VAZ Lada Kalina I (ВАЗ-1118) photos

The first-generation Lada Kalina was developed throughout the late 1990s and entered serial assembly in late 2004. Built on an in-house front-wheel-drive platform, it featured an entirely new body structure characterized by rounded bio-design contours. The range encompassed the four-door sedan (VAZ-1118), five-door hatchback (VAZ-1119), and five-door station wagon (VAZ-1117), alongside a performance-oriented Kalina Sport variant with upgraded suspension and all-around disc brakes. Under the hood, Kalina offered 1.6-liter 8-valve (VAZ-11183) as well as 1.4-liter (VAZ-11194) and 1.6-liter (VAZ-21126) 16-valve petrol engines paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox, which later gained cable actuation. Factory equipment featured electric power steering, onboard computers, air conditioning, and Bosch ABS in higher trims. The first generation was marketed in Russia, across CIS countries, and exported to Western Europe under names like Lada 1118 and 1119. Production of the sedan concluded in 2011 to make room for Granta, while other body styles continued until 2013.