AvtoVAZ representatives met the news of a jammed steering wheel with unexpected calm, which surprised journalists considerably. The incident occurred on the factory test track, where the press was invited for the first test drive of the new model.
During the "slalom" exercise, a Russian journalist encountered an unexpected problem. During the maneuver, the electric power steering suddenly stopped working, the "EPS" indicator lit up on the dashboard, and the steering wheel completely lost mobility. Control was only restored after stopping the engine and restarting it.
Factory engineers explained that when the steering wheel is turned to the limit at full throttle, the mechanism can indeed jam in extreme positions. VAZ knew about this defect after factory tests.
Specialists believe that an ordinary driver is unlikely to encounter the problem: it requires sharply turning the steering wheel to the stop with the throttle fully open, which is only possible for experienced pilots. Moreover, at speeds above 60 km/h, the electric power steering is automatically disabled anyway, so VAZ does not see a serious threat in this flaw.
It is worth noting that Russian colleagues were disappointed with the updated "Kalina". They expected more from AvtoVAZ, especially after the arrival of stylist Steve Mattin, who previously worked at Volvo and Mercedes. However, his contribution to the "Kalina 2" was limited to a chrome trim under the logo at the front.
Overall, journalists concluded that the new model is not the next generation, but a deep modernization of the previous model, retaining old flaws and adding new ones.
