➤ Lada Granta Liftback: how AvtoVAZ changed the industry

Lada Granta Liftback has become a successful combination of accessibility and comfort.

Since the development of the very idea of the car began in 2008, during the global crisis, affordability was among the priorities, which in no way should affect safety and performance characteristics. Although the development and creation of the car took a long time, the result requires discussion.

Body evolution

When looking at the work of the designers, the first thing that catches your eye is the unusual shape of the rear of the car. The body of the Granta has undergone changes in comparison with the classic Lada Granta, while the designers paid great attention to seemingly insignificant details, which indicate a number of design improvements.

The features of the Grant Liftback trunk are as follows:

The body project was created jointly with engineers working for Renault and Nissan, using computer modeling.
During the creation of the body, a full-fledged rear door appeared in place of the trunk.
Increasing the rigidity of the structure in comparison with the basic Granta model contributes to strength. The Granta trunk trim is completely galvanized, and those parts and hidden elements that were quite often subject to corrosion in early models are now covered with finishing primer.
The fifth door of the car, located in the rear of the body, greatly simplifies loading things and increases the volume of the trunk.

Disadvantages of Lada Granta

The disadvantages of the 1st generation Lada Grant include the build quality and the cheapness of the plastic used, which led to the rapid appearance of “crickets” in the cabin, which were extremely difficult to deal with. One could not expect comfort and good handling from this car; the car was clearly not intended for high-speed driving on country highways.

Also, the disadvantages include the mediocre corrosion resistance of the body. After several years of using the car, the first traces of rust appeared on Russian roads, which forced expensive repairs. The same applied even to minor damage to the body; if the car owner did not repair such scratches and chips in a timely manner, then soon the rusted body panels would have to be replaced.

Car owners note that under significant loads on the engine, the timing belt broke, after which the valves bent, and the engine required major repairs. It was necessary to constantly monitor the level of engine oil, which often leaked through leaky gaskets and seals. Another weak point in this car is the cooling system pump, which quickly wore out, requiring timely replacement.

24.01.2021

Exterior design Grants Liftback

The appearance of the car is quite simple and unpretentious. Quite simple design solutions were taken from the design of the classic Granta, which many users did not like.

Since the project was developed over a long period of time, the design simply became outdated. However, if you make allowance for the budget of the car itself, then appearance is clearly not a priority.

Car interior design

In contrast to the design of the Liftback's external components, more meticulous work has definitely been done on the interior. If we draw parallels with Kalina, then the Liftback salon has an organization aimed at expanding the internal space.

The dashboard and other technological components are not very detailed and are made in a more standard form. This also had a positive effect on the cost of the car, which made it so affordable.

Interesting facts about Lada Granta

Lada Granta is the first car of the AvtoVAZ company, which began to be equipped with an automatic transmission.

The Grant model borrowed almost 70% of all parts and components from the Kalina model.

Lada Granta is the first car to have negative camber, while all previous cars have parallel camber.

The queues for the Grant model during the first month of sales stretched for 3-4 months in advance.

On May 11, 2011, during a working visit to Togliatti, Russian Prime Minister V.V. Putin took part in testing the car. He made a test lap 1,400 meters long along an experimental track at the AvtoVAZ company's testing ground. Later, sharing his impressions, the Prime Minister called the new budget model the future “people's car.”

One of the main advantages of the Lada Granta for buyers is its very reasonable price. Despite the fact that the car was created in a very short time (it took less than three years to develop), it meets most modern requirements. The interior trim has been improved; the contact of plastic parts no longer creates strange knocks, rattles and squeaks, as in previous AvtoVAZ models. The new dashboard and spacious interior highlight the advantages of the car.

However, the Lada Granta also has a number of disadvantages. For example, the manufacturer saved on seat height adjustment. The gear shift mechanism, which is not particularly clear, was also disappointing.

The chassis of the car does not cause any significant complaints. Grant's model differs from its counterparts in its smooth cornering, stability on a straight road, and smooth ride. But even here there is a flaw: standard Amtel Planet-2P tires do not have very good grip properties.

I was pleased with the car's suspension - perfectly balanced, energy-intensive, capable of smoothing out even large unevenness in the road surface.

Chassis and features of its use

Although the suspension on the Lada Grant Liftback does not introduce anything new, since it was largely borrowed from the Kalina model, its modifications had a positive effect on the technical characteristics of the car.

This is especially noticeable for the Luxury configuration, in which the stabilizers responsible for the stability of the car in the transverse plane have become much more powerful, which directly affects maintaining the position of the car during sharp turns.

Gas-filled rear shock absorbers were also installed, along with stiffer springs. The introduced innovations are designed to make the car more stable when driving and making sharp turns, taking into account the typical road terrain.

Technical features of Lada Granta

There are not very many technical differences from the Lada Kalina in the Grant model. The wheelbase and rear wheel track were increased, and the front of the car became longer. For the “Norma” and “Lux” trim levels, with hydraulic booster, the wheel alignment settings have changed. This change had a positive effect on directional stability. The car also received a new steering rack, which significantly improves handling and reduces the number of steering wheel turns to three. In the “Standard” configuration, which does not include power steering, the steering rack maintains the number of revolutions equal to four, and the caster value also remains the same (1°40').

For the front suspension of the Grant model, new shock-absorbing struts were selected, providing better lateral stability.

For the first time in the history of AvtoVAZ, the production Lada model received a rear suspension with a wheel camber angle of 1°, which is installed at the factory and does not require adjustment during operation. In addition, a positive toe-in of the rear wheels of 10′ is provided. These changes ensure good stability of the car on the road and significantly improve driving characteristics.

Gearbox and its problems

The first version of the manual transmission in the Lada Grant Liftback was a partially modified manual transmission from Kalina. All those problems noticed by users on the previous model remained unresolved.

Appearance

The design of the car is practically no different from the sedan version. The only exception is the architecture of the rear pillar. She is slightly tilted back. In the front part, everything is identical - crystal headlights, a wide radiator grille with a chrome strip and a rook in the center, as well as a raised bumper.

It is worth noting that the car was built on the basis of the Lada Kalina. Externally, these cars are a little similar. Note that, despite the budget, the car looks very decent. This is not to say that it is too cheap or ugly. If you do not take into account the cheapest package (with black bumpers and 13-inch iron wheels), this car looks no worse than the Priora, as car owners say in reviews. "Granta" liftback can be painted in different colors. However, in any case you will have to pay extra for metallic, even if it is a top-end package. The cost of the additional payment is 6 thousand rubles. How about the liftback looks great in two colors - black and silver.

How well is the body painted? As for the liftback, it is painted very decently, no worse than the second generation Kalina (by the way, it is still in production). Bugs and chips on a three-year-old car are very rare. But time will tell how long this effect will last. So far, the oldest Granta model, the liftback, is only three and a half years old.

Lada Granta Liftback Automatic: equipment and functionality

A positive quality of the automatic transmission is the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 11 seconds. If after some time a manual transmission begins to make noise that creates discomfort, then this does not happen with an automatic transmission; all actions are silent.

The Japanese company Jatco worked on the automatic transmission. Adjusting the compatibility of Japanese and domestic technologies into a single functional unit required thirty attempts and the involvement of Austrian designers. Such attention to detail made it possible to create a user-friendly automatic transmission without visible flaws.

Particular attention was paid to the ergonomics of the gear knob. It is at the optimal height level and fits well in the hand. The first and second gears are fixed, and there is also a button on the selector that deactivates the overdrive mode, preventing access to shifting to fourth gear.

All generations of Lada Granta

2019 – today
II
2011 – 2018
I

Fast passage

A Acura
Alfa Romeo
Alpina
Alpine
Aston Martin
Audi
Aurus
B Bajaj
Bentley
BMW
Brilliance
Bugatti
BYD
C Cadillac
Caterham
Changan

Chery
CheryExeed
Chevrolet
Chrysler
Citroen
Daewoo
Daihatsu
Dartz Motors
Datsun
Detroit Electric
DFM
Dodge
FFAW
Ferrari
Fiat

Ford
Foton
G GAC
GAZ
Geely
Genesis
GMC
Great Wall
GTA Motor
H Hafei
Haima
Haval
Hawtai
Hennessey
Honda
Hummer

Hyundai
I Icon
Infiniti
Iran Khodro
Isuzu
JJAC
Jaguar
Jeep
K KIA
Koenigsegg
L Lada
Lamborghini
Land Rover
Lexus
LIFAN
Lincoln

Lotus
Luxgen
M Marussia
Maserati
Maybach
Mazda
Mazzanti
McLaren
Mercedes-Benz
MG Cars
MINI
Mitsubishi
N Nissan
Opel
P Pagani
Peugeot

PGO
Porsche
Proton
Q Qoros
Ravon
Renault
Rolls-Royce
S Saab
Samsung
SEAT
SeAZ
Skoda
Smart
SsangYong
Subaru
Suzuki

Lada Granta is a new product from the AvtoVAZ plant, claiming to be the “people's car”. On the assembly line of the flagship of the Russian automobile industry, this car should replace the “classic” model range. Thus, in the near future there will be no rear-wheel drive models at VAZ. Will the outdated Lada Samara be discontinued? and subsequently the Lada Kalina from which the Granta comes. The specialists of the Tolyatti plant tried to make a car that meets all modern requirements for a car, and at the same time remain within the minimum prices for the automobile market. As a result, Granta has become a significant step forward both in terms of design and equipment. However, in the minimum “standard” configuration, Granta’s equipment includes only a driver’s airbag, child seat mounts and daytime running lights. The engine in this version is an old 80 horsepower from Lada Kalina. But even this level of equipment is already much more than could be obtained in the “classic”. The “second level” “norm” equipment already has electric power steering, an on-board computer, front electric windows, central locking and an anti-theft system. In addition, an engine is installed here, according to the developers, specially designed for the new product 1.6 liter 90 hp. and 140 Nm of torque starting from 3800 rpm. Finally, the third, most expensive version, which should appear only in the summer of 2012, will provide the owner with such elements as ABS with Break Assist, seat belts with pretensioners, two front airbags, heated front seats , air conditioning, heated and electrically adjustable mirrors, athermal glass, electric windows on all doors, and in addition, alloy wheels. This version will also receive the most powerful engine of 98 hp. The fuel consumption declared by the manufacturer is the same for all modifications of 7.2 liters in the combined cycle. The base for Granta will be a five-speed manual transmission, but in the future there will also be a four-speed automatic transmission produced by the Japanese company Jatco. The “innovation” doesn’t stop there. The rear suspension of the Lada Granta received a “negative” camber angle. Along with the optimized front suspension, this should provide greater stability of the car both on a straight line and in corners, compared to previous front-wheel drive models. Despite the fact that the Lada Granta is built on the Kalina platform, it is 24 cm longer than its predecessor. The wheelbase has also been increased. In order to reduce the cost of the design, some simplifications were made, which made it possible to significantly reduce the number of parts. In the future, the Lada Granta line may be supplemented with hatchback station wagon bodies.

Power unit: main features

The basic configuration of the Lada Granta Liftback is equipped with a four-cylinder engine with eight valves, the volume of which is 1.6 liters. The engine power is 87 horsepower and the rpm is at 5100.

With this functionality, the engine is also quite economical; for 100 kilometers it will need only seven liters of gasoline.

Suspension

The car is based on an upgraded suspension from the second generation Kalina. So, in front there are MacPherson struts, and in the rear there is a dependent beam with coil springs. How does the Lada Granta liftback in the new body behave on the move? The car handles unevenness very harshly. Ball joints also fail quickly. The steering tips hold up well - up to 100 thousand. But the CV joint can crunch at 50 km.

This is often due to damage to the rubber boot. Because of this, water gets inside and washes away the lubricant. The hinge begins to rust and crumbles. The steering mechanism is a rack with a gear ratio of 4.02 on versions without power assistance and 3.1 with it. The brakes are disc, but only on the front axle. At the back are archaic drums. As car owners note in reviews, the brakes on the Grant are not effective enough. Therefore, owners often perform tuning. The Granta liftback with disc rear brakes responds to the pedal much more efficiently. But this alteration requires a lot of time, and if the work is not done with your own hands, then money.

Correlation between Grants Liftback trim levels and price categories

The configurations differ from each other not only in interior design, but also in technological aspects, such as engine, transmission and tank volume.

Knowing these parameters allows for a more informed choice.

Equipment	Volume of the tank	Engine		Transmission	Price
Standard	1.6 liters	8 valves (87 horsepower)		5MT	394,900 rubles
Classic	1.6 liters	8 valves (87 horsepower)		5MT	420,600 rubles
Classic Start	1.6 liters	8 valves (87 horsepower)		5MT	442,700 rubles
Comfort	1.6 liters	8 valves (87 horsepower)		5MT	459,200 rubles
Comfort Optima	1.6 liters	16 valves (106 horsepower)		5MT	475,100 rubles
Lux	1.6 liters	8 valves (87 horsepower)		5MT	497,200 rubles
Luxury Prestige	1.6 liters	16 valves (106 horsepower)		5MT	527,700 rubles
Comfort	1.6 liters		16 valves (98 horsepower)	4AT		523,100 rubles
Lux	1.6 liters		16 valves (106 horsepower)	5AMT		533,700 rubles

Safety Grants Liftback on the roads

Driver safety is ensured by the length and reinforced walls of the hood. The wipers have thin pads, and numerous crash tests have shown that this also has a direct impact on driving safety.

The airbag was developed jointly with engineers from Japan and Germany, and the seat belts were also modernized. In the rear of the car, the rigidity of the floor has been increased. To increase safety parameters, additional stiffening ribs were added, and the metal itself became much thicker.

The following elements were used as structural safety measures for the driver and passengers:

a system that prevents slipping on uneven sections of the road;
passenger and driver airbags;
head restraints located on the rear seats;
front seat belts with a pretensioning device;
All doors are equipped with safety bars, as a result of which they will not be blocked.

Characteristics

Standard	Normal	Lux
Body type	Four-door sedan
Passengers	5
Length, mm	4 260
Width, mm	1 700
Height, mm	1 500
Wheelbase, mm	2 476
Curb weight, kg	1,040 kg (2,293 lb)	1,080 kg (2,381 lb)	1,100 kg (2,425 lb)
Gross weight, mm[ clarification required ]	1515	1555	1575
Maximum speed, km/h	178 km/h (111 mph)	188 km/h (117 mph)	192 km/h (119 mph) (manual) / 187 km/h (116 mph) (auto)

Safety

Granta was tested by ARCAP in 2012, receiving two stars out of four. The test car had a Takata airbag for the driver, but not for the passenger. The head injury criteria were 522 for the driver and 880 for the passenger.[9]

The Granta Lux earned three out of four stars and 10.5 out of 16 points in crash tests conducted in 2015 by ARCAP. B was 590 for the driver and 428 for the passenger, while chest cavity compression was measured as 28 mm and 25 mm respectively. The vehicle was tested with two airbags and seat belt pretensioners.[10]

Trim levels

Lada Granta (Lift back)
The car is equipped in three trim levels: Standard, Norm and Luxe. The Norm level includes power steering, front power windows, power door locks and a trip computer, while the Luxe adds passenger airbags, side airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, rear power windows, air conditioning, heated mirrors, heated front seats and multimedia system with 7-inch touch display.

Marketing

Lada Granta is sold in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Egypt. Within the European Union, it was available in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary,[11] France and Germany.[12]

Facelift

In 2022, the Lada Granta received a facelift that included changes to the headlights, grille and trunk, which now share design characteristics with the car. Lada Vesta and Lada Xray.[13]

Features of using the transmission

The engine is synchronized with a manual gearbox, due to which it accelerates to 100 km/h in 12 seconds. And if the power unit has 106 horsepower, the acceleration time to 100 is reduced to 10 seconds.

The maximum speed with such characteristics is at around 179 kilometers per hour. A five-speed manual transmission, also known as a “robot,” improves acceleration without affecting gas consumption or speed.

Specifications

Refinement of the sedan allowed the designers to take the technological components of the Grant to a new level.

Characteristics of Lada Granta Liftback:

Accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 10 seconds. The maximum travel speed is also at a high level and for the Lada Granta 8-valve engine it is 166 km/h.
Fuel consumption for a car under normal conditions is 6-7 liters per 100 kilometers.
On uneven road surfaces or in off-road conditions, it has excellent cross-country ability thanks to updated suspensions.
Enlarged luggage compartment (from 440 to 760 liters) with a convenient design that allows you to store things comfortably.

Advantages of the LADA Granta car

The advantages of the first generation Lada Granta include its affordable price and high ground clearance, which is important when operating the car on broken Russian roads. The cost of spare parts for the Grant is not too high, and its repair and maintenance is not particularly difficult. With powerful 16-valve engines, this car showed good dynamics, which significantly simplified its control in city conditions.

The car turned out to be quite economical, both in terms of fuel consumption and the car owner’s costs for servicing the car. This is an inexpensive, roomy and versatile sedan that was often used as a car for the whole family. This model was perfect for use in the Russian climate; it had a powerful stove that quickly heated the interior.