Description and characteristics of LADA Kalina cars

LADA Kalina (Lada Kalina) is a small car of the Russian manufacturer AvtoVAZ, which was produced from November 2004 to July 2018 in two generations. The factory indexes of the first generation, depending on the body shape, were "VAZ-1117" (station wagon), "VAZ-1118" (sedan) and "VAZ-1119" (hatchback); the second generation was indexed as "VAZ-2192" (hatchback) and "VAZ-2194" (station wagon). The name was approved in 1998 and comes from the deciduous tree Kalina Krasnaya. Development began in 1993 and the first prototype appeared in 1999. The car is based on the Gamma platform. The gasoline engine is located transversely in the front, front-wheel drive.

The main competitors and classmates of Kalina are Chery Very, Chevrolet Aveo, Daewoo Nexia, FAW Besturn, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Fiat Punto, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Lada Samara, Lifan Breez, Mitsubishi Colt, Nissan Almera, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, Renault Logan, Skoda Fabia, SEAT Leon, TagAZ Corda, Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Yaris.

First generation (2004-2013)

The production of the first generation began in 2004 with a four-door sedan body (length 4040 mm), in 2006 a five-door hatchback appeared (length 3850 mm) and in 2007 they began to produce a five-door station wagon (length 4040 mm). The remaining dimensions were the same for all body types - a wheelbase of 2470 mm, a width of 1670 mm, a height of 1500 mm and a curb weight of 1080 kg. The body is made of hot-dip galvanized steel, which makes it resistant to corrosion. The cost of the first generation of Kalina was 7,000-8,000 thousand dollars. Depending on the configuration, the cars were equipped with airbags for the driver and passenger, ABS (anti-lock braking system), electric power steering, air conditioning and rear seats that can be folded to form a horizontal platform. Production was carried out in Russia, in the city of Tolyatti. A total of more than 760 thousand cars were produced.

The first generation Kalina was equipped only with petrol four-cylinder engines with a capacity of 1.4 liters (1390 cm³, VAZ-11194, 16 valves, 89 hp), 1.6 liters (1596 cm³, VAZ-21114, 8 valves, 81 hp) and 1.6 liters (1596 cm³, VAZ-21126, 16 valves, 98 hp). All engines are equipped with electronic ignition and fuel injection system. The gearbox was only mechanical five-speed.

The car scored 5.6 out of 16 points in the frontal crash test conducted by the Russian safety assessment program "ARCAP" in 2005, receiving just one star out of four.

In 2007, AvtoVAZ decided to replace the A-segment car that had ceased production "VAZ-1111 Oka" a three-door hatchback based on the Kalina called the Kalina City, but the car never rolled off the assembly line.

Since 2008, a sports version of the "Kalina Sport" with 1.4 or 1.6 liter engines has been produced, which is very similar to the "luxury" package with the addition of some original trim elements and a sports suspension lowered by 20 mm, as well as some other elements.

Since 2011, the production of the sedan has been discontinued, this market segment was filled with the start of production in May 2011 "Lada Granta". In December 2011, the Lada Kalina was converted to the Euro-4 environmental standard.

Second generation (2013-2018)

The second generation of Kalina was presented in 2012 at the Moscow International Automobile Salon, and production started in May 2013. The production of the sedan was discontinued, leaving only the five-door hatchback (length 3893 mm) and station wagon (length 4084 mm). The width of the car was 1670 mm, the height was 1500 mm, the wheelbase was 2476 mm and the curb weight was 1125-1160 kg. In fact, it was a deep restyling of the first generation. The exterior design changed slightly. The suspension and steering were significantly modernized to improve the responsiveness, dynamism and safety of the car. There were three trim levels - "Standard", "Norma" and "Lux". The basic package included front electric windows, daytime running lights and a driver's airbag. ABS (anti-lock braking system), brake assist system, ESP (electronic stability control), anti-skid system, heated front seats, touchscreen navigator, climate control, rain sensors, air conditioning and passenger airbags were installed as an option. All interior controls are now only in English. In total, more than 160 thousand cars were produced.

Three four-cylinder petrol engines were installed, all with a capacity of 1.6 liters (1598 cm³), one 8-valve "VAZ-11186" with a capacity of 87 hp, as well as two 16-valve - "VAZ-21126" with a capacity of 98 hp and "VAZ-21127" with a capacity of 106 hp. All engines are equipped with electronic throttle control. The gearbox is a five-speed manual, and for the first time they began to install a four-speed automatic "Jatco JF414E", which has already been tested on "Granta".

In 2014, they began producing the "Kalina Cross", which is distinguished by a 23 mm increase in ground clearance, modified gear ratios in the transmission and a plastic body kit. In the same year, sales of the sports modification - "Kalina Sport" - began.

Kalina 2, wagon, 2014 year

Kalina 2, interior, 2017 year

Kalina 2, engine, 2013 year