Ground clearance very important when buying a car. Especially in Russia, where off-road can be found not only on rough terrain. The operation and repair manual indicates the clearance of the second generation Lada Kalina (with full load). Let's analyze the declared passport indicators, as well as real measurements using a tape measure, and analyze the results of an interesting experiment. The ride height can be changed by setting big wheels, but this phenomenon also has disadvantages. About everything in order.

Claimed ground clearance Kalina

Under the bottom of the car, the “bottoms” of all bulky units are collected. Some we see
from under the hood or from the side of the wheels. But the lower part does not go anywhere, the manufacturer must move it as far as possible from the road surface. Hanging parts are concentrated under the machine engine compartment, levers, beam, suspension stabilizer, as well as bulky structures exhaust system with its muffler and catalyst.

Outside we see only a hole fuel tank. And this 50-liter tank of Kalina also needs to be rationally placed, because its shape is important for the correct operation of the power system. In addition, the space for placing the tank is limited. Do not forget about the spare tire, which is attached to the bottom of the trunk.

AvtoVAZ indicates several points from which the ground clearance of Lada Kalina is measured . The manual for the ordinary Kalina prescribes in the section “Basic parameters and characteristics of a car with a hatchback body (station wagon)” (pp. 133–136), two clearance values:

• from the road surface to the lowest point of the engine crankcase;
• to the gearbox housing.

It should be borne in mind that these parameters were measured at the moment when the car receives a full load. Also, from the instructions, we calculate the value of the total load specifically for your Lada Kalina. It is necessary to subtract the curb (unladen) weight from the maximum permitted weight. The column with this indicator is located above the clearance graph.

Depending on the type of engine and the configuration of the Lada, the masses vary slightly. On average, the full load of Kalina is 450–500 kg. Therefore, the distance from the road to the engine crankcase / gearbox will be passport if there is an additional weight of 500 kg on board your car.

For both bodies Lada Kalina 2 clearance up to ICE is 160 mm. To the lowest point of the manual transmission - 160 mm, automatic transmission - 145 mm. The numbers for the off-road version of Kalina Сross are much larger. Passport indicators from the 2017 operating manual state that the clearance to the engine crankcase is at least 182 mm, to the gearbox - at least 187 mm. This value is for all engines and both transmission options, mechanical and robotic.

If you don’t want to buy Kalina with a manual transmission, be aware that the passport clearance of an ordinary viburnum with automatic transmission is less than the clearance of Lada Cross with a robot by as much as 42 mm.

Real measurements of drivers

But how to determine real skylight Frets without full load? Real measurements with a tape measure (without load) show the following results.

A special experiment was carried out. Its essence is to compare the veracity of the clearance ratio regular Frets and Cross. For this, four subjective measurements were made. The distance was measured from the road to the side threshold, under which the jack is placed.

For the experiment, the cars were placed in the same conditions. Both cars had an empty interior, an empty trunk and the same minimum amount of fuel in the tank. The standard Lada station wagon was equipped with radial tires with a width of 175 mm, a profile of 55% and a bore diameter of 14 inches. The cross version is "shod" in tires with a width of 195, a profile of 55 and a diameter of 15.

First, the clearance of the usual Lada Kalina station wagon was measured without load. The resulting value is 198 mm. Then we got 217 mm as a result of a similar measurement at Kalina Cross. Before the second measurement, four people were asked to get into the cars one by one. A loaded conventional wagon gave a result of 170 mm. After loading, the clearance of Kalina Cross was 192 mm.

The extra weight reduced the ground clearance of the standard wagon by 28mm and the off-road version by 25mm. The modified suspension and enlarged wheels help.

Trunk Lada Kalina the new generation will not please with a large volume. However, this applies to the hatchback, if you want a large luggage space, then buy Kalina in the station wagon. This car is much more spacious.

Trunk Lada Kalina hatchback has a volume of only 240 liters, it should be borne in mind that this volume is considered to be up to the shelf. But our resourceful motorists sometimes just clean it up and load it straight up to the ceiling. With the rear seats folded down, the trunk of the Lada Kalina hatchback is already 550 liters. For comparison, Grants trunk has a volume of 520 liters.

Trunk Lada Kalina station wagon much more spacious and has a volume of 355 liters, although some sources claim that the volume is at least 361 liters. It should be borne in mind that this is only up to the shelf, but you can load up to the ceiling, the body structure allows. In any case, the volume luggage compartment in the Kalina station wagon of the second generation has increased, when compared with the same indicator of the Lada Kalina station wagon previous generation. With the seats folded down, the volume increases to 670 liters. In the photo above you can see exactly how they fold rear seats at the station wagon Lada Kalina 2.

Ground clearance or ground clearance Lada Kalina separate and very interesting topic. It is visually seen that the ground clearance of Lada Kalina is greater than that of most foreign cars. However, according to official data, the ground clearance of Kalina hatchback with automatic transmission is 145 mm, and with mechanical box 165 mm. But if the manufacturers of foreign cars indicate the ground clearance of their cars with a minimum load, then Avtovaz indicates the clearance in the maximum loaded state of the car. That is, if Lada Kalina is empty, without passengers and cargo, then its clearance will be about 20 centimeters! You can take a ruler and see for yourself.

Concerning Lada Kalina station wagon there is the same situation. When loaded, the machine has real ground clearance 145 mm, but in fact, when there is only a driver and a passenger in the cabin, the ground clearance is much greater. Do not forget that if you install tires and wheels of a certain size, then the clearance changes. Officially, the manufacturer allows the installation of wheels on Kalina, both 14 and 15 inches.

Dimensions Lada Kalina station wagon and hatchback different. So the length of the Kalina hatchback is 3,893 mm, the station wagon has 4,084 mm. Wheelbase, the distance between the rear and front axle is the same 2476 mm. That is, in the cabin, the cars are identical in size. The width of the vehicles is 1,700 mm. The height of the Kalina hatchback is 1,500 mm, the station wagon has a few millimeters more due to the roof rails, which are now installed on all modifications without exception as standard equipment.

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The “second” Kalina fell into my hands during the next test. In it, we collected cars worth up to 500,000 rubles. Only five cars, including Kalina hatchback, which interested me the most.

The VAZ novelty is sold under the slogan “full stuffing”.

I do not understand him. Yes, the hatchback equipment is not bad by the standards of the class, but why stoop to slang?

Finally, a touch screen multimedia system appeared in the luxury Kalina. You can tune the radio on it, select a music file (there is an SD card slot and a USB connector located in the glove box). I hope that soon there will be GLONASS. There was no navigation in our car.

In general, the front panel is quite nice. Yes, and plastic, not as oak as it was in Lada Granta. But there are complaints about the seats. The support bolsters on the pillow are too soft. In sharp turns they are useless, besides, I think, when long-term operation still wash out.

When the car was unloaded from the transporter, they noticed that the tailgate was not closed. Attempts to shut it down were to no avail. It turns out that the door lock is not adjusted. Maybe this is the task of the dealer, but the car should not leave the assembly line like that. Well, the already traditional scattering of screws in the cabin. I remember when I bought my first Zhiguli, I collected “minced meat” from screws and nuts, probably for a month. Everyone wondered where it all came from. In general, how many years have passed, and the models have changed and the situation at the plant is not the same as before, but they still do not spare screws. It's a shame, because because of minor flaws, the impression of a well-finished car is spoiled.

The automatic machine, which proved to be excellent on the Lada Granta, also works well on the hatch. Compared to Granta, sound insulation has also become better. Sitting in the back, you can already talk normally, and not scream. The suspension also left a pleasant impression. Of course, this is not Logan, but somewhere pretty close.

In general, VAZ workers need to remove assembly flaws. Namely, they form a skeptical attitude towards their products. If this succeeds, then you get a good hatchback, with well-tuned running and ground clearance like a crossover.

61 responses to Lada Kalina 2 and “full stuffing”

1. 

Car Lada Kalina 2 is considered urban budget car. Usually, the clearance of city cars is not the most important criterion, but in the case of domestic Grants and Kalina, the situation is such that their high clearance has a positive effect on sales. Yes it really is folk cars which are well adapted to the realities Russian roads. A striking example is the official dealer Orekhovo Lada, which sells just such cars.

Some car owners do not like that their car has a high ground clearance, and they deliberately underestimate it. What are the advantages of this? Someone thinks that the understated Kalina looks better, others firmly believe that the aerodynamics of the car is noticeably improving, others have completely illogical motives - “so fashionable”.

The ground clearance of LADA Kalina 2 with a full load is about 145 mm, which is quite enough to feel comfortable even in light off-road conditions. Without load, Kalina even has an impressive ground clearance of 200 mm.

The author of this material believes that it is NOT necessary to underestimate Kalina, and if you do underestimate, then professionally. Why? Just watch some videos at the end of the article. But at the same time, we must describe how the clearance of Lada Kalina 2 is reduced and what are the pros and cons in this process.

Ways to underestimate New Kalina:

Air suspension. Quite an expensive option, but it allows you to adjust the clearance of the car at any time. Are you driving along flat track- they lowered the car, it is necessary to move over the speed bump - raised it. This option is quite rare, as large financial costs make the car much more expensive.

pendant with adjustable ground clearance . In this case, the stiffness of the shock absorbers can be adjusted, due to which the car is lowered or raised. This method is also not cheap, and therefore its popularity is not so high.

These kits are quite cheap and have full set to lower the car - shock absorbers and springs. As a rule, such kits are well designed for a certain level - “- 90 mm”, “- 120 mm”, so the car behaves well in dynamics.

This is the cheapest and most incorrect method - lowered springs are installed (most often they are simply cut off). In this case, usually the shock absorbers are left standard, as a result of which the car becomes poorly controlled.

Tires and wheels. By installing non-standard low-profile tires and other discs, you can achieve a significant reduction in ground clearance. Usually this method requires the installation of other springs and shock absorbers.

Lada Kalina is one of the most practical and best-selling creations of AvtoVAZ. The model enjoyed considerable popularity, primarily due to its cost and adaptation to the realities of Russian roads. This largely applies to the clearance of Kalina. Starting to be produced in 2004, the ground clearance of Lada Kalina was 160 millimeters - one might say, the golden mean among cars. After updating the model in 2013, the range of clearances of the model expanded - a clearance of 145 millimeters was added, and the passable version wagon Cross clearance became as much as 183 millimeters. The design of the car itself did not allow it to be made even more - significant changes had to be made to the design of the Kalina suspension.

Clearance table Lada Kalina

Lada modification Kalina	Years of production	Description of modification	Clearance, mm
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Norma	2013-2019		160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Norma	2013-2019		160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Lux	2013-2019	Hatchback 4-door front wheel drive petrol (118 hp)	145
Lada Kalina 1.6 AT Lux	2012-2019		145
Lada Kalina 1.6 AT Lux	2012-2019		145
Lada Kalina 1.6 AT Norma	2012-2019	Hatchback 5-door front-wheel drive petrol (98 hp)	145
Lada Kalina 1.6 AT Norma	2012-2019	Station wagon 5-door front-wheel drive petrol (98 hp)	145
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Lux	2012-2019		160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Lux	2012-2019	Hatchback 5-door front-wheel drive petrol (106 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Norma	2012-2019	Hatchback 5-door front-wheel drive petrol (87 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Norma	2012-2019		160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Norma	2012-2019	Station wagon 5-door front-wheel drive gasoline (106 hp)	145
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Norma	2012-2019	Hatchback 5-door front-wheel drive petrol (106 hp)	145
	2012-2019	Station wagon 5-door front-wheel drive gasoline (87 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT Standard	2012-2019	Hatchback 5-door front-wheel drive petrol (87 hp)	160
Lada Kalina Cross 1.6 MT	2012-2019	Station wagon 5-door front-wheel drive gasoline (87 and 106 hp)	185
Lada Kalina 1.4 MT	2005-2013	Sedan 4-door front-wheel drive petrol (89 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.4 MT	2005-2013	Station wagon 5-door front-wheel drive gasoline (89 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.4 MT	2005-2013	Hatchback 5-door front-wheel drive petrol (89 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT	2005-2013	Sedan 4-door front-wheel drive petrol (81 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT	2005-2013	Station wagon 5-door front-wheel drive gasoline (81 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT	2005-2013	Hatchback 5-door front-wheel drive petrol (81 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT	2005-2013	Sedan 4-door front-wheel drive petrol (98 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT	2005-2013	Station wagon 5-door front-wheel drive gasoline (98 hp)	160
Lada Kalina 1.6 MT	2005-2013	Hatchback 5-door front-wheel drive petrol (98 hp)	160