In our country, Lada Kalina is an integral part of the life of every citizen. Lada leads the markets as a manufacturer of budget cars. Not so long ago, this company began to improve its creations.
In mid-May last year, AvtoVAZ began production of a completely new generation Lada Kalina 2.
It’s hard to believe, but now even in the basic configuration of the car, electric power steering, airbags and, of course, the ABS system will be present. The interior and exterior design has changed radically. Despite numerous changes, this did not affect the dimensions of the car.
VAZ automakers finally decided to listen to the comments of motorists and corrected some shortcomings in the previous version of Kalina. You can immediately notice that there are no audio system speakers on the trunk shelves. Now they are located on the rear doors. It seems like an insignificant detail, but it made it possible to increase the volume of the luggage compartment.
Engine
Like the hatchback, Kalina 2 station wagon comes with the same gasoline engines. This is a 1.6 liter unit with powers of eighty-eight, ninety-eight and one hundred six horsepower, the same engine is installed on the Lada Vesta and Lada Priora. The second engine is equipped with an automatic transmission, which is supplied by Jatco, located in the center of Japan. Other engine versions come with conventional manual gearboxes. Don't be upset, because the mechanics on Kalina 2 have been greatly improved.
There is no doubt that from now on the speeds will not drop on products of the Russian automobile industry, because the gears are switched on easily. The car does not roll when cornering; the second generation Kalina has become more agile and stable when cornering. Today, this car can be called the most comfortable among those that were produced in Russia.
The new Kalina comes in different configurations:
- Standard;
- Norm;
- Junior Suite;
- Luxury
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The engine can be installed with a choice of eight or sixteen valves with a volume of 1.6 liters. The mass of the connecting rod and piston groups has been reduced. These engines worked perfectly on the old Lada Granta and Lada Kalina of the first generation.
The car allows you to drive more than three hundred thousand kilometers without any repairs.
Cons of Lada Kalina
- There are very few shelves and hiding places in the car interior. The car has a small glove compartment, no additional shelves or various hiding places. At first glance, nothing serious, but it’s simply annoying when you get into the car, and you have nowhere to put your phone, since there is no stand, you can’t put your wallet so that you can quickly take it, and after the store there’s nowhere to put your change. There is not enough space to put cigarettes and a lighter, you will have to carry everything in your pockets. It would seem that there is enough space for all this in the glove compartment, but there is only room there for documents, but once the small things are collected, it is simply impossible to find a place for it!
- Extraneous sounds in the cabin . After some mileage, various creaks and all sorts of noises begin to be heard in the cabin. Most people are not annoyed by this, but many are not happy about it and simply cannot concentrate on driving. It is worth noting that the sounds are not that loud, but sometimes they get very annoying.
- The hatchback model has a very small trunk . If you decide to buy a car for your family, you will have to choose a sedan or station wagon, otherwise you will have problems with trunk capacity; there really is not enough space there, only enough for one person to use.
- No air conditioning . Despite the car’s fairly high technology, it does not have air conditioning - and this is regardless of the configuration. It's pretty tough for drivers in the summer! However, it is worth noting that the car has a good stove that will heat up in any weather.
- The gear knob rattles at high speeds. This problem is easy to fix, but those who do not know how to do this will be forced to drive at high speeds with a rattling handle.
- Sometimes the turn signal won't turn off, sometimes you have to do it yourself. This fact calls into question the revision of the software.
- Long steering rack . In order to turn around, you will have to twist the steering wheel a lot of times, and to simply turn, you also cannot do without two full turns.
Suspension
The suspension turned out not so bad, perhaps due to the fact that engineers from other foreign car companies - Renault and Nissan - helped in the development. The suspension of Renault cars played a significant role. After all, their technologies are the most optimal for our harsh roads.
The car turned out to be of very high quality and, despite its low cost, successfully competes with other cars that are assembled in the Russian Federation. The cost of Lada Kalina for different configurations is not very different.
Design
The designers, of course, were again lazy about the exterior. Probably for twenty to thirty years, as in the case of the “sevens,” nothing will change. Only some details have changed. For example, the radiator grille has been updated - it has become clearer in small details. The front and rear bumpers and fenders have also changed, but not dramatically. Thanks to the bumper and the engine inside the hood, Kalina 2 has increased in length by four and a half centimeters.
The car has a huge disadvantage. Since the designers decided to remove the reinforcing structures under the bumper, the car became very susceptible to colossal damage if it collided even at low speed. However, designers confidently say that simple stiffening ribs are sufficient. Who knows, maybe they will soon understand otherwise and return the reinforcing structures.
Russia is reaching out to Europe. Electronics are becoming an integral part of everyday life. Thanks to the electric drive on the fifth door lock, it can be opened not only with the key, but also with the key fob, or the central lock will help you.
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Disadvantages of cars from personal experience
I decided to write an article for those who are just planning to buy Kalina. But I think that for ordinary owners it will be interesting to read and learn something painfully familiar from my writings. I would like to say once again that I have owned this miracle in a station wagon for more than 2.5 years and my car has covered just over 45,000 km.
What disadvantages and disadvantages appear over time?
The first thing I noticed as soon as I left the dealership was the rattling of the gear shift lever.
Moreover, at first this sound was barely noticeable and practically inaudible. But with daily use it became stronger. This is especially evident at the moment when in second or third gear you begin to slow down with the engine. I tried tightening the lever mounts, wrapping the wires and plug with electrical tape, and also wrapped the insert with the gear shift circuit. The sound became quieter, but still did not disappear completely. I didn’t do anything else, let it be as it is, I’m already used to this feature.
It’s possible that in the future I’ll try to get rid of these sounds, but for now I’ll go as is. As they say, so as not to forget that I’m riding Kalina!
The second unpleasant moment is damage to the paintwork at the point of contact of the front mudguard with the threshold. I think those Kalina owners who have been driving for several years are also aware of this problem. Personally, in my case, the paint rubbed down to the metal on the passenger side. Everything is fine with the driver's license; no damage to the paintwork was found.
By the way, I noticed this unpleasant feature after about a year of operation. And as always, there is no time to fix this problem, although it seems to me that this can be cured by cutting off a couple of millimeters of the mudguard in the place where it rubs with the body.
As soon as I do this, I will definitely write on the blog, but in the meantime I will carefully monitor this place so that things don’t come to more serious consequences.
Now a few more words about corrosion. Of course, I went a little overboard with such a terrible word, but there is yellowing on the body. The truth is just in one place and barely noticeable. I am sure that this drawback is observed on all machines that are stored in the open air. This applies to the emblem on the trunk lid.
Along its entire contour, especially on the inner sides, yellowness appears, in other words, traces of rust. It is clear that it is not the metal of the trunk that has corroded, but the logo mount. Since it is attached from the inside with metal locking washers. Again, this yellowing appears and is pronounced in winter, and in summer, with frequent washing, they disappear almost completely on their own.
A gap appears between the bumper and the front fenders on the sides. I once wrote about this in my previous articles. This can be treated quite simply, just tap the edges of the bumper with your fist in the place where it leaves the fender and after several blows it snaps into place.
True, this procedure must be repeated sometimes, since with intensive use of your Kalina, the bumper will again begin to protrude slightly forward relative to the wing. But I can say that in my case this method has already been tested over several thousand kilometers and so far the gaps are within normal limits.
That's basically all for now. I no longer consider the bubbling of the 8-valve engine to be a disadvantage, since I have long been accustomed to this interesting sound. I don’t seem to have any more complaints about my Lada Kalina. The car serves well and delivers only positive emotions. I hope that I am not alone in this and that many potassium growers are also happy with their devices!
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Interior
We can talk a lot about the interior, because colossal changes have taken place here. It may seem to many that the interior, made not of the best material - plastic, turned out to be meager and gloomy. But this is not at all true. Most of the interior is borrowed from the Lada Granta:
- Steering wheel;
- Deflectors;
- Center console.
The infotainment technology is also encouraging. There is even a touch screen. The addition of a GPS and GLONASS navigation system is expected at the end of the year.
The new Kalina has already entered production and by the end of the year, hopefully, we will see this creation on the CIS markets. The price for the standard configuration of Kalina 2 is 333 thousand Russian rubles.
And here is a fairly detailed comparison of the new Lada Kalina 2 with its predecessor:
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages of Kalina 2, both testers and new car owners primarily highlight the original design. For decades, it was believed that beautiful cars are made only abroad, and the Russian auto industry lagged behind in this regard by at least 10–15 years, but now everything is not so clear.
It is worth noting the increased engine power and a different quality of the dashboard with a more convenient location of sensors and scales. An airbag is now even included as standard. The reliable suspension now has an increased service life and the front struts are now much more durable than those of most other domestic cars.
Now about the disadvantages of the new Kalina 2. The disadvantages include, first of all, the too noisy and already quite outdated eight-valve engine (in the “standard” configuration), then the hydraulic adjustment of the headlights (other cars have only had electric adjustment for a long time) and the lack on the dashboard sensor indicating the coolant temperature.
In addition, unfortunately, the quality of the Russian assembly is still “lame” - some small parts may be screwed carelessly or not tightly enough, and in some examples of the car you can hear the doors squeaking against the body while driving.
