Where does tuning begin?
Before upgrading your car, you should make a clear plan. After drawing it up, you need to start planning your budget. Without clear planning, car tuning may stall halfway, or the cost bill may increase significantly.
It is also worth saying that there are several types of tuning. Without going into details, these types are:
- cosmetic or stylistic tuning,
- constructive tuning.
Stylistic tuning can include any change in the appearance of a car. Whether it's painting wheels or installing new bumpers, almost all manipulations with the exterior will be considered cosmetic tuning.
Constructive modernization of a car implies direct intervention in the design of the vehicle. For example, pumping the power unit or improving the chassis.
It’s also worth saying that cosmetic tuning can be done yourself. It is better to entrust constructive modernization to professionals. Any operations that interfere with the structure of the car must be carried out with special attention.
Exterior modernization Grants FL
Most tuning experts recommend starting improvements with the appearance of the car. Although the new Granta in 1818 underwent some face lifting, there are still a lot of places in the exterior that require improvement.
It is worth saying that the front part of the new Grant is made quite well. The X-shaped style looks amazing.
Minimal improvements
First of all, Granta owners advise installing a mesh on the radiator grille. This mesh is designed to protect the radiator of the car’s cooling system from any road surprises. For example, small stones or insects.
It is imperative to carry out anti-corrosion work. Unless, of course, they are made. Anti-corrosion coatings are designed to protect the vehicle body from irritating rust. Thanks to the anticorrosive treatment, the car will delight its owner for many years to come.
It is worth noting that to carry out anti-corrosion work, you should contact a service station. At an official dealer, this service costs several times more.
Some areas of the car also need to be covered with a special protective film. This film will protect the car from sandblasting, chips and scratches, which increase the risk of corrosion.
Exterior styling
To improve the appearance of the car, you can also install new bumpers. Fortunately, such parts are a dime a dozen on the market. It will not be difficult to choose the details to your taste. With modified bumpers, the Lada Granta is significantly transformed. For example, like the car shown in the photo.
To further decorate the exterior, you can add car door moldings. True, on some trim levels the moldings are installed initially. Door moldings are not only visually attractive, but also practical. Quite often a situation occurs when a neighbor opens the doors too wide in a parking lot. Installed moldings prevent any minor mechanical damage.
In addition to new bumpers and body kits, you can add spoilers and decorative covers for headlights, side mirrors, and handles to the car’s exterior. These decorative elements will make the vehicle attractive and recognizable.
Regarding the car's lighting technology, it is still better to install more advanced optics. The original lighting technology is certainly good, but LED optics are still better. In addition, more advanced optics will make travel safer.
Interior equipment
The modern model of the domestic automobile industry is equipped with the latest technology, which allows it to withstand fierce market competition. The car went through 5 years of development and design, where the designers tried to arrange all the elements and parts in an extremely convenient and practical way. We'll see what came out of this next.
Looking at the interior of the vehicle objectively, all the elements are in their place and the quality of workmanship is at a decent level. A detailed examination reveals uneven surfaces, protruding screws and fasteners. You can also notice the absence of plastic in the necessary places, replaced by rubberized metal. The smell stands out separately. The aroma of polymers does not dissipate within 3-4 months after purchase.
On the other hand, if necessary, shortcomings can be found everywhere. If we compare foreign cars of the low price segment and the Lada Granta station wagon, the cross salon will be approximately identical. For the sake of the price tag, the manufacturer sacrifices trim elements and minor details.
The seats are covered with synthetic leather - dermontin of decent quality, does not break, is quite soft and elastic. The driver's element has two adjustments - vertical and horizontal. A wide range allows you to customize the position of the seat for car enthusiasts of various sizes.
Door cards and armrest are plastic. Trying to reduce the budget as much as possible, decorative elements. The car's ceiling lining is also simply executed - laconically and without unnecessary details.
Driver's seat
The part of the cabin intended for the driver and front passenger is extremely functional. The driver's workspace is organized concisely and accessible. The metal base of the steering wheel is covered with a rubberized compound that prevents sweaty hands from slipping. At the same time, for the sake of cost, we had to sacrifice functionality - there are no controls on the steering wheel.
The dashboard is made of fairly high-quality plastic, pleasant to the touch. The polymer has sufficient elasticity and rigidity. Users are pleased with the absence of squeaks when driving, characteristic of VAZ cars.
The car controls are located in convenient places. The central part of the console is equipped with a paired heater air duct and organizer keys. Two cup holders are conveniently located near the gear lever. Also on the top wall of the torpedo there is a hidden box for a smartphone or navigator.
The shelf is often used by drivers to store change and all kinds of small things. Actually, the pocket is small, but useful.
As for those who like to drive with their hand on the gearshift lever, the gearbox handle is a standard head with a decorative coating of leather and polished plastic. The lever itself is of optimal length, located at a sufficient distance from the driver’s seat. Factors provide sufficient comfort and no need for an armrest (in some cases).
On the driver's door, the manufacturer installed a full set of buttons responsible for the electrical accessories - from here you can control the position of the windows and locks of all doors.
It is impossible to find fault directly with the quality of the devices - the plastic is quite hard, there are no roughnesses. The functionality of the panel causes complaints.
There is only a speedometer and tachometer. There is also a set of lights that indicate problems with the machine's design. The downside is the absence of any icons displaying the temperature of the power plant, which can provoke unpredictable failure and overheating. The driver cannot monitor the heating of the antifreeze, therefore, he will miss the moment of thermostat failure. The consequences are known to everyone.
There are no possible adjusters on the front passenger side. There is a glove box opening lever and a window lift button.
Regarding the glove compartment itself, there are two spacious shelves. The niches can fully accommodate a magazine, a folder with papers and a two-liter bottle of mineral water.
The front mats in the interior of the Lada Granta Cross, the manufacturer installed rubber ones. A budget solution has more advantages than disadvantages.
- Increased wear resistance. Rubber perfectly resists abrasion, which is typical for pile coverings. This is especially true in the Russian climate, where there are snowy winters and there are no clean roads.
- They do not retain moisture. Carpets are made in the form of a tray or bucket, which allows them to prevent water from flowing onto the sound insulation.
The only important disadvantage is the mediocre appearance.
Rear passenger area
The interior of the Lada Granta Cross 2022 is no different from the 2020 version. Rear passengers are given enough space for comfortable movement. The elastic sofa fully supports your back, which makes long journeys easier.
Separately, the abundance of usable space should be highlighted. With the front seats fully reclined, there is plenty of rear legroom for passengers.
There are only two full seats at the stern, but the wide insert compensates for the shortcoming.
If necessary, the backrests can be folded down - this increases the loading space of the luggage compartment by almost 2 times. The technical solution comes in handy when transporting large cargo.
In general, the interior photos of the Lada Granta Cross 2022 do not show the full scale of the space. To fully understand the dimensions and free space, you will need to get into the car.
Possibility of complete rest
On the Lada Granta cross, overnight stays in the cabin are also possible, as in other cars of this class. The front seats fully recline to allow a person to sit in a reclining position. There's plenty of room in the back for shorter passengers.
In general, spending the night in a car in practice is only possible in the warm season - the thermal insulation of the cabin allows you to stay inside for a long time only with the heating running, which is impossible while sleeping - this violates safety regulations.
If necessary, you can sit comfortably here with a blanket and a small pillow for relaxation. Modern seats with headrests do not allow the backrest to be placed flush with the rear sofa, but the panel reclines 75 degrees. You won’t be able to get a full night’s sleep in a half-bent position, but it is possible to regain strength in times of emergency.
Noise insulation
Photos of the interior of the Lada Granta Cross cannot convey the quality and quantity of the soundproofing layer. The factory noise of VAZ cars often lets users down, which causes some irritation. A large amount of extraneous noise getting inside the cabin interferes and forces you to communicate with passengers in a raised voice, which is simply inconvenient.
On the Lada Grant the noise level has been significantly increased. From the passengers' seats, the roar of the engine and external street noise are almost inaudible. There are thick floors, protection for the doors and ceiling of the car. Separately, we should highlight the presence of felt fender liners, which significantly reduce the level of vibration and sound.
Capricious users may complain about the lack of properties, but in comparison with the manufacturer’s older models, significant changes have occurred.
Luggage compartment
The equipment in the cargo compartment is standard. The dark gray lining, typical of Odnoklassniki, is made of durable material. When transporting angular loads, the coating is difficult to damage. The disadvantage of the fabric is the standard problems with resistance to rubbing. There are also difficulties with cleaning - only dry washing is recommended for cleaning.
The trunk capacity of 355 liters is enough to load bags for the whole family, based on a week's vacation. When transporting the dimensions, you can dismantle the rear parcel shelf and fold down the backrests of the rear sofa. The result is a spacious niche with a capacity of 670 liters.
Some users will appreciate the lack of cluttering ledges or uneven floors. A powerful acoustic system is stably placed here, without losing useful body space.
Interior improvement
Having finished modernizing the exterior, you can move on to remodeling the interior. The interior of the Lada Granta is certainly good, but it can be significantly improved. For example, replace the seats, improve sound insulation, install a new dashboard and multimedia system.
You can start with the seats. The standard seats, which are not very comfortable, should be replaced. Standard seats are uncomfortable because they have virtually no lateral support. Although the manufacturer claims that the car has seats with pronounced support, in fact there is practically none. In any case, when driving, lateral support is not felt at all. Therefore, you can safely replace the standard seats with more comfortable chairs.
To improve the interior, you should also pay attention to sound insulation. It should be said that in the new Grant, manufacturers have slightly improved noise reduction, but this is still not enough. Annoying third-party noises still penetrate into the cabin, thereby irritating the driver.
Depending on available funds, partial or complete sound insulation can be carried out. This procedure will significantly increase comfort in the car, thereby delivering greater pleasure from travel.
In addition, car sound insulation not only eliminates extraneous noise, but also:
- Optimizes the microclimate of the vehicle. The car warms up faster and cools down slower.
- Creates additional anticorrosive.
- Improves acoustics.
Improving the aesthetics of the Lada Granta interior
Foreign cars drive owners of domestic cars crazy with their excellent interior design, the presence of multiple bright details, sparkling devices. For this reason, it is not at all surprising that the decision to tuning the interior is made quite quickly. Of course, you will have to stock up not only with patience, but also collect some financial sum to purchase consumables. Feel free to take such actions, do not regret the money spent, because the result will definitely please you.
Driving an original and bright car with an updated interior is doubly pleasant, and words of admiration addressed to your vehicle will also be like a balm for the soul.
Decorating the interior elements of the cabin
If you have a Lada Granta at your disposal, it is best to start tuning the interior by changing some of the internal devices of the car. In particular, you can change the main element with which the vehicle is controlled.
Some owners decide to install a sports steering wheel, accompanied by a smaller diameter. However, such actions are not welcomed by all car owners; sometimes it is simply difficult to control a small steering wheel, so we recommend that you use an alternative method of decorating the steering wheel.
The steering wheel can be covered in leather to enhance its appeal. However, it is important to understand that the process of covering with leather is not entirely easy. This definitely requires certain practical skills.
Some car owners recommend using a simpler method, which involves using ready-made kits for steering wheel trim. It is very easy to install, sewn up with threads, and, if necessary, just as easily removed. It is only important to choose a cover for the steering wheel taking into account the overall design of the Lada Granta interior with a liftback body. Tuning the interior of your car can also be aimed at improving the aesthetic characteristics of the armrest.
You can find a wide variety of armrests in car markets. At first glance, it may seem to you that there will be no problems with their selection and subsequent installation. Unfortunately, this is not the case, the market is replete with various offers, but mostly these are all Chinese products, which not only over time, but almost instantly can provoke your dissatisfaction.
Chip tuning
For some car enthusiasts, just the styling upgrades may be enough. However, only for the first time. In the future, you will probably want to get even more power from your car. Engine chip tuning can help with this.
In short, engine chip tuning is the reprogramming of the ECU in order to increase power. This procedure not only increases engine power, but also reduces fuel consumption.
Unfortunately, chip tuning also has some disadvantages. Negative points include:
- Almost 100% chance of removing the car from warranty. It is unlikely that the manufacturer will want to undertake repairs to the car in the event of a breakdown.
- Maintenance. You will have to service your car more often.
Grant without guarantees - when will cars from Tolyatti stop being so different?
Kalina Cross, whom we have known for a long time, has changed her facial expression and name - now she is Granta Cross. And I have two news for you on this matter: good and... However, the second is not news at all.
Let's start with the good one. Of the entire optimized grant family, I like the ex-Kalinas more than, in fact, the Grants. And Cross's version is probably my favorite. Yes, I still think that the Vesta-style front end looks comical, visually unbalancing the car. Yes, I regret that the plant decided to save money on cool Kalinovsky headlights with separate lamps for high and low beams and install simple optics with a single light source. Last time I indicated that this is an H4 standard lamp - and I was wrong: now it is called H19. Essentially the same H4, but with a 20% increased luminous flux. Subjectively, I didn’t notice this: the lighting became much worse than Kalina’s. But I know for sure that the H19 lamp is not easy to find on the open market, even in Moscow. Not to mention Adygea, where this test took place.
True, the need for invention is tricky: instead of H19, you can adapt an H4 lamp - you just need to bend a couple of antennae on the base. But technically this is an unauthorized modification to the design, so shhh, I didn't tell you about that.
By the way, Adygea has a lot of interesting roads and beautiful views, and the walk along the Guam Gorge really impressed me. But in order to drive on these roads acceptable, you need a cross-suspension: without normal energy consumption, entry into Adygea is prohibited. Behind the bend, a step ten centimeters high or a springboard depression may await you. The heat and timber trucks are to blame: high-quality mountain forests are being rapidly cut down, although locals say that the situation has now become better and the number of illegal plots has decreased.
The cross does not travel on these roads - it flies. Is it really possible that this impending ravine will not cause either a breakdown or an impact? Indeed! And at the same time, the Granta Cross does not have excess rigidity on small sharp bumps, which so tired me while driving a regular sedan and liftback. And again I was pleased with the noise insulation: Granta Cross is quieter than most foreign cars of class B+.
Even on rough roads, ex-Kalinas were pleased with the silence of the interior panels and suspension operation
In addition, Kalina is Kalina, even if it is now a Granta: as was the case in all previous years, it is more pleasant for the driver. Less laziness when entering corners, more connection to the steering wheel and the mood to drive. It is clear that the Cross can hardly be called a car for enthusiasts, but the depressing despondency with which the two Grants in the Zhiguli Mountains imbued me is not even close. Or is the whole point that I was unlucky with a copy then, but now I got a lucky one?
Familiar Kalinovsky interior
Alas, friends, the second news is that the four Crosses I tested were significantly different from each other. However, for VAZ vehicles this, unfortunately, is the norm. The seats are all different - somewhere harder, somewhere softer, somewhere the back is concave, somewhere convex. And if you can still check the seat at the stage of buying a car, then what to do with the suspension and electric power steering? Just believe in luck. The Kaluga company Autoelectronics would be better suited to produce encryption equipment - its amplifiers are so good at misrepresenting the reactive action. I came across one cool car - by Tolyatti standards, of course. Equal effort in both directions, no information content, no shocks on the steering wheel. But on the other Grant Cross the steering wheel was spinning viscously to the right (to the left is normal), the third was throwing pokes at it... Somewhere the tight and long-travel brake pedal was upsetting, especially in contrast to the soft and precise one. There is less variation in the suspensions, and in general I rather liked all the Crosses for their smooth ride. However, it’s still a shame to get a more rolly car when another one holds the body in corners and is not at all stiffer. In this case, the numbers on all parts match until the last line of the barcode.
The updated devices surprised us with constant glare from the sun - in summer they are almost unreadable
How AvtoVAZ lacks strict selection of components and careful work with suppliers! The VAZ workers themselves counter – they say, this is exactly what they are doing now. They say that the tolerances themselves are small, but when the details of opposite extremes coincide, the results are not very good.
If you are going to buy Grant, try the version with the AMT “robot”: it’s good now. The lever does not have a separate parking position, so you need to either turn off the engine in gear or apply the handbrake in neutral
But they can, as happened with the “robot” AMT. With the firmware updated last summer, it works logically and clearly. A soft start from a standstill immediately after releasing the brake, and unlike Vesta, there are no vibrations. Shifts are fast, and downward also with over-throttle, so you won’t nod your head. And the best part is that even in extreme heat in the thirties and aggressive driving on mountain roads, the gearbox never malfunctioned.
There is an acceptable amount of space in the back for people of average height, while tall people will ask those sitting in front to make room.
For comparison, I drove a Cross with a manual transmission and the same sixteen-valve engine 21129 with a power of 106 hp. And I didn’t understand why I needed to constantly depress the clutch pedal and move the lever. In the mountains, the engine is frankly sluggish, every now and then you need to turn it down... So let the “robot” do it! The only pity is that, unlike Vesta, there is no Auto Hold function here, when after releasing the brake pedal on a slope, the car continues to stand for a second or two so that you have time to put your foot on the gas. In such cases, it is safer to hold the grant with the handbrake.
According to our measurements, there are only 434 real liters in the trunk of the station wagon versus 533 for the liftback and almost 600 for the sedan. There is a 14-inch rolling wheel under the floor, there is an opening button on the lid
And they don’t yet offer a stabilization system for the Cross - the car itself, of course, is not “arrogant,” but the buyer still needs to be given a choice. Three trim levels are now available: the Classic version with the well-deserved 1.6 eight-valve engine with 87 hp. costs 554,900 rubles, the optimal Comfort with a “robot” and a more powerful engine is 618 thousand, and the most expensive Cross is priced at 644 thousand. Let me remind you that now all VAZ engines have counterbores on the pistons, which save the engine if the timing belt breaks.
Compared to a regular station wagon, you need to pay about thirty thousand rubles for an additional 23 mm of ground clearance, a nice body kit and wheels. Quite a lot - considering that the Granta station wagon without the Cross prefix has quite a respectable 175 mm of ground clearance and a fairly energy-intensive suspension. And if you remember the prices of 2015, when Kalina Cross first appeared, then... It’s better, of course, not to remember: then it could be bought for 409 thousand rubles.
There haven't been prices like this for a long time. But there are no guarantees that for your money you will get a “successful” Granta Cross with a very good level of consumer qualities inherent in it. And by God, it’s time to do something about this.
Eventually
In conclusion, we can say that tuning is a creative and interesting process. Depending on your budget and imagination, you can create a car that passersby will turn around and admire.
It is important to remember that in order to avoid any problems in the future, it is better to entrust car tuning to trusted specialists. Not only will professionals install the necessary upgrades, but they will also inspect the vehicle.
