It's time for a seasonal tire change. It is not news to anyone that in winter the car must be operated on tires specially designed for this period. It is important to have an idea of which tires are optimal for the Lada Kalina, since the competent choice of these accessories is of great importance.
Car modifications
Lada Kalina was produced for 14 years. The manufacturer offered the consumer two generations of small class cars.
First generation
The debut car of the Kalina family appeared at AvtoVAZ in 2004. It was released as a sedan. The first generation cars were equipped with 1.4 liter (89 hp) and 1.6 liter (81 and 98 hp) petrol engines. In 2006, Kalina hatchbacks appeared, the next year - station wagons, and a year later - a sports modification. Depending on the configuration, the car was equipped with ABS, electronic power steering, airbags, and an air conditioning system. During production, changes were constantly made to the equipment of the vehicle. In 2009 and 2011, Lada Kalina became one of the best-selling brands in the country.
Second generation
In 2013, the plant's conveyor belt was modernized to begin production of the next generation of cars. LADA Kalina 2 was produced in hatchback and station wagon bodies. It is characterized by a more modern appearance, better aerodynamics and increased comfort. Improved powertrain, suspension and gearbox are distinctive features of the vehicle compared to previous generation models. Both hatchbacks and station wagons were equipped with 1.6 liter engines with variable intake, the power of which varied between 87...106 hp. A manual or automatic transmission was installed.
The maximum configuration included the installation of anti-lock systems, stability control, air conditioning and navigation, a traction control module, an after-braking system, a passenger airbag, a touch screen, heated front seats, a rain sensor, etc.
The latest modification of the Kalina family is the Lada Kalina Cross. It is distinguished by increased ground clearance, a modified final drive ratio and a more aesthetic appearance, for example, due to decorative trims on the wheel arches and sills.
In 2022, production of Kalina family cars was discontinued.
Selecting tires for Lada Ellada: electrocross
AVTOVAZ specialists invited the tire test group of the Za Rulem magazine to take part in research work on the selection of tires for the Hellas electric car. The results will be of interest to those who drive regular Kalinas - and not only to them.
LADA > Ellada
LADA > Kalina
Hellas? Is she still alive? Imagine! The electric car, created on the basis of the Lada-1118 station wagon, is produced by AVTOVAZ OPP. So far, only a pilot batch of one hundred vehicles has been made. All of them were ordered by the administration of the Stavropol Territory to work as an ecological taxi in the resort park of Kislovodsk. For some reason, the Stavropol residents purchased only five cars, abandoning the rest. After this turn, the plant handed over 40 cars to dealers in the Central and Southern Federal Districts as test cars to study demand. The rest are waiting for their buyers.
The price of Hellas is 960 thousand rubles. But there is one thing: not everyone will sell a car. Only a legal entity can purchase it, and without the right to resell - this was done so that the manufacturer could monitor the sold electric vehicles during operation.
The second generation Hellas is being prepared for release, which will also be available to individuals - to order through AVTOVAZ dealers.
WE GET GOOD WITH HELLAS
Driving Hellas is simple and pleasant. At speeds up to 80 km/h it pulls like a good diesel car. Acceleration is powerful but smooth, there is not a hint of the jerkiness inherent in cars with an automatic transmission. The steering is Kalinovsky, with electric power steering.
It accelerates to 40 km/h almost silently, and later a slight hum, reminiscent of a trolleybus, appears. The electric motor produces maximum torque from zero speed, so Hellas is capable of super-slow movement, unattainable even for SUVs on a lower row of the transfer case. And this despite the fact that Hellas does not have a gearbox - the transmission ratio is unchanged.
By releasing the gas pedal, you can set the coasting mode - as if in “neutral”. In it, the car does not consume electricity, but also does not recharge the batteries.
When the gas is fully released, engine braking occurs. The electric motor switches to generator mode, generating electricity and recharging the battery. With some skill, you use the brakes less than on a car with an internal combustion engine. The standard brake system is traditional, with a vacuum booster.
Factory recommendations for choosing tires and wheels
The behavior of a car on the road is largely determined by the characteristics of the wheels installed on it, especially the tires.
The answer to the question regarding the equipment of the Lada Kalina: which wheels are suitable can be found in the manufacturer's instructions. The factory documentation for Lada Kalina indicates three types of tires recommended for installation:
- one of the popular options, also installed on classics, is 175/70R13 tires;
- the most common tire size today is 175/65R14;
- another standard option is 185/65R15.
The plant also allows the Lada Kalina to be equipped with 185/60R14 and 185/55 R15 tires.
What size tires are Lada Kalina Cross? It is recommended to install tires with overall dimensions of 195/55R15 on this model.
For the Lada Kalina Sport car, the factory has established its own standards:
- 185/55R15 or 195/50R15;
- 195/50R16;
- 205/40R17.
An important question regarding the Lada Kalina: which wheels are suitable? Lada Kalina cars are factory equipped with steel wheels with a diameter of 13 or 14 inches, aluminum wheels 14″ or (sports version) wheels with alloy wheels 15 inches.
Let's summarize the rating:
All of the winter tires listed are the best in their classes for winter. The rating was compiled primarily based on owner surveys, reviews on forums, and a general comparison of characteristics.
If you want to buy the best winter tires, consider all of the options listed. If they are included in our rating, then they deserve attention and, even more so, purchase.
If you are careful when choosing winter tires, be sure to read the reviews. This list of reviews about winter tires will be constantly updated.
Tire pressure Kalina
This indicator plays an important role in car controllability. The grip of the tires on the road surface depends on the tire pressure. The condition of the wheels is especially important when driving on wet, slippery or snowy roads. During vehicle operation, tire pressure may drop, so its value must be periodically checked with a pressure gauge. If the indicator deviates from the standard values, the wheels should be inflated. It's not that difficult to do it yourself.
The pressure in the wheels installed on the front and rear axles is different.
The corresponding section of the instructions indicates what pressure in the Lada Kalina tires must be maintained: in the front - 2.2 bar, in the rear - 2.3 bar. This should be done if you are installing standard factory tires.
If the owner of the iron horse has equipped the car with tires with a wide profile, it is recommended to stick to the values of 2.4/2.5 (for front/rear tires). Narrow or low profile tires should be inflated a little less: 1.8…2/2…2.2 (front/rear) bar.
Operating a vehicle in different climatic conditions also affects the recommended level of tire pressure. For winter it should be 2/2.2 bar, for summer - 2.1...2.2/2.2...2.3 bar. This applies to standard tires.
Information about what pressure should be maintained can be found not only in the instructions for the vehicle, but also on the door pillar (on the plate).
The table below clearly demonstrates what pressure should be provided in the tires of the Lada Kalina station wagon and other modifications of this family, as well as other characteristics of the wheels of these cars.
Winter tires for “Standard” and “Norma”
Those who purchased a car with a 14-inch “stamping” are in the most advantageous position. In this case, the owner will be able to choose anything from a huge list of studded tires, including imported ones. AvtoVAZ recommends using the following sizes:
For winter, obviously, the first option is suitable: narrower tires have better cross-country ability.
It must be remembered that the use of tires of any size other than those recommended may void the suspension warranty. You can choose the most suitable size using the table below. The best option will be highlighted in black.
Each cell of the following table contains the outer diameter of the wheel:
See column number 14
As a result of tests carried out by different publications, a list of products that meet the above goals was formed. The list contains the names of brands under which studs of size 175/65 R14 are offered:
- Hakkapeliitta 8 – good grip properties, even on ice. Add to this high cross-country ability and low fuel consumption. Comments can be made regarding directional stability in the snow.
- Continental ContiIceContact - the owner can count on ideal traction properties, including on ice. Good braking on asphalt is guaranteed, but fuel consumption will be quite high.
- Michelin X-Ice North 2 - the balance of all indicators is complemented by good grip properties demonstrated on snow. Fuel consumption will be low, but increased noise will be noted.
- Gislaved NordFrost 100 – ideal deceleration on wet asphalt. To it we must add good handling, as well as stability and cross-country ability in winter.
- Nokian Nordman 4 – option suitable for snow and asphalt. Fuel consumption will be moderate, but braking on dry asphalt will not bring pleasant emotions.
- Kama EURO 519 – poor deceleration on wet asphalt, and in general, these tires are only for snow.
- Cordiant Polar 2 – the worst grip on snowy roads, high fuel consumption. There are no comments only when driving at low speeds.
- Amtel NordMaster ST is an asphalt tire that holds its course well on snow.
Based on the information provided, you can easily choose the appropriate option.
This is what the tread of modern winter tires looks like
Tire options for Lada Kalina
Every car owner must understand that in order to operate his iron horse in winter and summer, he must have different sets of tires. This is explained by the different compositions of the mixtures used for the production of winter and summer tires, which determines their characteristics at different temperatures.
There are a lot of tire options for Kalina available today. When choosing a model, you need to focus on the operating characteristics of the vehicle and the condition of the roads.
Kama tires were most often installed at the factory. When selecting new ones, you can also consider this brand, however, both foreign and domestic manufacturers offer more interesting options.
Summer tires
The range of tires for summer use is wide, you can choose an option to suit every taste and budget.
TUNGA ZODIAK 2
If the cost of tires is an important factor, we recommend paying attention to these summer tires. They were released relatively recently (in 2022). During the development, it was the difficult Russian operating conditions that were taken into account. Three stiffening ribs, tread features and the composition of the outer layer increase the reliability of the wheels. However, judging by consumer reviews, tires behave poorly when braking on wet asphalt.
Continental Conti Premium Contact 5
If you figure out which tires are suitable for Lada Kalina when operating in the summer, this option seems very worthy. The rubber has a short braking distance on both dry and wet road surfaces, low rolling resistance, and a good service life. An acceptable level of driving comfort on these tires and excellent car handling are noted by car enthusiasts.
Michelin Pilot Sport 3
Economy, excellent handling, excellent grip on various types of road surfaces are the characteristics of these tires. The name itself implies the possibility of using rubber for extreme driving. Poor resistance to aquaplaning causes complaints.
Winter tires
Depending on the conditions under which you plan to operate the car in winter, the type of tire is selected. For driving on icy roads, it is recommended to consider studded tires. If you plan to travel on cleared roads, Velcro is quite suitable.
Kleber Kapnor 5
The tires produced (by Michelin) for quite a long time are still popular. The location of the studs provides good grip on icy surfaces. But both on dry roads and when driving in slushy snow, the tires are characterized by decent cross-country ability, handling and directional stability. The spikes hold quite firmly. Among the shortcomings, the model is excessively noisy. If you need to decide which winter tires are best for the Lada Kalina, it is recommended to pay attention to these winter tires.
Gislaved Nord Frost 5
The tread pattern, the features of the studs, the patented composition of the rubber mixture for the tread - all this allows the wheels to perform excellently when braking (on dry and wet roads), and provides excellent grip on icy and snowy surfaces. The model is characterized by decent directional stability, high wear resistance and an acceptable level of comfort. Among the disadvantages, we can note the increased fuel consumption of a car equipped with this tire, as well as a high percentage of studs flying out.
Nokian Nordman 4
Soft and fairly quiet studded tires show good driving performance when driving on snow. It also holds up well on wet roads and icy surfaces. The studs are widely distributed, which increases traction efficiency and reduces noise levels (the latter is also ensured by the presence of an elastic pad under the stud). As a disadvantage, we can note the rather weak fastening of the spikes.
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
Velcro also performs well in extreme conditions. It copes well with slush and snowdrifts and handles well on wet roads. The rubber has a low noise level and good durability, and copes well with aquaplaning. The model is one of the best non-studded ones.
Those who live in a region with warm winters can be advised to install all-season tires. For example, the Matador MPS125 Variant All Weather would be a good option. Decent directional stability, behavior on wet and dry road surfaces and noise levels, as well as ease of balancing characterize these tires. The model's service life is about 80 thousand km. Along with the advantages, there is increased fuel consumption and a fairly high price (for domestic products).
There are many tire options for different seasons. Each Lada Kalina owner can choose the one that suits him, depending on his financial capabilities and operating conditions of the car.
Choosing winter tires
Although the winter season is already ending, I decided to create this topic because fresh impressions will be something to share with many owners, especially since many car enthusiasts buy winter tires in the summer, when their prices are lowest.
I, in turn, will share mine. After buying my Kalina, and this was at the end of January, there was not a ruble of money for winter tires, everything was spent on the car. And for the rest of the time I had to drive on Kama 208 all-season tires, which were not at all suitable for winter driving. Then I lived in the village and the street was constantly completely swept away, but even after the ruts were rolled in by other cars, I could not drive out normally in my Kalina, and quite often got stuck. Thank God that there was nowhere to go at that time, so I rode through the winter safely and without incident.
For the second winter, I decided to buy normal winter tires, and I was counting on a budget of up to 15,000 rubles, since I didn’t want to save money, especially since I had the funds then. First, as usual, I read reviews from other owners and tests from various automobile magazines, such as Behind the Wheel and Auto Review. Of course, I wanted to buy the Nokian Hakkapelitta 7, which occupies a leading position in all tests, but I was in no hurry. There were also a lot of positive reviews about Michelin X-Ice North tires, and the price was approximately the same as that of Finnish tires, even a little lower.
Upon arrival at the car market, I immediately went to the first tent and began asking the seller about the availability of certain models. But they began to advise me instead of expensive branded ones, more budget options, which became cheaper due to the fact that these models were produced the year before last. And I was especially interested in the Kleber studded tires from Michelin. It's the same as what Nordman is now, and Nokian - essentially the same. The seller tried to persuade me for a long time, but I was too suspicious of such pressure and decided to read more about this tire on the Internet.
And as it turned out, these Kleber Kapnor 5, really very worthwhile tires, are from the world manufacturer Michelin. But since the model was old, the price was accordingly quite low compared to new products. And for one cylinder on the market they asked for 2,500 rubles, which is 1,000 rubles. cheaper than the same Hakkapelitta. Based on reviews, I have not met a single owner who was dissatisfied with these tires, including owners of expensive foreign cars. Among other things, these tires took 4th place in the tests of Za Rulem magazine in previous years, I don’t remember the year exactly, if memory serves, then 2009.
table-02
THE FINAL
Now let’s determine how many additional kilometers an electric car can run on these tires. We allow only three participants to participate in skeet races - the basic Kama (it will have to play the role of a stove from which people dance), the best-handling “wide” ContiEcoContact 5 and the most economical Barum.
The results are quite interesting! Continental ContiEcoContact 5 tires of the same width as the base tires increase the car's mileage by more than 10 km, and the narrower Barum Brillantis 2 by almost 30 km!
The test has been completed and the results have been sent to the factory. Let's see what tires AVTOVAZ will choose. We hope you find this work useful when choosing inexpensive new tires.
What's inside Hellas?
An asynchronous motor with a power of 60 kW accelerates the car to 130 km/h. The cruising range in the European driving cycle at an ambient temperature of +20...+45 ºС is 140 km.
Lithium-ion batteries are located in the engine compartment and under the rear seat in place of the fuel tank. Full charging time from a household electrical outlet is from 8 to 10 hours. Base tires are 175/65 R14.
Tire saving
Continental has created a prototype of an electric car based on the Renault Megane platform. The electric motor of our own design produces 70 kW. The range in the European driving cycle is 150 km. A special feature of the electric vehicle is tires with super-low rolling resistance Conti.eContact with a dimension of 195/55 R20. Mounted on closed wheels that reduce aerodynamic losses, they reduced rolling resistance by a third compared to conventional tires, which increased the range by 10%.
We express our gratitude to Continental and Yokohama for providing tires for testing.
Source: www.zr.ru
What tire sizes does the manufacturer recommend to install?
The manufacturer recommends different tire sizes and wheel diameters - it is necessary to take into account the modification and filling of the car. The type of body on which the installation is carried out is also important.
For cars with the “standard” and “norm” configurations when using standard 5 1/2J wheels, the manufacturer recommends using the following tire models:
- 175/65R14 with a speed index of 82H;
- 185/60R14 with a speed index of 82H.
Regardless of the rim width used, the rim offset must be 35 mm. For luxury vehicles, the following types of tires are used:
It should be noted that the rim width for the “luxury” configuration may differ. Modifications with 5 ½ J and 6J are presented. It is worth noting: the listed standards apply to modifications 2192, 2194 (hatchback, station wagon).
The body design and chassis of the Cross 2194 Lada Kalina are significantly different. The manufacturer installs 15-inch diameter tires on this model with a wheel width of 195 mm and a tread height of 55 mm. The speed index is 85H, the rim width is 6J. Rim offset, ET – 33 mm. The manufacturer installs only radial tires.
Owners should remember: cars of even the same year of manufacture can be equipped with tires of different brands from the factory.
The reason for this is the change in the cost of wheels throughout the year. The car plant purchases a large batch at once. After the stock runs out, the plant purchases new tires. Moreover, the dimension remains the same. However, the manufacturer may vary.
Also a separate category is the Kalina Sport modification. The factory installs wheels with the following overall dimensions on it:
- 15 inches diameter: 185/55 mm; 195/50 mm;
- 16 inches in diameter – 195/50 mm;
- diameter 17 inches - 205/40 mm.
