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Kalina Cross has become taller, but does not give the impression of an awkward box
The relatively low cost of alterations in factory conditions prompted even the domestic conservative in the person of AVTOVAZ to decide to declare themselves in this niche. Oleg Grunenkov, director of the Lada Granta and Kalina project, openly stated that the appearance of the Cross modification became possible due to a favorable confluence of three circumstances: the low cost of modification, great interest from potential buyers and a rich heritage in developing technical solutions in the process of creating and modernizing the conventional “ Viburnum."
Previously, Za Rulem.RF already published the first impressions of the editor-in-chief of the Za Rulem magazine, Anton Chuikin, from a trip to Kalina Cross. This time, as part of a test on the Kazakh steppes and country roads, a group of journalists were presented with samples of cars from a pilot production batch assembled on the eve of the Moscow Motor Show 2014. According to the assurances of the factory workers, almost the same cars will go into mass production, but minor deficiencies identified even during the current test drive will be eliminated as quickly as possible.
How does Lada Kalina Cross differ from a station wagon?
The most important question: how does the Cross model differ from a station wagon, and can it be all-wheel drive?
Unfortunately, AvtoVAZ has never mass-produced 4x4 passenger cars, of course, if you do not take into account the Niva SUVs.
Kalina Cross is a front-wheel drive car, but with slightly increased cross-country ability and improved technical characteristics.
So, the modification of the Lada Kalina Cross differs from Universal:
- the presence of wider door moldings;
- reinforced anti-roll bars;
- gear ratio in the main transmission pair;
- higher ground clearance;
- improved shock absorbers;
- other suspension springs.
A protective plastic body kit is installed on the sills and wheel arches of the Cross, and a nameplate with the model name is also attached to the trunk door.
Already in the base, the car is equipped with 15 alloy wheels, while the station wagon is equipped with R14 “stamping” in the basic configuration.
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The 8-valve 1.6-liter engine with an output of 87 hp is already familiar to us from the Ladovsk model range.
There weren’t enough stars in the sky, but we were pleasantly surprised by the good traction at low speeds, the 8-valve 1.6-liter engine with an output of 87 hp, already familiar to us from the Ladovsk model range. there weren’t enough stars in the sky, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good traction at low revs
The 8-valve 1.6-liter engine with an output of 87 hp is already familiar to us from the Ladovsk model range. there weren’t enough stars in the sky, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good traction at low revs
Well, Kalina Cross has become taller, but does not give the impression of an awkward box. There will be only three body colors for now: metallic silver, white and orange (“orange”). According to official data, the increase in ground clearance amounted to a very respectable 23 mm, of which 16 mm are due to the modified suspension geometry (in particular, longer shock-absorbing struts were used), and another 6 mm come from wheels of increased size (195/55R15 instead of the usual old size 195 /50R15). At the same time, to compensate for the increased center of gravity, the wheel track was increased by 4 mm by changing the offset of the discs. Experimental machines are equipped with standard wheels with 2 mm spacers, but production lots will only have wheels with the required offset - 33 instead of 35. Thrifty owners can take note of this nuance. The price for changing the tire size was not only their relatively high price, but also the turning radius increased by 0.3 m. At the same time, the departure/entry angle was 20 degrees - a very good indicator.
The first task is to break out of the center of Almaty, with its chaotic traffic and very peculiar road ethics, onto a suburban highway. The habitual “he who owns the more expensive car is right” common to locals forces even Muscovites to be extremely careful. This is helped by generally good visibility and matte-dark trim panels that do not glare in the bright sun, but the lack of electrical adjustment of the right outside rear view mirror is a serious disadvantage in modern traffic conditions.
Kalina Cross configuration
Kalina in the Cross modification is presented in two main trim levels - Norma and Luxe, the first of which is basic.
The most budget option includes the following options:
- steering wheel airbag;
- alloy wheels R15;
- roof rails;
- electric windows on the front doors;
- standard alarm system with immobilizer;
- climate control.
The audio system is capable of playing MP3 files; four speakers are installed in the cabin for playing music.
The Norma version is equipped with: anti-lock brakes ABS, brake distributor EBD, driver assistance system for emergency braking EBA.
The front seats and side mirrors are heated, and an athermal film is installed on the windows to protect against glare.
Surely many drivers are upset that the steering column cannot be adjusted for reach, and in the trunk, instead of a full-size spare wheel, there is a small R14 spare tire.
The Luxury package adds a few functions: rain/light/parking sensors, a heated windshield, and all side doors are equipped with electric windows.
The top version has electric mirrors, and the front passenger's airbag is built into the instrument panel.
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There are no complaints about the operation of the controls, everything works and turns on as expected, there is no need to pay special attention to anything. This is supported by a modernized clutch drive, a vacuum brake booster with a pedal, and - finally! — cable drive gearbox, like the “countryman” Datsun on-DO. Some factory workers spoke of such a set of modernized components in one model almost as a revolution, but the consumer has the right to believe that this should have become the norm long ago. And the old defect - the whine of gears in the manual transmission, especially in lower gears - has not been eliminated by the plant for almost 30 years, that is, ever since the 2108 family entered the main assembly line.
Soon we are promised versions with automatic transmissions (the classic “automatic” or “robot” from Priora AMT has not yet been decided, but there will definitely be no CVTs yet), and the usual five-speed “mechanics” will apparently survive with a proprietary defect until the very end, which is especially offensive given the improved sound insulation of the cabin, when transmission noise becomes especially noticeable.
The second discipline is the behavior of a moderately loaded car (three adults with small luggage) on the highway. Here it is immediately worth noting the characteristic features of Kazakhstani roads far from large cities, where the asphalt surface is usually several decades old. During this time, large-capacity trucks have rolled very noticeable ruts, and the road profile itself resembles a washboard. The only plus is that there are practically no large holes in which you can tear a tire or break a disk: road services can at least cope with this.
Such driving conditions pose quite a serious challenge to the performance of the suspension. To the credit of the VAZ team, we must admit that they coped with this almost perfectly, which is especially pleasant against the backdrop of the old problems with the Kalina suspension. The current one in the Cross model is made on the basis of the most successful 928 modification with gas-filled shock absorbers (again, hello to the French-Japanese who came to Tolyatti). Despite the slightly increased rigidity, stability and indifference to changing lanes between tracks remained at a high level - this was noted by all crew members who were alternately drivers and passengers.
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The 8-valve 1.6-liter engine with an output of 87 hp is already familiar to us from the Ladovsk model range. There weren’t enough stars in the sky, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good traction at low speeds, especially taking into account the compliance with Euro-4 toxicity standards. To compensate for the increased mass (+15 kg) and increased drag (C x - from 0.4 to 0.42), a main pair with a gear ratio of 3.9 was used instead of the 3.7 that the plant had been accustomed to since 1985. This inevitably led, according to official factory data, to a decrease in top speed by 3 km/h and an increase in fuel consumption by 0.2 l/100 km. But in any case, the power supply of a car with this engine is enough for safe driving on the highway at speeds of up to 120 km/h. If this threshold is exceeded, overtaking becomes dangerous even on half-empty Kazakhstani highways. In October, Tolyatti residents promise to start equipping the Kalina Cross with 16-valve engines producing 106 hp. - this option looks much more interesting, but you will have to come to terms with an increased tax rate and a higher purchase price.
Having turned onto a steppe country road connecting the Almaty-Karaganda highway with the western shore of Lake Balkhash (this was the third test discipline), we could not resist the temptation to check the real parameters of geometric cross-country ability and the operation of the suspension at speeds of 80–100 km/h. The mode was simple: after acceleration, we engage third gear and drive only in it under any road conditions - this way we limit the reasonably safe maximum speed and force the driver not to slow down on bumps so much that a lower gear would be required. The car coped with this exercise almost perfectly - there were no bumpers touching the ground, and we lightly and harmlessly touched the ground with the crankcase protection only twice. If there had been only one driver in the car, I’m sure this could have been avoided.
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Only a Toyota Land Cruiser prepared for off-road with a steel cable solved this problem.
Only a Toyota Land Cruiser prepared for off-road with a steel cable solved this problem.
This problem was solved only by a Toyota Land Cruiser prepared for off-road use with a steel cable.
At the same time, we will also mention a funny incident on the shore of a small lake near the road. While everyone went out to warm up, the car literally fell into quicksand wet soil up to the hubs in just a few minutes. Attempts, even with the help of colleagues, to push it out under its own power did not lead to anything, and the problem was solved only by a Toyota Land Cruiser prepared for off-road use with a steel cable. Subsequent inspection showed that the parts on the underbody and the plastic on the body and bumpers were completely undamaged from the belly seat, but the rear towing eye was deformed. It is noteworthy that the size of the cutout for it turned out to be insufficient, and the bumper itself received traces of contact with the cable - a typical case when, in pursuit of design, they forgot about functionality.
This accidental incident prompted an unplanned vibration test. The irony of fate was that a large amount of greasy dirt was firmly stuck to the wheel rims, which was not possible to wash off on site, and we did not encounter a single car wash on the highway! As a result, the next few hundred kilometers were spent on a vibration test bench. The day before, Kalina Cross designers talked for a long time about detailed work to eliminate all kinds of vibrations, squeaks and noise, but here it turned out to be the opposite. As we drove, under the influence of centrifugal forces, the dirt gradually fell off the wheels, which provided interesting material for observing the limits of noise and squeaks, which we honestly shared with the factory workers. They, in turn, promised to carefully analyze everything. There is no particular point in dwelling on this in detail; after all, the cars were from an experimental batch, but the poor fit of the driver’s and rear right doors, which caused a lot of creaking of the seals and the penetration of dust, cannot be ignored. We can only hope that this was a flaw in a specific instance, and buyers should pay special attention to these details when purchasing.
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The rear towing eye was deformed.
It is noteworthy that the size of the cutout for it in the bumper turned out to be insufficient, and it clearly bore traces of contact with the cable - a typical case when, in pursuit of design, they forgot about functionality. The rear towing eye was deformed. It is noteworthy that the size of the cutout for it in the bumper turned out to be insufficient, and it clearly bore traces of contact with the cable - a typical case when, in pursuit of design, they forgot about functionality
The rear towing eye was deformed after being rescued. It is noteworthy that the size of the cutout for it turned out to be insufficient, which is why the bumper received traces of contact with the cable - a typical case when, in pursuit of design, they forgot about functionality
Another drawback, which many test participants spoke about closer to the finish line of this difficult but interesting Kazakh 1200 km, is the anatomical properties of the seats. Here there was only one verdict - staying in them for a long time is very uncomfortable. And even though, compared to the previous ones from the base Kalina, they have been modified to improve lateral support, decorative colored inserts and stitching have appeared, and elements for fastening child seats according to the isofix standard have been added, in its current form it still looks more like a mockery of riders.
And finally, about market prospects. Compared to its “donor” - the regular Kalina station wagon - a new product in a similar configuration (for now it will be “Norma”) costs only 17 thousand rubles. more expensive, while having undeniable advantages in suspension, gearbox, and geometric cross-country ability. AVTOVAZ's marketing service estimates demand in 2015 at 15 thousand cars, and Oleg Grunenkov announced the plant's readiness to triple production of the Lada Kalina Cross. Hard times are coming for the closest relative-competitor of the Renault Sandero Stepway (price in showrooms starts from 510 thousand rubles).
Lada Kalina Cross: berry selection
Is Lada Kalina Cross a second generation car?
The well-known Lada Kalina brand is a passenger car produced by AvtoVAZ, produced since November 2004.
The model is one of the ten most popular cars in Russia; it is produced not only in Togliatti, but also at the automobile plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk (Kazakhstan).
Assembly of the first generation Kalina was carried out until the spring of 2013; the car was produced in hatchback, sedan and station wagon bodies.
In May of the same 2013, a new project Lada Kalina 2 was launched into series, but this model was already produced in only two body styles - station wagon and hatchback.
The Kalina Cross modification appeared in 2014, and although it is built on the Universal base, it has a number of significant differences.
There are ongoing debates whether the new Kalina is a second-generation car; some fans of VAZ cars believe that this is simply a deep restyling of its predecessor.
But the Lada Cross has quite a lot of updates, and what the car represents is something we have to figure out.
