Lada Granta Liftback (Lada Granta Liftback) video review and test drive

What changed

The front part is slightly different from the standard Lada Granta sedan. The front bumper has changed, it has a different slot. The rear bumper has changed a bit.

Lada Granta Liftback has replaced the new generation Samar. The car is sleek and looks good from the side.

Part of the rear door has changed, the stamping of the wings has expanded, and the trunk seems to be wider. They claim that the rear has perfect aerodynamics and there is no need for a windshield wiper. In the simplest configuration it is not present. This is considered luxury. The lateral line is quite graceful. Due to the bevel, the height of the roof above the heads of the rear passengers was reduced by 8 millimeters. The running light, the insert with the number is different from that of the Grant Sedan.

The headlights don't fit, they could be rounded off.

Video from the car presentation

Every test drive the Lada Granta liftback so as not to be disappointed in their purchase. Today we have collected several interesting video test drives of the Lada Granta Liftback, so that you can get an idea of ​​a promising car in the market.

The new Granta liftback immediately after its appearance on the market aroused genuine interest. The car turned out to be more successful in appearance than Grant's sedan. In addition, the design of the machine itself has been changed for the better. Thanks to its body shape, the liftback turned out to be more practical and roomy than one might expect. In addition, the budget car from Avtovaz received improved sound insulation and a modernized suspension.

Let’s watch a test drive of the Lada Granta liftback from “Auto Mail.ru”, a rather detailed video.

Next is a test drive of the Lada Granta Liftback with automatic transmission and manual transmission.

Test drive of the real owner of Grant Liftback. Let's watch the video.

Perhaps the most objective test drive of a new budget domestic car. A real owner evaluates the experience of operating a “luxury” version of a car with a manual transmission.

Specifications

The engine capacity will start from 1.6 liters. This is the same lightweight piston engine that is installed on the Grant Sedan. Another engine option could be an engine like the Priora. The maximum configuration will include a new engine with 106 horsepower. The automatic will only have a power unit like the Priora. Almost nothing new under the hood.

The maximum configuration of the Lada Granta Liftback includes SAAB suspension and gas shock absorbers. The suspension will be energy-intensive. There will also be 15-inch wheels. There is sound insulation and sealing.

Interior

The interior space of the Grant Liftback model has become somewhat more comfortable compared to the previous version of this car. Improvements also include a redesigned dashboard, as well as a new tailgate that turns the cabin into a platform for transporting odd items.

It can be noted that in the interior of the new car the level of noise insulation has noticeably improved compared to its predecessor. In this regard, various external noises (running engine, friction of tires on the road surface, etc.) are practically not felt while driving.

Salon

The Lada Granta liftback is one of the most spacious VAZs, there is plenty of headroom. True, the floor is laid out sloppily. The steering wheel is only adjustable for tilt. There is a new gear shift knob. Cable drive, very convenient. Five-speed gearbox. Power windows and heater, no radio.

It's not that bad. Quite modest and cheap.

Cut headrests to save material. There is little room for knees in the back; it is difficult to fit a person at point-blank range. Everything is fine, there is even enough space above the heads of the rear passengers. It’s surprising that the bottom cushion of the seats is not so short; it’s quite comfortable to sit. There are fasteners for seat belts.

Trunk

Unfortunately, there is no trunk release button. It opens either from the interior with a button or with a key. From the point of view of ease of loading, it is huge, there is a shelf. It is cut quite well and the material is not bad. The screws were painted black, they no longer shine. The shelf is covered with fabric, the quality is the same as on the Skoda Octavia. She even has clamps. She is also filming.

The trunk mat is covered with felt as a sound-proofing material. It rises and a niche with a full-fledged spare tire opens. The seats fold down, but the headrests need to be lowered before doing so. At the same time, move the front seats as far forward as possible.

The trunk is quite well made, the seals do not stick out anywhere, and there is no crooked cut anywhere. There is only one handle for closing, but it is not very convenient to use; you will have to hold on to the outside of the lid all the time.

The trunk size is 440 liters in the standard version, but if you fold the back row, the useful volume almost doubles.

Homely atmosphere

The interior of the car makes a pleasant impression. The finishing plastic here is hard, but quite nice. The top version also has silver accents on the door handles, console surrounds and air ducts. The latter, by the way, are made in the same style as the deflectors of the previous generation Renault Logan and Sandero. So not only do the dampers look good, but they are also easy to adjust.

The equally attractive steering wheel has a comfortable grip, and the steering wheel looks modern, and it can be adjusted for tilt. The multimedia system with a 7-inch touch screen is supplied by the Russian company, and this element naturally increases the status of luxury cars. The system is fast and clear, supporting not only audio files, but also major video and photo formats. A slot for SD cards is located on the panel of the complex, and a USB port is integrated into the glove box. In short, device lovers will be fully armed. Multimedia also includes navigation using the GLONASS-GPS standard and hands-free calling via Bluetooth.

In terms of space, compared to the Samara family, there are literally mansions here. When I, being 175 cm tall, first sat in the driver’s seat and then moved back, there was some gap left in front of my knees.

The liftback seats have a soft, comfortable filling, and thanks to the developed support bolsters, they are able to hold the riders’ bodies in fast turns. Perhaps the only thing we can complain about is the lack of height adjustment for the driver's seat. But even in this situation, you can get comfortable behind the wheel - thanks to the wide range of longitudinal adjustments.

Options

The buyer can choose from three configurations of the Lada Granta liftback:

• with an 87 hp engine. With. standard ;
• with 87 or 106 hp liftback equipment Norma;
• from 106 l. With. "Lux" option.

The last two provide a choice of manual or automatic transmission. The engines meet European environmental standards. The price for 2014 was from 344 thousand rubles (this is the simplest configuration) to 511 thousand.

Restyled Lada Granta: full review of new products and jambs

This fall, AvtoVAZ brought a lot of fruit to its consumers - these are new versions of the XRAY hatchback, as well as the Lada Vesta, a slightly modernized Lada 4x4, but perhaps the most important event was the appearance of the updated Lada Granta family. And we have already tested the sedan and hatchback.

From now on, Lada Kalina is no more. Now both the sedan and the liftback, as well as the hatchback and station wagon, along with the off-road version of the Cross, will be sold with the Granta nameplate. At the instigation of maestro Steve Mattin, Granta received a new X-face in the spirit of the older models - Vesta and Xray: headlights on a dark glossy backing, a black radiator grille with large slats and chrome inserts on the bumper. All this forced the creators to change not only the shape of the hood, but also the front fenders.

Due to the new “cladding,” the length of the sedan increased by 8 mm, the liftback by 4 mm, the hatchback by 33 mm and the station wagon by 34 mm. Colored bumpers are already included in the basic version

A small rearrangement also took place in the area of ​​the A-pillars: the windshield washer nozzles moved from the hood to a plastic “jabot” near the windshield, and duplicate turn indicators in top versions were implanted into the side mirrors. The logo with a rook on the front has also increased, and the inscription “LADA” appears on the back instead of the emblem. By the way, on sedans, at the very edge of the trunk lid (above the “LADA” inscription) a tiny protrusion a la spoiler appeared. According to the creators, the new appearance has improved aerodynamics by 1.5%.

Headlights for the new Granta were collected all over the world. Specialists from Neolite Zkw Lightings Pvt Ltd took part in the development. (India) and Genter Service GmbH (Germany), and they are produced in the Uzbek Namangan at the UzChasis enterprise

But that's not all. In the sedan, the place for the license plate has moved from the bumper to the trunk lid, and both of these parts have received more prominent shapes so that the rear does not look heavy as before. The liftback now has a dark insert on the bumper, which houses parking sensors and is not an eyesore. True, the hatchback and station wagon have unpainted parking sensors located higher, like the sedan, which is why three black dots are already visible on the bumper.

The turn indicators in top versions are located in the side mirrors. The windshield washer nozzles are covered by the hood cover, which now has a slight rise near the windshield - this allows the incoming air flow to better clean the glass

The final touches to the portrait of the restyled model were a new wheel design and two new paint colors. One of them is “carnelian”. In the language of VAZ colorists, this is a rich red color; the test hatchback was painted in it. The second new color is “techno”, we haven’t seen it yet. It has not yet been presented on the official website, but, as we found out, a gray metallic color will be hidden under this name. The name is clearly more euphonious than “blue planet”, which is also present in the palette.

Felt fender liners are used in all wheel arches - this allows you to level out noise from sandblasting and drumming pebbles. The inside of the hood has an additional seal that protects the engine compartment from flying dirt.

In the cabin, the instrument cluster with a new on-board computer, which has a contrast screen, like on Vesta, is striking. There are no fundamental differences in the set of functions, but the red scales with radial digitization look original, and the display is now divided into several “floors” by dashes, which makes it easier to read the information. And then comes pure “jewelry”: more comfortable and elegant handles for the gear lever and handbrake, new triangular door handles, new decorative inserts with a “3D pattern” on the front panel and chrome trim around the air ducts on the sides of the panel. The “beard”, along with the radio unit and white button illumination, migrated from Kalina, which made it possible to place a locking box on top of the center console. The design was updated with only two silver moldings forming the letter “X” around the ventilation system.

The doors open wide - this is a plus, but weak intermediate position locks are a minus. Flap your wings more carefully in parking lots

Now let's move on to functional changes. All wheel arches now have felt fender liners, dampening the sounds of sandblasting and gravel impacts. The trunk lid (well, finally), regardless of the body type, now has an electric button instead of a lock cylinder, and new locking mechanisms make it possible not to slam the doors. And there’s no need to worry, saying that the battery runs out and now the trunk won’t open. All versions have access from the passenger compartment through the back of the rear seat.

A microlift for the driver's seat, new seats with brighter upholstery, a new instrument cluster and new gearshift and handbrake handles are the most striking features of the updated Grant interior

The seats have changed padding, profile, upholstery and its pattern, and also have height adjustment in the range of 40 mm, but we will talk about this a little later. And starting this year, all Grants received the ERA-GLONASS system and a three-year or 100,000 km warranty. But at the same time, the factory workers delicately kept silent about the fact that the multimedia system with a touch screen and navigation disappeared from the maximum configurations. The reason for this “optimization” is the low demand for this device.

The instrument cluster does not have backlight brightness adjustment. The clocks of the on-board computer and the standard radio are not synchronized

Despite all the innovations, the Lada’s interior is still very “musical”: I closed the door - and immediately a booming echo echoed throughout the cabin, the key was inserted into the ignition with a metallic clang, from which the trim of the steering column casing resonated. The same echo occurs when the ringing steering wheel paddles are clicked, and the “clack” of relays responsible for various electrical equipment is a classic of the genre. But you can always tell by ear whether the headlights or heated rear window are malfunctioning.

The radio has not only the usual FM range, but also VHF, MW and LW!

The presence of a microlift in the driver's seat will be appreciated, first of all, by stocky riders, but people of average height and above will most likely complain that the seat itself in the lowest position is still set too high. At first I liked the new, denser padding and the slightly modified profile, but the more you drive, the more clearly you notice that due to the hard filler, the pecks, bumps and vibrations that the suspension, together with the power unit, transmit to the body are less absorbed. There is also not enough lateral support, and adjusting the lumbar support for these “seats” would not hurt. As well as an additional lamp on the ceiling above the rear sofa. At night, Egyptian darkness reigns here. By the way, the light of the new headlights also left ambiguous impressions: while the high beam is really good, the low beam is still “blind”.

The trunk lid on sedans does not have padding, but it can be purchased from the dealer. Beautiful fabric mats with the model logo are also a dealer accessory

The line of power units has not changed - these are the same three 1.6-liter engines: 8-valve with 87 hp. and two “16-valve” engines with a capacity of 98 or 106 “horses”. However, starting this year, AvtoVAZ has completely switched the above-mentioned engines to “stickless” pistons produced by Federal Mogul, in the bottom of which there are special “samples” for valves. This gives a chance to avoid a “meeting on the Elbe” - bending of the valves if the timing belt breaks. Considering that the “strap” often does not survive the prescribed replacement upon reaching the 180,000 km mark, such an innovation will clearly protect the engine from serious consequences.

Windows that do not go down completely are a feature of VAZ models of past decades. In the cabin, instead of the electric trunk lock button, there is a plug

The second change is the replacement of the main gearbox 3.71 with 3.94 on all versions with a 5-speed manual transmission and with an AMT robot (with automatic transmission, as before, 4.1). A “shorter” pair makes it possible to more effectively realize the traction capabilities of the engine in each gear and makes acceleration more confident, which is reflected in the dynamic qualities. Acceleration to “hundreds” was reduced by 0.2–0.7 seconds, maximum speed increased by 1–7 km/h depending on the type of body and power unit. True, fuel efficiency in the urban and combined cycles for all cars deteriorated slightly by 0.1–0.2 l/100 km, but in the suburban cycle it improved by as much as half a liter, which is quite natural.

The processes of folding and unfolding the rear seat directly depend on the height of the people sitting in front. If a tall person is driving, then the headrest will most likely have to be removed in order to lower the backrest all the way down. But in any case, the tall comrade in front will have to make room, otherwise unfolding the rear sofa will be very problematic. The headrests are difficult to remove, and it is not very clear which part of the body is best to do this, because each leg has its own tight lock. It’s impossible to press both with the fingers of one hand!

The test included only a sedan with a 106-horsepower engine and a 5-speed manual transmission and a liftback with a 4-speed automatic transmission. It’s a pity that there were no versions with an AMT robotic gearbox, because this unit received new firmware that reduced gear change time by 30%, as well as a more heat-resistant clutch. In addition, she has three new movement algorithms. The first is the “creeping” mode. If the transmission selector is moved to position “A” to move forward, the car begins to roll forward without adding gas. The second is winter mode. Roughly speaking, the box now allows you to start driving from second gear in manual mode. Well, the third is the sport mode, activated by a separate button, in which the electronics allow you to rev the engine harder and maintain high speeds without switching to a higher gear.

The sensitivity of the rain sensor is adjusted using a separate knob under the interior mirror. This is correct, there is no need to relax, it’s not for nothing that they say “the driver’s workplace”!

But the 106-horsepower Granta with the VAZ-21127 engine is suited in spirit to “mechanics”. The result is a nimble car that can easily outshine more expensive models in terms of dynamics. The same 123-horsepower Hyundai Solaris, considered one of the fastest cars among state employees, accelerates to “hundreds” in 10.3 seconds. Granta's result is only two tenths of a second worse. And subjectively, such a Granta is generally perceived as a “race”: the engine spins well up to almost 6000 rpm, the gears easily click, and due to poor noise and vibration insulation, the sensations are only aggravated. But if during “active throttling” this puts you in a fighting mood, then during normal driving it tires you: the trembling from the power unit is transmitted to the seat and controls, and you hear everything that happens behind the engine shield.

In expensive versions, the Lada is equipped with Pirelli Cinturato P1 tires of size 185/55R15, while the spare wheel is equipped with a simpler Belshina BEL-264 of size 175/65R14. It's good that Chinese Linglong tires are a thing of the past!

However, the chassis is not able to fully realize the capabilities of this power unit. Although on the restyled Grants the plant used all the best solutions that were at hand: abandoning Mando geared amplifiers in favor of Kaluga gearless units from Avtoelektronika (the steering shaft serves as an electric motor rotor); new calibrations of the electric amplifier itself in the name of improving information content; installation on all cars of the suspension from the previous luxury versions with gas-filled shock absorbers and “filled up” castor. The sluggish reactions to turning the steering wheel have not disappeared. The car reluctantly enters the curve, lazily follows the driver’s commands, rolls noticeably and takes impacts on the steering wheel when driving over uneven surfaces. And the Granta’s suspension can’t be called comfortable either. You can’t deny its elasticity and energy intensity, but it doesn’t know how to “delicately” handle all the little things on the road.

Blackened screws are not only an eyesore, but can also ruin your manicure. For example, in door recesses they are not covered with anything. Ladies, be careful!

I change into a liftback with a 98-horsepower 1.6-liter engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission. Inside, the interior is still the same - the only difference is that there are two pedals and the same automatic transmission selector instead of an updated lever, there is no “prompt” for the optimal gear on the on-board computer screen, and behind the “gallery” there is a cool 435-liter trunk. True, the luggage door is still tight, but the designers slightly simplified the task by attaching a small buttonhole to one of the handles.

The liftback now has a strap fastened with a self-tapping screw - it makes it easier to pull the heavy trunk lid

However, the most important and not the best difference between all cars with automatic transmission, regardless of body type, is that even in the top configuration, which is now the Luxe version, there is no ESC stabilization system. Let me remind you that such a car costs from 623,000 rubles! Moreover, there are no technical restrictions for combining this option with this power unit, because there used to be such versions, and now insurance electronics paired with a traction control system are offered only for the Comfort package that is one step below. This is such a paradox. Skimping on safety is a bad sign, especially since the two-pedal version is more suitable for those who are not confident in their driving skills.

For versions with automatic transmission, the on-board computer shows the position of the selector and the current gear

On the move, the 98-horsepower hatchback with an automatic Jatco JF414E also did not surprise anyone. Everything is the same as six years ago, when I first got behind the wheel of an “automatic” Granta - it turned out to be a good option for a relatively affordable city car: four gears are enough for it, the gearbox quickly reacts to pressing the gas pedal, changes gears smoothly and adapts well to the driver. Of course, there are also disadvantages - fuel consumption has increased by 1-2 liters compared to a manual transmission and not the fastest overtaking in third gear in the range of 80-120 km/h.

All versions with “mechanics” and “robot” received a new main pair 3.9 instead of 3.7, due to which they became a little faster

Everything has been said above about handling; the hatchback did not bring anything new. There remains a characteristic drawback of all versions with an automatic transmission in the form of a stiff and uninformative brake pedal. In the first third of the pedal stroke, the deceleration is weak, and then the pads suddenly grab the discs. It’s hard to find this line if you’re not used to it; as a result, almost every braking ends in a dive.

All versions with automatic transmission do not have a stabilization system

Discussing the latest Lada innovations, we stopped wondering about the build quality. It seems that over the past 6-7 years, AvtoVAZ has done a lot in order not to blush for its own products; all the “horror stories” about “buckets of bolts” seem to be a thing of the past. But as soon as I decided to move the headlight range control to the zero position, its handle remained in my hands, and the bar with the mode indication began to dangle in the seat.

And if this was the only “jamb”... While driving, the steering wheel, with the wheels in a straight position, looked about five degrees to the left, as if they had forgotten to do the wheel alignment at the factory. As representatives of AvtoVAZ later commented, this defect was caused by wheel imbalance due to an impact, apparently while driving the car to the test drive site. I was ready to believe it, but my colleagues from “Autoreview” already had steering wheels “looking” to the sides on other cars. Also “imbalance due to impact”? Where did such a “miracle hole” come from that all three cars flew into it like a “locomotive”?

The misadventures with the liftback did not end there. While driving, when accelerating from a standstill and adding traction, a noise was periodically heard from the bowels of the car, more like a small rattling sound - this is how a vibration-loaded exhaust system usually makes noise when it comes into contact with heat shields. But this sound both appeared and disappeared by itself after some time. In a word, a living car! But this is not the end of the story! When checking the speedometer readings with several navigation programs on various smartphones, it turned out that when driving uniformly, the speed on the speedometer was approximately 2-3 km/h lower than what was displayed on the navigators. Who to trust in this case is not an easy question, but in my practice this happens for the second time in my life, so that the real speed is underestimated. Usually speedometers either show the true speed or slightly overestimate it so that the car owner does not have problems with the law. Moreover, I didn’t notice this either on the sedan or on previous Grants or Kalinas.

Let's summarize. Lada Granta, as before, looks like a tightly built and balanced car in terms of consumer characteristics, which has definitely benefited from restyling. More attractive appearance, fresher interior, a little more options and more convenience. Yes, Granta is still rude in her habits, harsh in nature, careless in decoration and angry towards her owner. However, to any complaint there has always been and remains a universal answer: “So this is a “state employee”, he can be forgiven!” But look how rapidly prices for this notorious “Le budget” segment are rising! You can’t approach Lada without 420 thousand rubles!

In what other owner's manual would you see a section on additional equipment for learning to drive?

And no matter how much factory marketers boast that they managed to maintain prices for basic versions or even reduce them, you and I understand that a decently equipped car will cost half a million or even more. You should completely forget about the automatic version if you don’t have 580 thousand in your pocket. Granta with its roaring engine is already breaking into the segment in which Vesta, XRAY and Renault Logan together with Sandero rule. I’m already silent about the fact that on the secondary market there are a lot of tempting offers to take a one and a half or two year old Rapid, Polo sedan or Solaris with Rio. Why buy a structurally older and more primitive model if you can throw in 50-100 thousand rubles and get something more recent? “Have you gotten too greedy in your Moscow? What a “fifty dollar”, and so we sit in credit slavery until retirement,” I can already hear in response. But, brothers, let's be honest: paying the same 15-20 thousand rubles for an updated model will also hurt your pocket. And then the question arises: was it worth it to create a new appearance, trick up the finishing and change badges if the consumer counts every penny? Therefore, there is only one conclusion: the updated Grant should be considered for purchase if your budget is strictly limited to half a million rubles, but for this money you won’t see either a “robot” or an “automatic machine” as your own ears. But even after shelling out 500 thousand of your hard earned money, you don’t want to get a car with crooked wheels, falling off handles and a lying speedometer.

Technical characteristics of Lada Granta (manufacturer data)

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