Daewoo Leganza
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The Daewoo Leganza is an executive car (
E-segment The E-segment is the 5th category of the European segments for passenger cars, synonymous with the term executive car. E-Segment is a niche in Europe (2-3% penetration in 2010s). In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, E-segment sales accounted for 2.7% ...
),DAEWOO Leganza
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2001 Daewoo Leganza
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Daewoo Leganza - koreańska limuzyna
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The History Of Daewoo Leganza
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sometimes classified as luxury
large family car The D-segment is the 4th category of the European segments for passenger cars, and is described as "large cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "large family car" size class, and the present-day definition of the mid-size car category us ...
(
D-segment The D-segment is the 4th category of the Euro Car Segment, European segments for passenger cars, and is described as "large cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "large family car" size class, and the present-day definition of the mid-size ...
), that was manufactured and marketed by the automobile manufacturer
Daewoo Daewoo ( ; ; ; ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "''dae''" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomerate) and aut ...
. The Leganza was only available as a front engine, front-wheel drive, four-door, five-passenger sedan in South Korea over a single generation for model years 1997-2002 and was internally designated as the V100. The Leganza replaced mid-size luxury car Daewoo PrinceDaewoo Prince
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Daewoo Leganza, czyli luksus z lat 90.
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and was succeeded by the
Daewoo Magnus The Daewoo Magnus is a mid-sized sedan developed and manufactured by Daewoo for model years 2000–2006 under a single generation, and marketed globally by GM Daewoo and other General Motors divisions, as well as GMDAT stake holder Suzuki. Deve ...
(V200) using a new V200 platform. The name ''Leganza'' was a portmanteau of the Italian words ''elegante'' (elegant) and ''forza'' (power).


Development

The Leganza (V100), along with
Lanos The Daewoo Lanos is a compact car, compact hatchback / Sedan (automobile), sedan car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Daewoo Motors, Daewoo from 1997 to 2002, and thereafter produced under license agreements in various countries worldwid ...
(T100) and Nubira (J100) were central to Daewoo's effort to develop a proprietary range to replace vehicles previously licensed from GM. Daewoo turned to global consultants and suppliers in developing the three new lines. Under design direction of ex-Porsche and ex BMW engineering chief Dr. Ulrich Bez, the Leganza was developed in just 30 months, using Daewoo's growing in-house R&D network in Korea, Worthing and Munich along with other global consultants. Transmissions were provided by ZF and engines were sourced from GM Australia. The Leganza was styled by
Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2002. He w ...
of
Italdesign Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A. () is a design and engineering company and brand based in Moncalieri, Italy, that traces its roots to the 1968 foundation of Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. Best ...
, using the themes developed for Giugiaro's 1990 Jaguar Kensington
concept A concept is an abstract idea that serves as a foundation for more concrete principles, thoughts, and beliefs. Concepts play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied within such disciplines as linguistics, ...
, which also heavily influenced the 1991
Toyota Aristo The is an executive car ( E-segment in Europe) manufactured and marketed by Lexus across four generations — launched in 1991 as the Toyota Aristo in Japan and as the Lexus GS for markets outside the Japanese market beginning in February ...
(sold as the first generation
Lexus GS The is an executive car ( E-segment in Europe) manufactured and marketed by Lexus across four generations — launched in 1991 as the Toyota Aristo in Japan and as the Lexus GS for markets outside the Japanese market beginning in February ...
outside of Japan). Styling was also compared to the
Maserati Coupé The Maserati Coupé and Spyder (''Tipo M138'') are a series of grand tourers produced by Italian automaker Maserati from 2001 to 2007. The two nameplates refer to the four-seater coupé and two-seater convertible models, respectively. The design ...
, another of Giugiaro's designs. Bodywork achieved a Cd of 0.32 Cd. Development of the Leganza began at the end of 1993, after work began on the
Lanos The Daewoo Lanos is a compact car, compact hatchback / Sedan (automobile), sedan car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Daewoo Motors, Daewoo from 1997 to 2002, and thereafter produced under license agreements in various countries worldwid ...
and the Nubira, delaying the Leganza introduction in some markets. After initial research of the Leganza leading to development of a mid-size executive car, further work on the V100 (prototype name) began. Styling took three months, the summer of 1994, aided by ItalDesign's offices in Kensington. Road tests began in May 1995, ended exactly a year later, and the Leganza was ready for production in February 1997.


Marketing

Launched in 1997, the Leganza replaced both the Espero and larger
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
. Daewoo rapidly expanded their distribution network with the inception of new models, offering the Leganza globally. Daewoo placed special emphasis on developing markets, which involved the assembly of Leganzas in countries like Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Uzbekistan, in plants owned by Daewoo or under license agreements. Nevertheless, this concerned CKD or SKD assembly only. All Leganzas were effectively made at Daewoo's Bupyong plant in Korea. The Leganza was widely marketed as the ''Daewoo Leganza'' and as the ''Doninvest Kondor'', a short-lived version assembled by the Russian Doninvest corporation on
Taganrog Taganrog (, ) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don (river), Don River. It is in the Black Sea region. Population: Located at the site of a ...
's
TagAZ TagAZ () was an automotive assembly plant located in Taganrog, Russia. An affiliated enterprise is the Rostov Truck Factory. On January 21, 2014, the company was declared bankrupt. History Construction of the Taganrog Automotive Plant began i ...
. It was poorly equipped compared to other Leganzas, and airbags were not an option. At the time it was launched, the Leganza was a bit longer than most mid-size European or Asian cars, and was marketed as an inexpensive
executive car Executive car is a British term for a large car, and is considered equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars (and the non-luxury equivalent mid-size cars ...
in some markets.


Equipment

In various markets, the base Leganza was offered with a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual, hubcaps, cloth trim and all the standard power options. It had an optional 4-speed, hydraulically operated transmission. Ride quality was poor, as was cabin noise intrusion. In 1999, Daewoo made revisions to the model. The automatic transmission was replaced by an electronically controlled automatic transmission. The engine was upgraded to a 2.2 L version (with the 2-litre model remaining in many markets), which boosted power from , giving better performance but also increasing fuel consumption. The Leganza also gained standard 15-inch alloy wheels, anti-theft alarm, and remote central locking. The suspension was revised. In 2001 Daewoo introduced the "Limited Edition" trim level with leather upholstery, faux woodgrain trim, and a power driver's seat. In 2002 offered the trim level again, adding an anti-theft alarm, alloy wheels and remote locking.


United Kingdom

The Leganza's market began in Autumn 1997 along with the
Lanos The Daewoo Lanos is a compact car, compact hatchback / Sedan (automobile), sedan car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Daewoo Motors, Daewoo from 1997 to 2002, and thereafter produced under license agreements in various countries worldwid ...
and Nubira. It was a replacement slightly larger than the Espero. The same aftersales package were given, including a 3 years/60,000-mile warranty, 3 years free servicing, parts and labor, 3 years AA cover and 100 free cars were given out for a year to test customers' experience with them to examine the customer satisfaction. This was extended to a free one years' free insurance for 1998. Trim levels were the SX and CDX with the following equipment: SX - ABS, twin airbags, air-con, keyless entry, power steering, electric sunroof and electric heated mirrors CDX - (equipment over SX) alloy wheels, traction control, speed-sensitive power steering, full climate control, outside temperature display, front foglamps, ultrasonic alarm, upgraded seat coverings, wood effect and chrome trim and a leather covered steering wheel. Prices for the SX started from £13,795 and for the CDX, £14,995. Auto transmission and a full leather trim with a driver's power seat were available as options for £500. The 2.0 litre 'D-Tec' engine was the only engine available. With the aftersales package and its engines, the Leganza was cheaper to operate than some of its rivals: The Leganza SX was given a cost-per-mile figure of just 24.9 pence, around ten percent lower than comparables from other brands. In May 1998, Daewoo launched an additional version of the Leganza, the CDX-E. The difference was that it featured the Philips CARiN satellite navigation system with full in-car entertainment, 10-Disc CD autochanger, leather upholstery, new alloy wheels and luxury mats. On-the-road price was £17,520. It was an addition to the CDX, rather than replacing it.


Driveline

The Leganza was a
front-wheel-drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional l ...
car, available with a four-door sedan body only. The Leganza was powered by
Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...
-sourced D-TEC
DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combus ...
16V I4 engines (two displacements were made using the same block and bore, differing in
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
): * 2.0 L (1998 cc) – at 5,400 rpm, at 4,600 rpm of torque – used in models sold in Europe. * 2.2 L (2198 cc) – at 5,200 rpm, at 2,800 rpm of torque – used mainly for the American and Australian market. Both engines came with either a 5-speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
, or a 4-speed
automatic Automatic may refer to: Music Bands * Automatic (Australian band), Australian rock band * Automatic (American band), American rock band * The Automatic, a Welsh alternative rock band Albums * ''Automatic'' (Jack Bruce album), a 1983 el ...
.


Electric and Hybrid versions

From 1997 to 1999, several electric and hybrid Leganza prototypes were created in Korea, all painted white. One of these prototypes was called the 'Leganza NGV'. Only one copy was shown at the Seoul Motor Show 1997. The interiors of these Leganza NGV's were also modified and it was possible that they did not have a rear seat.


Successor

Daewoo increased the wheelbase of the V100 platform by to develop a new model, marketed as the
Daewoo Magnus The Daewoo Magnus is a mid-sized sedan developed and manufactured by Daewoo for model years 2000–2006 under a single generation, and marketed globally by GM Daewoo and other General Motors divisions, as well as GMDAT stake holder Suzuki. Deve ...
(V200), which launched in 2000. Both models were sold side by side in South Korea, and the Leganza received a small update (front grille) in 2001. The Magnus was not launched internationally until the Leganza's demise in 2002, effectively replacing it. Daewoo had ceased North American sales by then, and the V200 was released as the Suzuki Verona in the United States and the
Chevrolet Epica Epica or EPICA may refer to: * Epica (band), a Dutch symphonic metal band * ''Epica'' (Kamelot album), 2003 * ''Epica'' (Audiomachine album), 2012 * The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) * The Epica Awards (International Adver ...
in Canada. There was no successor in the United Kingdom or Ireland until the launch of the
Daewoo Tosca The Daewoo Tosca is a mid-size car designed by Daewoo Motors, Daewoo in South Korea and marketed by Chevrolet as the Chevrolet Epica and Chevrolet Tosca, while Holden marketed it as the Holden Epica. Codenamed ''V250'', it replaces the Daewoo Ma ...
under the nameplate of
Chevrolet Epica Epica or EPICA may refer to: * Epica (band), a Dutch symphonic metal band * ''Epica'' (Kamelot album), 2003 * ''Epica'' (Audiomachine album), 2012 * The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) * The Epica Awards (International Adver ...
in 2007.


References

{{GM Daewoo timeline Leganza Mid-size cars Sedans Limousines Front-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 1997 2000s cars