In 2008, the Taganrog Automobile Plant began production of the Tagaz Tager three-door SUV, a licensed copy of the Korean model. In 2009, a five-door version of the car, developed by the Korean engineering division of TagAZ, was put on the conveyor (Korando did not have a five-door version).

"Tagaz Tager" had a design traditional for utilitarian off-road vehicles: a frame, a continuous rear axle, a rigidly connected four-wheel drive with a reduction gear. Licensed "Mercedes" power units of Korean production were installed on the car.

The basic version of the SUV had a 2.3-liter petrol engine with a capacity of 150 hp under the hood. With. in combination with a manual transmission, and the drive could be rear or full. "Tagaz Tager" with a 3.2 inline six-cylinder engine (220 hp) had a four-stage "automatic" and four-wheel drive. And there were also two turbodiesels in the range: a four-cylinder with a volume of 2.6 liters (104 hp) and a five-cylinder with a volume of 2.9 liters (120 hp) - they were equipped with "mechanics" and an all-wheel drive transmission.

In 2009, prices for the rear-wheel drive Tagaz Tager 2.3 started at 470,000 rubles, the basic equipment of the car included a driver's airbag, ABS, air conditioning, power accessories, light-alloy wheels. The version with a six-cylinder petrol engine cost from 625,000 rubles.

The demand for "Tager" turned out to be very modest: for example, in 2009 2,462 copies of the model were sold. At the same time, many buyers complained about the low build quality, for example, gearboxes of some versions had to be returned to the factory in large quantities for repair.

TagAZ itself in those years experienced serious financial problems and gradually reduced production volumes, and finally the release of "Tagers" was completed in 2012.

The TagAZ Corporation is trying to regain its position in the market and maintain its existence, releasing just a few models. The company was actually on the verge of closure two years ago, but today Tagaz Tager is on the way to improvement and renewal. An SUV with small new features in the interior should win over a large number of buyers, gain some respect among Jeep enthusiasts, and sell in large enough quantities to save the business.

Of course, cars will not be bought in Russia simply out of patriotic aspirations, so the corporation is better off offering something worthwhile to the buyer in the guise of Tager. Otherwise, we will have to return to the idea of ​​closing the enterprise, which we would not want even for reasons of competition. This allows you to reduce prices for Russian cars, and also complements the range Russian jeeps , which is very nice to know when studying the lineup.

Appearance and body of an SUV in the 2015 model year

Let's face it, the car in the photo hasn't changed at all. No changes were noticed in either the 3-door or 5-door versions, but the manufacturer claims a slight restyling. On corporate photos and videos, the car looks quite relevant, worthy and expresses its readiness to conquer off-road conditions. But in fact, Tagaz Tager turns out to be a rather outdated car, which has a number of visual flaws:

• the visual price and relevance of the car are at a low level, but the SUV does not need elegance;
• the interior of the Tager is made somewhat carelessly, even if the materials are in perfect harmony with the tasks of the car;
• I don't really want to talk about the quality of all the little things, this is far from the strongest side of the model;
• there is very little modernity in a jeep called Tager, the car has not changed since the time of development at SsangYong;
• in the Tagaz company there is a very dubious assembly, which manifests itself on some copies of the car.

If you want to buy Tagaz Tager, it is better to start by taking the car for a long test drive. Judging by the reviews of the owners, not every motorist will feel good in this car. But the owners' reviews about Tager are just the opinions of other people. Create your own picture of this SUV and understand how interesting it is in your situation. Perhaps it is this model of the Russian car industry that will cover all the needs of using transport.

Specifications and test drive TagAZ Tager

We can talk about the technical characteristics of SUVs from Russia for a long time. Jeeps are quite old, have not been updated for decades and do not provide high quality and enjoyment of the ride. Owner reviews do not stop scolding Tagaz Tager, especially for its amazing set of trim levels. The base SUV engine is presented with two types of manual transmissions at once, and a test drive does not allow us to understand which one is better. The main technical characteristics of the current Tagaz are as follows:

• the Tager has a 2.3-liter petrol engine with an impressive 150 horsepower;
• there is also a 2.9-liter diesel power unit that produces 129 horsepower;
• another gasoline 3.2-liter unit with a capacity of 220 horsepower is also available;
• the last engine is a modern economical 104-horsepower diesel with a volume of 2.6 liters;
• an automatic machine in Tagaz Tager is present only in the most powerful version with a voluminous engine;
• all-wheel drive is presented in all trim levels, except for the base one; for the start Tagaz offered rear drive wheels.

Tiger with this technique looks very confident among competitors. Strong units, a huge selection, but a very incomprehensible gradation of offers - this is what you will have to face when buying a Tager. The technical characteristics are quite consistent with the price of the car, but many negative reviews from the owners force them to be extremely careful about the test drive process and getting to know the car in the cabin.

Options and prices

You can actually buy an SUV from official dealerships quite cheaply. The basic version of the car costs 520,000 rubles. But for the money, you won't get all-wheel drive, and the engine will be extremely poorly controlled by a very simple gearbox. Therefore, we can assume that a jeep is sold from 600,000. For a good unit with high power and a machine gun, you will have to pay 675,000 rubles, which is quite normal. Tiger has the following additions in the package:

• a good differential, a fairly effective all-wheel drive system of the car;
• Tager's fuel tank is 70 liters - gasoline or diesel will be enough for a long trip;
• the presence of ABS, effective disc brakes and adjustable belts increases safety;
• even the base has an airbag for the driver, and in other versions of the SUV - for the passenger;
• immobilizer, central locking, air conditioning, power windows - good basic options;
• height adjustment of the driver's seat and other conveniences begin to amaze upon study.

So many things at a reasonable price - this is an interesting offer. It should be noted that Tager is not a Chinese SUV, the Russian proposal has a tolerable quality. The company's offer also includes a 5-door off-road version of the car with a cost of 730,000 rubles. Photos and videos with this version are filled with some more frank trust of journalists. However, the short base of the regular Tagaz Tager is also good.

Summing up

Quite good and various technical characteristics, frankly good equipment and quite interesting cost - such advantages of Tagaz Tager can really change the features of promoting a car on the Russian market. But the success of transport is far from guaranteed. It is necessary that the reviews of the owners become more supportive of the car.

Going for a test drive with the thought of buying this car, you can find many advantages in Tagaz Tager, but remember also that the disadvantages in this car are present in full.

Who here we have nostalgic for the good old frame SUVs? Get: "Korean Wrangler" - SsangYong Korando KJ is being assembled at TagAZ. His name is now Tagaz Tager. As you may remember, I myself am still a retrograde.

I love, you know, to complain about the times that have sunk into oblivion, when all SUVs were equipped with iron bumpers and engines insensitive to fuel quality. Everything is so, but we easily forget that for this strength we had to pay, in particular, with handling on the road and fuel consumption under 20 liters per hundred. On the other hand, even within the near Moscow region there are a lot of such roads and gas stations that it becomes simply scary for other modern models of SUVs. Against this background, the second coming of Korando in the person of Tagaz Tager looks quite natural ...

COWBOYS FROM MARS

In 1996, the newborn SsangYong Korando made a strong impression - as, indeed, everything that the English designer Ken Greenlee did for Koreans. This car still looks unusual: it seems that it was built by aliens, inspired by the appearance of the Jeep CJ. A kind of Martian cowboy. Structurally, this car is a classic SUV of the mid-90s of the last century. Moreover, Tagaz Tager did not receive any changes, except for the nameplates - everything is identical to the original.

The main plus of the model is Mercedes-Benz engines and transmissions. The Germans once sold the license to the Koreans, and they still produce these units at home. By the way, one should not conclude from this that a screwdriver assembly has been established in Taganrog - not at all, there is a full-scale assembly production with welding and painting of bodies.

OLD. KIND?

The engine on the Tager is installed longitudinally. However, it is difficult to imagine a 3.2-liter inline "six" located differently. As a counterweight to this 300-Newton-meter mastodon, a respectable 4-speed "automatic" is docked. There is also a more modest version - with a 2.3-liter "four" and a manual transmission. In addition, a diesel engine is expected, but we drove the 3.2-liter version.

At the front, the Tagaz Tager has an independent torsion bar suspension on the wishbones at the rear - a continuous axle, springs and trailing arms. The transmission is part-time 4WD, that is, on dry asphalt you can only drive on a rear wheel drive. The front wheels are driven by electric vacuum couplings (by the way, this is a weak point in second-hand Korandos), which means that you do not need to leave the passenger compartment to switch to 4x4 mode. The crawler gear is also included using an electric machine. What else? Oh yes, all disc brakes, rack and pinion steering.

DO NOT DRIVE FAST

If you think you need a big motor to drive like a bullet, buy an old Mercedes or a new Tager and see otherwise. Well, yes, up to a hundred - in a little less than 11 seconds, not bad at all. You can walk both 130 and 140 along the highway, but the transmission settings are still "Mercedes" ones, which means they are conducive to a quiet ride. Look, I'm pushing the accelerator pedal all the way down. Along the way, the kick-down button hidden under it is pressed. Then a small power inscription lights up on the dashboard, the automatic transmission switches to a step down, then the engine should hum a little, and after that acceleration begins. Objectively - according to the stopwatch - everything happens pretty quickly. But this is a subjective feeling of thoughtfulness ... In a word, I don't want to drive the Tager. In addition, the chassis does not dispose to exploits on the asphalt. All these old-mode rolls in corners, longitudinal swing. Again, the brake pedal requiring some effort ... No, street racers definitely don't have to worry. Well, let them stand in queues for a Honda Civic or Mazda 3, and we will go where four-wheel drive, traction at the bottom and ground clearance are in the price. Because if a car doesn't run hot on the pavement, it must be good outside of it. Although it is better, of course, when both are available.

ONLY HAT TO HOLD

The front bumper hangs low. And at the very bottom - transparent fog beans. If not for this, it would be much more fun to jump on the country road - the suspension allows: it is soft, but energy-intensive, almost no breakdowns. Of course, on bumps, the Tager "goats", and passengers are better off holding onto something, but nevertheless it is really good for driving on uneven roads. As I already said, for another modern SUV in such a situation, the heart bleeds - it seems that after the next blow, the levers will rip out with a crunch, and the shock absorbers will leak out, and 17-inch disks will burst. And you ride the Tager quite calmly, practically without fears - what is it, foglights, after all, will not live anyway.

This car has very decent suspension travel, but I would not participate in it in a jeep trial - the lateral body rolls are too great. Well, yes, that's right - the center of gravity is high, the suspension is soft.

AND WHERE IS THE INCREASED FRICTION?

The transmission control knob is almost invisible - it hides against the driver's right knee. If you don't know, you won't find it right away. But here's the nice thing: both the front axle and the downshift are engaged immediately, without delay. If you are not in the know, most SUVs require an early transition to 4x4 and 4x4L modes - the car must walk a few meters for the transmission to load, so that the gears are synchronized and engaged ... This is not the case: turn the handle - and everything is OK. And this is a tangible plus. Another plus is expected a little later - now the Tager rear axle is not equipped with a limited slip differential, but it should appear soon. Without it, to be honest, kneading the mud is not very fun, because there are no traction control electronic systems on the Tager.

And one more point - good water resistance. I don’t know if this was intentionally designed, but this car easily walks across the headlights in the water, keeping the air filter dry and the engine running smoothly.

In general, Tager gets credit for working off-road (especially if you haven't forgotten about his ability on bumps already).

RIDDLES OF HISTORY

A topic that was difficult for me to get close to was the salon. He's quite old-fashioned. And even mysterious. For example, in front of the navigator there is an absolutely flat panel, as if they wanted to put another instrument panel there. True, there is an airbag hiding behind it, which cannot but rejoice. The seating position of the driver is vertical, correct, but with the growth of 186 cm I still lack the range of adjustments. The chairs are rich, leather, and they seem to even promise some kind of lateral support, but there is none - do not count on the Tager to receive you as tightly and neatly as some "German". To buckle up with a belt, you have to stretch back quite far behind it. No, everything is clear - the belt is attached to the rack, and it is carried back to make the doorway wider. But all the same - sloppy ...

MATCH: TAGAZ TAGER

COFFEE ON THE SOFA

It seems that the designers thought more about the rear passengers. So it is comfortable to crawl to the sofa, and to sit spaciously. One thing is unclear: why is a belt reel suspended in the trunk under the ceiling for the third, central rider, if only two fit on the couch? The trunk, by the way, is somewhat larger than I expected to see. But this is not the main, fattest raisin. It turned out that the salon in the Tager folds out entirely, giving two full berths. Moreover, the back of the rear sofa is adjustable, so you can drink your morning coffee in the car, reclining. Romance! (Or is it called something else? Well, it doesn't matter.) If I were a young bachelor, I would think about buying.

Finally, I must emphasize that with all its pros and cons, Tagaz Tager is a unique offer in a sense. Firstly, except for it, the three-door body is available only in the Suzuki Jimny and Jeep Wrangler, but both are from completely different operas. Secondly, with a 2.3 engine and a Tager manual transmission it costs 629,900 rubles. In the class of universal off-road vehicles (SUV), only the "Chinese" and the Niva are cheaper.

Well, for the Tager in the configuration we tested, the 3.2 automatic transmission is already asking for 769,900 rubles. By the way, the Taganrozh Hyundai Santa Fe Classic with a 2-liter diesel engine and automatic transmission costs the same. It is more spacious, behaves much better on asphalt and is no worse off-road, but on bad roads it will probably live less ...

In 2008, at the Taganrog plant, the TagAZ Tager compact SUV was put on the conveyor - a licensed copy of the popular SsangYong Korando model, the production of which lasted 13 years and ceased in 2006.

The Tager was one of the company's more successful commercial models. There were practically no changes in it compared to the base version.

Therefore, for a very small amount, the buyer received reliable, passable and easy-to-maintain jeep... And besides, it is equipped with high-torque and efficient Mercedes-Benz engines, which are manufactured by SsangYong under license.

The release lasted until 2012... In 2014, the plant was declared bankrupt, despite attempts by the owner to breathe new life into it.

The success of the TagAZ Tager is entirely due to the compact Korando, created under the leadership of Ken Grisley. This car has a simple but effective formula for success - brutal appearance, good engines, uncomplicated design and amazing cross-country ability.

The model is based on classic spar frame... The suspension architecture is as follows: an independent torsion bar with wishbones is installed in front, and a continuous axle with trailing arms and additional springs at the rear.

A body is installed on the frame, which has rather small geometric overhangs. With a wheelbase of 2480 mm, the body length is 4330 mm in the 3-door and 4512 mm in the 5-door version. The width and height are almost identical - 1841 and 1840 mm, respectively.

Exterior of the new model

The car was produced with three and five doors, but the dimensions are not too different, and there are no differences in design at all.
The narrow front end with powerful wing niches and a small grille is framed by two round headlights. A massive plastic bumper is installed under them, giving the jeep an aggressive and brutal look.

The side edges of the body with imposing wheel arches with 16-inch wheels are finished with plastic linings and at the bottom end with metal sills that facilitate getting into the car.

The feed descends at almost right angles. The luggage compartment door is equipped with a spare wheel holder - it is installed in a special plastic casing.

Salon

Tager's interior comes from the 1990s - it can be seen immediately and irrevocably. The usual dashboard with massive white dials, hard plastic and simple seats with a claim to lateral support.

However, he cannot be called completely dull. The plastic, although hard, is not bad, and the center console is painted in silver and creates a pleasant accent to the overall dark background.

The back sofa is designed for two passengers - the third one will be really uncomfortable there because of the narrow interior and the fact that the sofa just rests against the arches. By the way, its peculiarity is that it folds, and in 2 positions - forward and backward. In the second case, you get a full double bed.

In normal state trunk volume is 350 liters, but with the rear seats folded, it rises to 1200 liters.

For its time, especially at the beginning of the release, the equipment of TagAZ was very good... By default, ABS, a driver's airbag, air conditioning and electric windows and rear-view mirrors were installed. If necessary, an additional cushion for the front passenger, leather seat upholstery and electric heated front seats were installed.

Specifications

Tager is equipped with licensed Mercedes engines, which are deservedly popular due to their reliability:

• petrol 4-ka with a volume of 2.3 liters, developing a power of 150 liters. With. and a moment of 210 Nm;
• turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel engine 2.6 l 104 hp s. / 215 Nm;
• 5-cyl. turbodiesel 2.9 l, (129 hp, 256 Nm);
• inline gasoline atmospheric six with a volume of 3.2 liters, 220 liters. With. and 307 Nm.

The first three motors are offered with a 5-speed manual transmission. There is also a 4-st. automatic - it is paired with a 2.3 liter gasoline engine, and is available as an option for 2.9 liter units.

The maximum speed of the car on a diesel engine is about 150 km / h, on a gasoline engine 3.2 l - 170 km / h. At the same time, acceleration to hundreds is equal to 16 seconds for the first and 10.9 seconds. at the second.

Fuel consumption combined cycle is from 10 to 16 liters per 100 km, depending on the motor.

Passability

The car is offered in a rear-wheel drive version or with an all-wheel drive. Itself transmission is implemented as part-time 4WD. On a normal road, he drives on the rear traction, but on the off-road, using a special button that activates the electric vacuum clutches, the front drive axle is connected.

The peculiarity of 4WD is that it works immediately, you do not need to drive several meters, as in other jeeps. The rear axle in later models is fitted with a limited slip differential for improved off-road performance.

Price

You can buy TagAZ Tager in Russia only with mileage in the secondary market at a price from 250 to 500 thousand rubles... The cost depends on the year of manufacture, engine, transmission and body option.

The TagAZ Tager SUV, which is a "licensed copy" of the South Korean model SsangYong Korando, which was produced from 1993 to 2006, entered mass production in January 2008 at the Taganrog Automobile Plant, and, unlike the "source", in body solutions with three and five doors. On the conveyor belt of a Russian company, the car lasted until 2014, after which it “retired”.

With its appearance, TagAZ Tager evokes mixed emotions - it looks very unusual and not entirely proportional against the background of modern SUVs, but external aggression as a "former military" he does not hold.

The most controversial in the car is the front end with narrow-set headlights and a small radiator grill, but from other angles its outlines are more understandable, albeit angular.

The body palette TagAZ Tager combines three- and five-door options. The overall length of the SUV is 4330-4512 mm, width - 1841 mm, height - 1840 mm. It has a wheelbase of 2480 or 2630 mm, depending on the version, and the ground clearance is 195 mm.

The interior of "Tager" by design stands out from the canons of modern fashion, but has a simple arrangement of the main controls and good finishing materials. The instruments of the car are uninformative, but well-readable, the four-spoke steering wheel is of the optimal size, and the center console is archaic in appearance and functional in practice.

Despite the sufficient supply of free space, it is difficult to call the TagAZ Tager salon comfortable. The front seats have indistinct lateral support and a minimum number of adjustments, although the rear sofa is shaped very well (in the short-wheelbase version it can accommodate two passengers, and in the five-door version it can accommodate three).

The cargo compartment of the SUV is small - its volume in the "stowed" state does not exceed 350 liters. The second row of seats converts and increases the capacity to 1200 liters, while forming a flat area. The spare wheel is suspended from the tailgate to save space.

Specifications. On the Russian expanses, the all-wheel drive "Tager" meets with two gasoline and two diesel engines. The most powerful version works in conjunction with a 4-range "automatic", and the rest - with a 5-speed "mechanics".

• The initial gasoline unit is a 2.3-liter inline-four with multipoint injection and 16-valve timing, which generates 150 "horses" at 6200 rpm and 210 Nm of torque at 2800 rpm. From standstill to 100 km / h, such an SUV accelerates after 12.5 seconds, gains 165 km / h of maximum speed and consumes an average of 13.2 liters of fuel in the combined cycle.
• The petrol "team" is headed by a 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine with a 24-valve timing and distributed injection, producing 220 "heads" at 6500 rpm and 307 Nm of peak thrust at 4700 rpm. On the move, TagAZ Tager 3.2 is not bad: it takes 10.9 seconds to conquer the first "hundred", the maximum capabilities are 170 km / h, and the "appetite" fits into 15.9 liters in the "city / highway" mode.
• Diesel modifications are equipped with turbocharged four-cylinder engines of 2.6 and 2.9 liters with row-based "pots" and a distributed power system:
  • the output of the "younger" installation is 104 horsepower at 3800 rpm and 216 Nm at 2200 rpm,
  • and the "senior" - 120 "mares" at 4000 rpm and 256 Nm at 2400 rpm.

  Cars on "diesel fuel" change 100 km / h after 16 seconds and conquer 180 km / h, using an average of 8.7 liters of fuel in combined conditions.

Structurally, "Tager" is a real off-road vehicle - a spar frame based on an independent torsion bar suspension on the front axle and a dependent rear axle suspended on coil springs.
The car "flaunts" hydraulic power steering and disc brakes "in a circle" (ventilated at the front) with ABS.
Almost all modifications are equipped with a Part-time transmission with a rigidly connected front end and a razdatka with a lowering row, and the most powerful is equipped with a permanent drive of all wheels with a cross-axle limited slip differential.

Options and prices. In 2016, TagAZ Tager can only be purchased on the secondary market - prices for it start at 220 thousand rubles and exceed 700 thousand.
The simplest SUV includes: one airbag, a fabric interior, air conditioning, power steering, power windows, 16-inch alloy wheels, standard audio preparation and heated and electrically adjustable exterior mirrors.
The flagship version has: two airbags, leather trim, fog lights, rain sensor and some other options.