I would like to start the article with the main thing: in itself it is a considerable achievement of the domestic auto industry. Of course, there will be critics who will tell you what is wrong with the Taganrog offspring, and they will be right in many respects. However, the very fact of the appearance of the first serial "sports car", and even not produced by VAZ, you see, is worthy of respect. First, don't be afraid. Secondly, the declared image of the “sports car” Tagaz Akwell, in spite of everything, supports with dignity. And finally, today there is no doubt that, given the first experience gained, the residents of Taganrog will be able to make the next generation TagAZ Aquila much more attractive, and possibly closer to the proud name of a sports car without quotes.
Recall that engineers have been working on the creation of TagAZ Aquila for more than two years. The car went on sale only in 2013. Today we will consider what exactly is a domestic "sports car", its technical characteristics, cost. In general, we will try to lift the veil of secrecy that hides the most anticipated novelty of the domestic auto industry in 2013-2014.
First of all, we recall that the car we are considering cannot be called a full-fledged sports car. This name (exclusively in quotation marks) is used only due to the external similarity with the representatives of this family, and the style of interior design. According to official classifiers, the “eagle” (namely, the name “Aquila” is translated as such) belongs to the class of budget sedans. This fully confirms not only the dimensions of the car, but also its design features.
The car has excellent stability on the road, this is facilitated by the dimensions of the wheelbase, as well as a wide track.
- So, the length of TagAZ Akwell is 4683 mm; width - 1824 mm; height - 1388mm. The mentioned wheelbase is 2750mm; front and rear wheel tracks - 1560 mm and 1551 mm, respectively.
- Gross car weight - 1410 kg. The official factory statistics regarding the clearance of the car are still silent, but we learned that it is equal to 145 mm.
As for the appearance of the car, the people from Taganrog did an excellent job. Such an assessment is simply explained TagAZ Aquila is not even close to being a copy of any super car, its outlines are sporty and very original. Note that the factory workers are in no hurry to make public the Aquilla's aerodynamic coefficient, while arguing that it fully corresponds to the same parameters for sports cars.
There are, of course, the external design of Aquila and disadvantages. Chief among them is the significant gap formed when the rear doors are closed. Unfortunately, the quality of the joining of these elements leaves much to be desired. Although, the problem is quite easily fixed, it is only necessary for engineers to pay due attention. Among the minor "troubles" can be called too high a license plate of a car; it is located almost under the hood, despite the presence of a much more convenient attachment point under the air intake.
The interior of the car looks decent enough, especially if you remember that price auto 400 thousand rubles. There are also some sporty notes, everything from the unsightly steering wheel and panel to the door trim is very modest, but neat, and, in general, quite good. The internal space of the TagAZ Aquila was created with priority on the front seats (as it should be for a sports car), which is why only not very tall and large passengers can comfortably fit in the back.
The anatomical front seats have integrated head restraints, while the side bolsters provide proper back and hip support while driving at high speeds. The instrument panel is simple, but clear, everything is in its place, the instrument indicators are visible perfectly. The engineers installed the gear knob too close to the console, you have to reach for it.
The steering wheel, as we have already said, is primitive, there is no trace of tides for the thumbs so necessary for a racing car. At the same time, it is set too high, and the chair is too low. In other words, the ergonomic performance of the Aquila requires a lot of improvement in order to at least conditionally reach the level of a sports car.
Landing on the rear seats is complicated by the specific shape of the opening. It also does not contribute to comfortable placement and the too low shape of the roof of the car. The truth for the legs is more than enough confirmation of this is an impressive wheelbase. TagAZ Aquila received a rather modest 392 hp. trunk, while the loading space is somewhat rounded, which will create problems in case of loading bulky cargo. But is this the main problem for a sports car?
Specifications
The technical characteristics of the domestic "supercar" are quite modest: for example, today the TagAZ Aquila has only a front-wheel drive, and has a single instance of a gasoline engine, but what a one! After lengthy deliberation, the people of Taganrog settled on the Mitsubishi engine. So, a 4-cylinder Japanese 4G18S engine has: 16-valve timing; 1.6 l. volume (1584 cm3); injector, and aggregated with 5 mortars. manual transmission. Its declared power is 107hp. at 6000 rpm. The greatest cool. torque - 138Nm, achieved at 3000rpm. The engine does not meet the highest Euro-4 standards. Despite more than modest (compared to sports cars) performance, this engine is enough to make the Aquilla feel confident in its segment. The maximum speed of the Taganrog offspring is about 185 km / h, with an acceleration time to "weave" - 12 seconds. Verified data on fuel consumption could not be obtained.
Of course, the residents of Taganrog have some plans for a further increase in the range of engines for Aquila - soon the novelty should receive 125hp units. and 150hp The latter will most likely be a 2.0L turbocharged. 150hp the engine will be installed on the 2-door version of the Aquila, which, in addition to the manual transmission, will also receive an automatic.
The suspension of the Aquila may well be considered partially sporty, however, again, there is no information regarding practical operation. For the chassis, the most common layout today is used: MacPherson struts in front, behind are just a spring dependent structure. The brakes of the Taganrog sports car were hydraulic, having disc mechanisms on all 4 wheels; the steering mechanism is equipped with a hydraulic booster - with such equipment, Aquila could only be attributed to sports cars 50 years ago.
Videos test drive
Akwell's complete set is only available so far - with light-alloy 18 inches. wheels (tires - 225/45 R18), air conditioning, full power accessories, ABS, front and rear fog lights, rear window heating, mp3 audio system, AUX support, and a CD drive. The seats are upholstered in artificial leather, there is a driver's airbag, central locking, as well as Isofix mounts.
The number of TagAZ Aquila color options is four: white, yellow, red and black. Apparently, in this way, the manufacturer decided to enhance the resemblance to sports cars as much as possible, because the available color options do not have gray or silver shades, familiar to budget models.
But three bright multi-colored cars were waiting for us not in Taganrog, but on the outskirts of another famous city - Azov. Here, in one of the workshops of the former baby food plant, the Akvila model is assembled. Moreover, the sensations when you get into the workshop are no less than from the machine itself. Because this is a really modern assembly shop - with a new overhead conveyor, a sprinkler chamber, laboratories for quality control ... Where? The explanation is simple: they were supposed to assemble another model of TagAZ here, for which equipment was brought in a few years ago, partially assembled ... And that's it. Now they are launching it in stages. And they collect cars.
However, this is not all that important. The main thing is the car. Or rather, three, to choose from: white, red, yellow. We have chosen one of them for study. The first sensation at the sight of "Aquila" - shock. No one could even imagine that such a thing could be produced here - a painfully swift and at the same time non-trivial look of the car. Is he handsome? I can't even tell right now. Unusual! Stylish! It seems that the individual parts of the body are “readable” - the lines of the hood, for example, resemble the “Lotus” ... And the back part also reminds someone ... But in general, the car looks quite harmonious, even narrow loophole windows for rear passengers do not irritate (This is until you find yourself in their place). In general, an interesting design, catchy ... Which was confirmed during a short trip around the plant: it seemed that the entire population of the southern Russian town threw out to take a look. By the way, the body panels fit well, despite the fact that these are cars from the installation batch. There are no obvious flaws, although one could find fault with the quality of processing of individual body parts, and with a number of little things. The car will reach a normal series - I hope that all (or almost all) will be eliminated.
In the cabin, you immediately pay attention to the sports leather seats in body color. They look great! Alas, climbing into the driver's seat (and the front passenger seat too) is not very convenient: the seats are littered with sports, you have to show a fair amount of skill. And it’s not easy to get settled: the seats have only two adjustments (forward and backward and along the back angle); at the helm - one, according to the angle of inclination. But, in general, there is nothing to demand from a sports car of the comfort of a limousine! And the dashboard is quite rustic and assembled, it seems, from what it was - everything seems to be clear, no claims to ergonomics, to information content, but ... it doesn’t catch on. In such a car and from devices you expect an emotional explosion, but here everything is simple, budgetary and trite. It's a pity…
And the visibility of the "Aquila" is not at a high level. From right to left, wide A-pillars cover rather large “dead zones”, and little can be seen behind the tiny glass. Only side mirrors help out.
Even "more fun" for rear seat passengers. To get there through narrow doorways, you need circus dexterity: crouched, bent and - forward! But it still doesn't work without hitting your head. But there is unexpectedly a lot of space in the rear seats, you can sit cross-legged. But at the same time, the head will have to be tilted forward or to the side: the low ceiling presses. Yes, and there’s nothing to turn your head, stare around - you can’t see almost anything through the narrow loophole windows anyway ...
Along the plastic path
The main "know-how" of the model is the body structure. The car frame is a modular space frame on which the units are installed. The body kit is made of plastic, which allows you to speed up installation, and if necessary, dismantling and replacing individual parts of the body kit. That is, he damaged the wing - no problem: they unscrewed the broken one, put in a new one. And if the damage is small, you can quickly putty the area, paint it and continue to sleep peacefully: this place will not rust ...
Actually, there is nothing new in this design. Supercar manufacturers have long followed the same “plastic” path, but they use very expensive carbon fiber body kits. At TagAZ, fiberglass (FRP) is used for the manufacture of exterior cladding, interior cladding and interior elements are made of plastic (ABS) with a decorative coating. Moreover, the coatings can be very different - under a soft fleecy fabric (ceiling), under the skin (dashboard), etc. The panels are connected to the frame using locks, latches or bolts; are glued to each other. In principle, on a new car, this whole structure fits well, does not creak, but how will it withstand operation on our roads? ..
By the way, the failed "Mishka", the ghostly "yo-mobile" and "Marusya" should have had the same design ... But TagAZ has 15 years of experience in the production of cars, and "Aquila" - here they are! ..
Units, units, suspension parts are from well-known world manufacturers, but are assembled at the enterprises of these companies in China. So cheaper. For example, the only possible engine so far is Mitsubishi 4G18S with a volume of 1.6 liters, gearbox - Aisin F5M41, ignition and engine control system - Delphi, ABS - Bosch, etc. True, some parts are from Korea, for example, shock absorbers are Korean. The plastic is ours, as are the seats; however, they were made from imported materials according to foreign patterns.
In general, the entire design was developed in South Korea, from there the first prototypes arrived in Taganrog a year ago. Initially, according to the project, the car was three-door, but then, at the request of the customer, it was made five-door (which is why the rear doors turned out to be so curvy).
The first, pre-production batch (46 cars) was assembled at TagAZ at the beginning of this year; they are mainly used for testing, technology development and design. The second batch, the first machines from which we saw, is an installation batch, and there is already a plan for release in October - to assemble up to 200 pieces. The most interesting thing is that the creditor banks of the plant “blessed” this project. The cars were tested by TagAZ dealers and made a decision - they will sell the car! Apparently, from the beginning of next year, the retail price for a single package is 425 thousand rubles. In the base - one airbag, ABS, air conditioning, full power accessories. The car has already successfully passed a crash test at the Dmitrovsky training ground and has a "vehicle type approval", which allows it to be sold. That is, this is not some kind of homemade product, but quite a car!
Among the buyers at TagAZ they see young people who have “grown up” from Priora and would like to buy an inexpensive, but at the same time bright, extraordinary car. Let not a real sports car, but at least look like a sports car. So, get it!
The Tagaz Aquila car began to be produced in small batches in the spring of 2013, and the cars were not made on the main conveyor of the Taganrog Automobile Plant, but in a separate assembly shop in the city of Azov, Rostov Region. At that time, TagAZ was in a difficult situation: the company was unable to pay off huge debts, creditors threatened it with bankruptcy, and the founders transferred the assets of the plant from one legal entity to another and tried to maintain control over the enterprise.
Under these conditions, the project of the “budget sports car” Tagaz Aquila appeared - a compact four-door sedan stylized as a coupe. The car was developed in-house by TagAZ and the Korean engineering division of the company.
The car received a design convenient for launching small-scale production: a spatial steel frame with plastic body panels. Most of the units and components of the car were purchased in China from local manufacturers and branches of well-known global suppliers, some of the components came from Korea.
Under the hood of the Aquila was a licensed Mitsubishi 4G18S gasoline engine with a volume of 1.6 liters and a power of 107 hp. with., working in combination with a five-speed manual transmission Aisin.
In March 2013, the start of sales of the Tagaz Aquila model was announced, and the car had to be purchased not from a dealer, but directly at the factory. A car in the basic configuration with an airbag, ABS, electric windows, air conditioning and a radio tape recorder was valued at 415,000 rubles.
Demand for the car was miserable: numerous design flaws, poor build quality and the ongoing "agony" of the plant simply did not allow the model to be more or less mass-produced. In 2014, the assembly of cars finally stopped, in total, according to various sources, from two to four hundred copies of the model were made.
Tagaz workers call the new Aquila their own development, but at the same time they admit that individual components are supplied from South Korea. Most likely, specialists from TAGAZ Korea, a TagAZ subsidiary established in Seoul in 2005, had a hand in the creation of Aquila.
The Taganrog Automobile Plant itself currently produces cars of the brands Tagaz, Vortex, Hyundai, BYD. In 2012, 10,647 cars produced by TagAZ were sold in Russia. But sales are falling year by year. Only the Vortex Tingo crossover (analogous to Chery Tiggo) and the BYD F3 sedan are in stable demand.
What's in a name...
The name Aquila appeared on the Tagaz novelty at the very last moment before entering the market. At first, the car had a promising factory index PS511, then in Taganrog they announced that they wanted to christen it "Aquella". But then, apparently, they realized that in Russian transcription such a name sounds somewhat ambiguous. If not frivolously. As a result, "pe-es-five hundred-eleven" turned into Aquila. Which means "eagle" in Latin.
What's under the hood
And there - an unexpectedly modest (not at all the same as appearance) 1.6-liter engine with a capacity of 107 liters. With. It does not have any ingenious valve control systems, as well as the now fashionable turbocharging. But the engine promises to be reliable. This is a licensed Mitsubishi 4G18S unit, previously installed on the IX generation Lancer and Space Star.
By the end of the year, buyers will have a choice: a 150-horsepower engine will be installed on the car. Its characteristics are kept secret for the time being. The company's management is working on two options: with a turbocharged small engine or "aspirated". Most likely, the car will be equipped with a 2.0-liter unit. And also brands Mitsubishi.
How much and where to buy
The price of the new Aquila declared by the Taganrog enterprise is 415,000 rubles. For this money, the buyer will receive quite a decent package: 5-speed "mechanics", ABS, air conditioning, driver's airbag, electrically adjustable and heated side mirrors, fog lights, CD / MP3 radio, leather-upholstered seats, Isofix child seat mounts.
But it’s still difficult to buy Tagaz Aquila: you need to place an order through the TagAZ website or by calling the hotline. At the time of preparation of the material, the plant has collected more than 1,800 applications. The waiting period, as of March 20, is about 4 months. What if you buy from a dealer?
We called several dealer centers in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The answer is the same everywhere: orders for a novelty are not yet accepted. Live Aquila sellers have not yet seen in the eye - only in the photographs.
The produced car will also have to be picked up at the factory: TagAZ representatives told us that the system of deliveries through dealers has not yet been established. And they assured that it will work in the near future. But the dealers themselves, even large ones, could not tell us when the “live” cars would appear, or whether they would even sell Aquila.
Maintenance and warranty: terms and limitations
The warranty for the new Aquila was not a revelation: three years or 100,000 kilometers. At the same time, most of the main components and assemblies are covered by a reduced warranty period: one year or 20,000 km.
Among such components are clutch, fuel system, engine cooling systems, air conditioning, climate control / ventilation / interior heating, exhaust system, electric antenna, mirrors and power windows, shock absorbers, stabilizer struts, rolling bearings, front and rear hubs wheels, ball joints of suspension and steering parts, steering gear and hydraulic booster pump, brake system, constant velocity joints (CV joints).
Service life is 10,000 km or one year, whichever comes first. However, in the regions of Russia, according to information site, there is simply nowhere to undergo scheduled maintenance.
The service system of the new Aquila, in fact, is not established. The dealerships have no idea what kind of car it is - the staff is not trained, they have never worked with it. Even the supply of consumables (blocks, filters, etc.) has not been debugged. And when all this will work out is unclear. Factory representatives only say they are "working on it."
Signaling? Factory only!
The new Aquila leaves the assembly line so far in only one fixed configuration (see). At the factory, the car is not equipped with floor mats, mudguards, or crankcase protection. All this is planned to be installed in the future, but when is also unknown.
What about a second airbag, alarm, parking sensors and other options? This is a question of the very distant future. Under the terms of the warranty, the installation of any additional equipment that requires intervention in the standard electrical system must be carried out exclusively at the dealership.
Moreover, the manufacturer strongly recommends installing such equipment directly at the factory's service base! Considering that the Tagaz dealers in the regions with Aquila simply do not work yet, in order to set the alarm, you will have to go all the way to Taganrog!
Summary website: for whom was Tagaz Aquila made?
TagAZ developed, no doubt, a very interesting model, but was not prepared either for its mass sales or for providing warranty service for these machines. To date, the plant itself, in fact, acts as a dealer, and a service center, and a spare parts warehouse.
Who definitely will not have any problems either with the acquisition of new items or with the passage of scheduled maintenance - so it is with the residents of Taganrog and the surrounding area. In fact, the new Aquila becomes a topical machine. We won’t be surprised if it turns out that 1,800 people who ordered a car are residents of exclusively the southern regions of Russia ...
In March 2013, the Taganrog Automobile Plant launched small-scale production of its own "budget sports car" TagAZ Aquila (the name in Latin means "eagle"), which took the Russian company almost a year and a half to develop.
The first mention of the car under the working index "PS511" appeared in January 2012, and in May the process of its certification was officially launched. During the first year of sales, the four-door found only 50 buyers, which is why its release was completely curtailed (the distressed situation of the enterprise also played its role).
Outwardly, the TagAZ Aquila really resembles the so-called “four-door coupe” (although, in fact, it is a budget C-class sedan) and, on the whole, looks catchy, unusual and quite harmonious. Yes, and separately, the body parts are “read” well - a moderately aggressive front end with neat headlights and a raised bumper, a wedge-shaped silhouette with a sloping hood, sloping roof contours and a slightly upturned stern, and a fine stern with wide lights and a massive bumper. But the design is not without controversial elements, such as narrow loophole windows for rear passengers.
In terms of its size, TagAZ Akwella fits into the canons of the golf community: 4683 mm in length, of which 2750 mm is the distance between pairs of wheels, 1824 mm in width and 1388 mm in height.
In running order, the car weighs 1410 kg, and its gross weight does not exceed 1800 kg.
The interior of the TagAZ Aquila looks quite stylish, but some details are too plain, and the build level, as well as the quality of finishing materials, are frankly budget. Behind the three-spoke steering wheel with a “flat” rim, a simple instrument cluster from Chevrolet Lacetti settled, and the center console, made with a hint of sportiness, contains only an aftermarket radio and three archaic “twists” of the climate system, which is why it is perceived somewhat faded.
In the front part of the Akwella cabin there are sports seats trimmed with leather, with pronounced elements of lateral support and a minimum set of adjustments that do not differ in a high level of comfort. The passengers of the rear sofa are even “more fun” - not only is it not easy for them to get into their seats, but also the low ceiling puts pressure on their heads (although there is plenty of space in the legs and in width).
The trunk of the TagAZ Aquila in the "travelling" state is designed to carry 392 liters of luggage, but its shape is not optimal, and its narrow opening prevents the loading of bulky items. A full-fledged spare wheel is placed in the underground niche of the "hold".
Specifications. The power range of Akwella, which includes only one engine, is clearly dissonant with its bright appearance. Under the hood of the Russian “sports car”, a licensed Mitsubishi 4G18S unit is based - this is an atmospheric gasoline “four” with a volume of 1.6 liters (1584 cubic centimeters) with in-line cylinder placement, a 16-valve timing and distributed injection technology that meets Euro-4 environmental requirements. Its return is 107 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 138 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm.
The motor is combined exclusively with a 5-speed manual transmission Aisin F5M41 and front-wheel drive transmission.
In terms of nimbleness, the car definitely cannot be classified as a sports car - it takes 12 seconds to accelerate from standstill to the first “hundred”, and the peak speed is 180 km / h (fuel consumption has not been officially announced).
The main feature of the TagAZ Aquila is the body structure. The car frame is a modular space frame on which all units are mounted. The outer cladding is made of fiberglass, and the inner cladding is made of plastic (panels are connected to the body using latches, bolts and locks, and glued together).
The front suspension on the "sports car" is represented by an independent design with MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar and telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers. At the rear, a dependent spring architecture with telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers is mounted.
The rack-and-pinion steering on the four-door is supplemented by a hydraulic booster, and the brake package is expressed by disc brakes on all wheels and an anti-lock braking system (ABS).
Options and prices. In Russia, TagAZ Akwella was sold at a price of 415,000 rubles, but for this money the buyer had to pick up the car from the factory himself. In the spring of 2016, in the secondary market, the cost of a “four-door coupe” varies from 320,000 to 500,000 rubles, depending on the technical condition.
The list of standard equipment of the "budget sports car" includes: a driver's airbag, ABS, air conditioning, power steering, leather interior, sports front seats, four-door power windows, an audio system, 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and mirrors with electrical controls and heating.
