Daewoo Leganza is a mid-size business-class sedan from the famous South Korean car company Daewoo. Produced from 1997 to 2002. Separate batches were produced until 2008. The name comes from a combination of the Italian words elegante (elegant) and forza (power), thereby emphasizing the purpose of the car as a means of transportation for wealthy people.
Development
By the 1990s, Daewoo had not yet received worldwide recognition and mainly produced licensed models from foreign manufacturers. Product quality was not always characterized by high reliability, which negatively affected the development of the enterprise. In the middle of the decade, management made a strategic decision to gradually switch to the production of cars of their own design.
One of the authentic models was Daewoo Leganza, which was designed to replace business-class cars manufactured using General Motors technology. For the release of Leganza, a lot of work had to be done to attract large foreign and Korean contractors to the project. In particular, the German company ZF Friedrichshafen was involved in the manufacture of the gearbox, the engines were supplied by the Holden plant from Australia, the project manager was businessman Ulrich Helmut Bez, who until 2013 was CEO of Aston Martin.
As the design of the future vehicle, the project of the famous Italian studio Italdesign was chosen, developed by the famous specialist Giorgetto Giugiaro. Initially, the model was intended for the Jaguar car company, but was rejected. Giugiaro had to significantly revise the project, resulting in a somewhat controversial, but generally elegant car.
Specifications
Daewoo Leganza is a front-wheel drive car available only in a four-door sedan. The power unit is the D-TEC DOHC 16V engines from Holden:
- 2.0 L (1998 cm 3 ): 131 L from. (98 kW) at 5400 rpm, 185 Nm at 4600 rpm of torque. Used in models sold in Europe.
- 2.2 liters (2198 cm 3 ): 133 liters from. (99 kW) at 5200 rpm, 200 Nm at 2800 rpm of torque. It is mainly used in automobiles for the American and Australian markets.
Both engines were supplied with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic gearbox. The body length is 4.67 m, height - 1.43 m, width - 1.78 m.
Localization
In addition to South Korea, Daewoo Leganza was assembled in many European and Asian factories thanks to its wide distribution network. Particular attention was paid to emerging markets. Leganza was produced in Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, either in factories owned by Daewoo, or under license agreements.
In Russia, this model was manufactured at the facilities of the Taganrog Automobile Plant under the Doninvest Kondor brand. The car has gained popularity as an inexpensive executive sedan. However, by the beginning of the 2000s it was already outdated and did not offer many important options available at that time in new brands. Meanwhile, he was a noticeable competitor to passenger cars of the domestic auto industry, surpassing them in reliability and convenience.
Australian version
The green continent has become an important market for Daewoo Leganza. Initially, Australia supplied mainly modifications with a 2-liter 4-cylinder engine, equipped with a 5-speed “mechanics”. The salon had a quality fabric finish.
At that time, Daewoo cars were not yet distinguished by workmanship. Many problems were brought to the owners of cars equipped with a 4-speed hydraulic transmission. Gear shifting was carried out jerkily, sometimes the gears “slipped” to a lower one. The ride quality was unsatisfactory, as well as extraneous noise in the cabin.
In 1999, Daewoo made changes to the model. Hydraulics was replaced by an automatic transmission with electronic control, making incorrect gears a thing of the past. The engine was upgraded to 2.2 liters, which increased power from 98 to 99 kW (from 131 to 133 hp). This provided better performance, but increased fuel consumption.
The design has also changed a bit. In the photo of the new generation Daewoo Leganza, 15-inch alloy wheels are clearly visible, replacing the standard ones. Also, Leganza acquired an anti-theft alarm and a remote central lock. The chassis settings have been changed. In 2001, designers added leather upholstery, wood trim and an electronically adjustable driver's seat. The model is called Limited Edition.
Reviews
Daewoo Leganza has established itself as a worthy car for little money. The machine, formally being a representative of the business class, stood out among similar in cost, but lower in class models. Not surprisingly, the main buyers were residents of Asia and Eastern Europe.
According to reviews, the vehicle was a very reliable companion, ideal for families. Repair does not cause great difficulties due to the simplicity of the design, and spare parts are inexpensive. By today, the car is noticeably outdated; its production was finally stopped in 2002. He was replaced by Daewoo Magnus.