was still room for several more boxes.

“Priora” is somewhat similar to its rival. The same “empty” steering wheel (its rotation is accompanied by a quiet but annoying buzzing of the electric booster), quite decent smoothness. But the dynamics are much better, even with the air conditioning on. It is clear that with it the car accelerates not as quickly as with it not working, but there is no need to be ashamed. And if you remember that, according to the passport data, the fuel consumption of both station wagons is almost the same, then the conclusion which one wins suggests itself. However…

Dimensions value

The Kalina family is small but friendly. Some are a little bigger, some are a little smaller, but together they can make it to the parade. The body of the Lada Kalina is made in several modern modifications: sedan, hatchback, station wagon, cross and sport. Their overall dimensions do not vary much.

The width and wheelbase are the same for all, as it should be for related models. But the length, height and ground clearance are different. Accordingly, the volumes and masses are different. The history of Lada models has seen long stagnation and a period of failure. In 2004, the release of the first Kalina from the assembly line ushered in a new era. Since then, new items appear almost every season, and the ranks of owners of the most popular car in Russia are growing from year to year.

The geometric dimensions of the body are important, but no less interesting is the volume of the trunk. All Kalina models are designed to allow the rear seats to be folded forward and increase luggage compartment space. The most voluminous trunks are for the sedan, station wagon and cross: 355/670 liters. “Hatchback” and “sport” are more modest - 240/550 hp. It’s also not bad, as many city car owners will agree with.

In the ranks of Kalina there is another model - Lada Kalina City (Oka-3), made on the VAZ-1117 platform. It appeared in 2005 and for some time was considered a replacement for the Oka small car, but this assumption is incorrect. It has almost the same dimensions, height and width as other Kalinas, only the length is 3650 mm.

There is another dimensional indicator that is rarely interested in until they get stuck in a rut. At this point, some people discover the fact that the distance between the front wheels is different from the distance between the rear. This parameter is called: front and rear wheel track. For the “sedan” and “hatchback” with “station wagon” - 1430/1414 mm, for the “sport” - 1431/1432 mm and for the “cross” - 1430/1418 mm.

The difference in millimeters may not be noticeable to the eye, but it is easy to feel when a few millimeters are not enough to get out of an icy rut on a winter road. The track size turned out to be wrong.

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora

There is a flaw in the Priora's cargo compartment: the floor is not hard over its entire area, which is why the box with the impact wrench fell into the soft niche of the rear fender.
There is a flaw in the Priora's cargo compartment: the floor is not hard over its entire area, which is why the box with the impact wrench fell into the soft niche of the rear fender.

Our high-altitude friends will not only have to carry tools on weekdays, but also their families on weekends, and first of all, they will have to pay when buying a car. Most likely, the deciding factor in their choice will be the price. So, you will have to pay more for the advantages of the Priora, and the working person will certainly weigh whether the thing is worth the money.

Disadvantages of Lada Kalina

Now about the cons. Many people are dissatisfied with the stiff suspension. Although this is not entirely a minus. However, on station wagons specifically, the suspension is quite stiff. Almost immediately the front struts begin to knock. This problem occurs in every second owner. Also, many people do not like the bubbling sound of the 8-valve engine. This is especially noticeable on a cold engine. It's not a breakdown though. Also among the disadvantages is the long steering rack.

It takes 4 turns to turn the wheels all the way. Subsequent modifications solved this problem. Despite the high-quality assembly of the interior, the plastic is frankly cheap and hard. But this is normal for the Kalina Universal car - the price of a new car in the maximum configuration is 550,000 rubles. Over time, traditional creaks and crickets appear. Many people also don’t like the gearshift lever. It rattles and vibrates. Of course, this irritates drivers. In the next modifications this problem will be solved, but in the first versions everything is exactly like this.

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora

WHAT TO CALL THEM?

The name of the body type “station wagon” is firmly rooted in world terminology, but there are others. In America, such cars are called Station Wagons - in honor of the horse-drawn carriages that carried passengers from railway stations. In Britain - Shootig Brake, in France - Break (short for Break de Chasse). Both can be translated as “hunting rest” - after the name of horse-drawn carriages for hunting. In Germany, a similar car will be referred to as Variant or Kombi, although the latter definition, strictly speaking, is suitable for any five-door body.

The editors thank Alexey Volobuev for providing the car for the test and for his assistance in preparing the material.

Station wagons LADA Kalina, Priora: We are not stokers, not carpenters

Brief history of the family

Lada Kalina is a car with fairly high technical performance and driving characteristics.

Another feature of the line is its stylish appearance. And the Kalina Universal car is also quite roomy, this is definitely a big plus. This family of models is a good choice for those who value original design, ride comfort and useful options. "Kalina" was produced in several bodies. This is a station wagon - VAZ-1117, a sedan - VAZ-1118 and a hatchback - 1119. All modifications are distinguished by a spacious interior and good ergonomic characteristics.

AvtoVAZ designers and engineers combined the most modern technologies, style and reliability in Kalina. All this is a guarantee of safe and, most importantly, pleasant travel. Development of the series began back in 1993. And the model range received its name only in 1998. AvtoVAZ was able to present the first ready-made prototypes to the automotive public and journalists only in 1999, and in 2001 they showed the VAZ Lada Kalina Universal car.