Tagaz Tager is probably the most controversial representative of the SUV class. Numerous reviews of its owners indicate that they like it and not at the same time. Poor technical characteristics, but good cross-country ability and excellent design. Many advantages, but no fewer disadvantages. Therefore, you can add your opinion only by looking at the photos and videos of this car.
At the first glance at Tagaz Tager, you get the impression that you are in front of a true representative of the class. Impressive forms, full-fledged content and a characteristic spirit inherent in such. But looking under the hood, you can find a dozen problems that all domestic-made cars face in one way or another.
History of appearance
The history of this SUV dates back to 1984, when the SsangYong company began to produce a car for the soldiers of the US Army, and a few decades later, on the basis of these machines, the Tager is produced, assembled already in Russia at the TagAZ plant.
The Taganrog Automobile Plant was opened in 1998. At that time, he did not manage to get any success, as there was a default and the company was forced to "freeze" its activities. In 1999, the first attempt was made to produce a car under the Orion series, but this action did not bring any results and failed, and did not have time to begin. After that, the plant sets a course for the beginning of cooperation with the companies PSA and Hyndai. As a result, the production of cars is gradually getting better and already in 2008, the consumer becomes a witness to the birth of the Russian off-road vehicle "Tagaz Tager".
Can Tagaz Tager be called an SUV?
Of course. Despite the fact that initially, it was received coldly due to the fact that in the price category in which it was announced, there were models with great potential and already proven themselves in the market. But later the drivers realized that there was something in this car that could please both women and men. Sales gradually began to grow.
There were many reasons for this. Of course, the body of the SUV, which literally hit the Russian market thanks to the echoes of traditional US jeeps, which were in great demand in the market of the same name. Thanks to this design decision, the car acquired:
- Extended wings.
- An elegant yet simple front.
Thanks to the wings, all the originality of the extraordinary appearance is preserved. This decision, of course, was made by professionals who know how to combine simplicity and perfection. It was this element that accomplished the impossible, fully justifying the expectations of consumers for the functionality and invisibility of this design solution.
The front end is a source of pride for all owners who bought this car. Most buyers in the Russian market have long been accustomed to the ridiculous patterns on the radiator grilles and the intricate shape of the headlights. The producers of Tagaz Tager did not want to surprise the consumer with anything and that was exactly what they were able to amaze everyone. The fact is that the hood has remained absolutely standard, there are no unnecessary details to distract the eye, only a classic appearance that speaks of how good the classic is.
Advice. Tagaz Tager has an increased fuel consumption, if this fact is important for you, then it is recommended to look at other cars of the same price class, which are more sparing for the amount of fuel in the tank.
Interior decoration of the car
In the entire finish of the car, one can feel a tribute to the classics, the simplest forms, uncomplicated patterns, but at the same time, convenience is present in everything. Here and the salon, in the absence of frills, is only admiration. Chairs upholstered in leather, height-adjustable headrests. The rear seats have removable armrests and visors with mirrors and a llama. The floor, in the cabin and in the trunk, is velor. The doors are illuminated when opened, just like the ignition switch, cigarette lighter and, of course, the trunk. This is an extremely wise decision of the designers, as the usability of the car is felt throughout.
The drive handle is located to the right of the driver. All interior details are made in the same color style. Factory assembly assumes light tinting of all glasses. A huge plus are the coated anti-splash guards. The luggage compartment is small, but can be increased by folding the rear seats. Again, returning to the topic of convenience, it should be noted that the tailgate opens to the left, which allows loading from the sidewalk without experiencing any inconvenience.
In general, the cabin leaves only positive impressions, many drivers note that despite their dimensions, the cabin is still spacious, which means it is comfortable to be. Of course, this SUV also has significant drawbacks, which will be discussed below.
Vehicle characteristics
There is no need to expect unrealistic technical indicators or other delights from this car. You need to understand that it was created solely in order to pass where an ordinary car cannot pass, so the question of speed did not even come up. , installed in Tagaz Tager, has a power of 120 hp, so you won't be able to race on the track.
It takes 16 seconds to accelerate to 100 km / h. For modern SUVs, such a characteristic is too low, which does not paint the car in any way. Of course, you should not pay special attention to this parameter, since anyone in their right mind will need to accelerate from a standstill in an SUV. That's why he and an SUV, to drive through swamps and forests.
Attention! Tagaz produces a modification of the Tager, which has an engine power of 220 hp.
If we talk about the main disadvantages of the car, then one cannot fail to note the huge fuel consumption, which will make you spend a lot of money on refueling. If you are going to drive a car every day and at the same time dream of not spending too much money on it, then Tager is not for you. After all, 100 kilometers of driving around the city will "eat up" almost 16 liters of fuel. This indicator is simply terrifying and instantly destroys the dream of a cheap car. That is why Europeans practically do not use this SUV and prefer to use their own brands.
Price category
The biggest advantage of Tager is its cost - 600 thousand rubles. Such an indicator allows buyers to buy a really worthwhile SUV for little money, which will satisfy them in all respects, except for fuel consumption, of course. You need to understand that the car is not as good as many people want, but it can easily satisfy the needs of motorists transporting their families.
In this price category, Tager has practically no competitors, except for a few notable foreign-made cars. But their technical characteristics leave much to be desired. Of course, when buying, you should think about the fact that even a small car repair can result in a large amount. Indeed, today, there are not so many mechanics who are ready to take on the repair of this SUV, and spare parts, most often, need to be bought from the manufacturer. All this makes car owners spend a lot.
Advantages and disadvantages
Car owners who have tried this car agree that before buying, you need to carefully consider the purposes for which the car is being bought. After all, if you want to quickly drive cars, then this is not the option. And those who like hunting or traveling will find their ideal in Tager. In general, the advantages of the car are as follows:
- classic design of American jeeps;
- ergonomic and spacious interior;
- nice price;
- good cross-country ability.
But one should not forget about the disadvantages, including:
- just huge fuel consumption, which can negatively affect the budget of many families;
- weak, by today's standards, engine;
- great noise in the cabin;
- maintenance costs, sometimes exceeding all reasonable limits;
- small trunk.
Based on the pros and cons, you can form your opinion about this car and decide whether to make a purchase or not.
For that kind of money, Tagaz Tager is an excellent off-road vehicle, whose performance equally well allows you to travel where there are no roads, and where they are. The fuel consumption is extremely high, and the parts are expensive, but usually this is not too much of a concern for drivers, since they have long understood that using a car is always associated with costs.
Video review of the Tagaz Tager car
Preparing this material was more difficult than usual: most of the official dealers of TagAZ took up a perimeter defense, not wanting to share information. But you can't hide an sewn in a sack - all of Tager's ailments are well known and are actively discussed on the Internet. That "Korando" that "Tager" are built on proven Mercedes units and really look like two peas in a pod. But not from the point of view of reliability, which we will talk about today.
TRANSITION PERIOD
The most painful topic for the owners of "taggers", known from the very beginning of the production of the model, that is, since 2008, is the useless reliability of a manual transmission on cars with gasoline engines ( ZR, 2010, No. 8 ). It is often unsafe to drive with such a box.
For example, if you need to shift to a lower gear in order to slow down the engine, you will be faced with a difficult task: the lever will rest against an invisible obstacle due to the difference in shaft revolutions, which is due to a synchronizer that does not cope with its duties, more often the second or third gear. If you still manage to turn on the gear, the unpleasant crunch emitted by the box discourages the desire to even touch the lever. It is easier for those who own the old techniques - rebasing and double squeezing the clutch, but mastering them on a modern car, which was also bought for a lot of money, is hardly acceptable.
The owners demanded that the dealers replace the unit. And those were not ready. But dealers, TagAZ itself was in a difficult situation: the plant had to allocate a separate workshop, where in the first nine months they repaired 183 out of order boxes - almost every fifth! They changed the synchronizers of the second, third and fourth gears assembled with clutches, but often this did not help: the repaired unit soon began to crackle again.
Some owners changed the box four to five times! Meanwhile, TagAZ, unable to cope with the repair, came up with the idea of depriving the owners of the warranty due to the allegedly improper operation of the car: they say, you should not switch gears at speeds above five thousand. But there are no such restrictions in the operating manual, so the case sometimes went to court. As a rule, the decisions were in favor of the owners - of course, at the cost of frayed nerves. In fairness, we note that the plant recognized the defect as massive and even publicly apologized to the owners.
After all, TagAZ was also held hostage to the current situation, since SunYong concealed the scale of the problem and was in no hurry to resolve it. It seems that the agreement between the enterprises did not provide for any sanctions in case of delivery of defective parts. The Koreans took advantage of this: according to rumors, to reduce costs, they moved the production of some units, including gearboxes, to China. An indirect confirmation of these rumors is the fact that the Korean marking has disappeared from the crankcase.
As it turned out later, it was not only the synchronizers, but also the misalignment of the shafts. This defect was learned to be eliminated at one of the firms in Yekaterinburg. There, they remove all the filling from the box and, having collected the parts of the crankcase, process the bearing beds in one transition. And in order to fix the outer ring with an interference fit, additional bushings are pressed into the bed. And only then new couplings and synchronizers are installed. There are no complaints about the gearboxes brought in this way, but after all, not every owner is ready to go for repairs thousands of kilometers.
ADVENTURE ELECTRONICS
With the arrival of autumn 2008, other difficulties began: at temperatures slightly below zero, the Tager gasoline engine could only be started from the fifth or sixth attempt. On the Korando, by the way, there was no such problem. It turned out that the Koreans, adapting the program of the control unit for our climate and gasoline, made a slight mistake with the settings: due to a short impulse to the injectors, the mixture was too poor.
The defect was eliminated by changing the fuel characteristic parameter from one to four and adjusting the temperature coefficient. The blocks were reflashed for free, under a guarantee. There was just one catch: not every dealer had the equipment they needed. On the first "taggers" in the T5 configuration, the engine cooling fan was constantly working. This defect was dealt with quickly enough - it turned out that it was necessary to swap the contacts. By the way, the dealer network of TagAZ is also his sore spot. There are cases when, when installing additional equipment at branded service stations, they managed to undermine the squibs of the seat belt pretensioners. TagAZ even had to terminate contracts with some sellers.
HOMELAND WILL HELP
All these problems have tempered the owners, and now they are actively discussing on the Web which domestic counterparts are suitable instead of the capricious original. In some off-road vehicles, the Uaz springs are already working in the rear suspension, which are a little stiffer than their relatives, thanks to which it was possible to raise the rear part of the body by 55 mm (this became a good help on the off-road).
In order to have enough shock absorbers rebounding, they are replaced with "Volgov" ones. It is only important to remember that the carrying capacity of the machine does not increase from this. It's a pity that no adequate replacement has yet been found for the factory rear axle semiaxes, which, it seems, are also Chinese - with a decent "egg" in the area of the oil seal working surface. Therefore, oil leakage to the brakes after 20 thousand km is a common thing. Moreover, there are practically no original semi-axles on sale, and if they are, then they are three times more expensive than usual.
DROP BY DROP
There are no particular problems with engines. True, here TagAZ also distinguished itself: if on the Korean "SanYong-Korando" with a diesel engine of the OM662 series the turbocharger served quite reliably, then on the "Tager" it sometimes leaks oil. The defect did not become widespread, but where did it come from on a seemingly worked-out design? Apparently, the unknown origin of the unit again affects, this time the turbine.
There is one more defect on five-door "taggers": by 50-80 thousand km the rear wiper axle may acidify. We recommend at the first sign, when the brush begins to crush on the glass, disassemble and lubricate. More serious problems also happen.
By a car that visited our editorial office a year ago ( ZR, 2010, No. 6 ), cracks were found in the frame in the area of the rear left suspension arm. The fact that the bearing part did not break in half is the merit of our test group, which discovered the defect in time. But everything could have ended sadly! There are no other complaints about the chassis.
Perhaps only the front stabilizer struts are recognized as relatively weak - if you please change them after 40-50 thousand km. Ball joints, silent blocks, tie rods and tips sometimes serve more than 180 thousand km. With wheel bearings, how lucky. The spread over the resource is in order: from 20 to 200 thousand km. Here, by the way, Chinese components are superior to Korean ones.
The rear axle in the version with disc brakes: the stockings are still dry, but sometimes they start to sweat with oil when you run 2–3 thousand km. Here, the input shaft of the gearbox is sweating, which is atypical.
The rear axle in the version with disc brakes: the stockings are still dry, but sometimes they start to sweat with oil when you run 2–3 thousand km. Here, the input shaft of the gearbox is sweating, which is atypical.Both "Korando" and "Tager" cannot be called full-fledged heroes of this section, since the former is already old, and the latter is too young. Therefore, we present the third table without the traditional calculation of the cost of costs per kilometer of run ( ZR, 2011, No. 1 ). These machines go beyond the accepted methodology, we decided to talk about them only out of a desire to draw the attention of manufacturers to the need for a more competent choice of models for our market. So that simplified technologies do not undermine consumer confidence in the long-known model.
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 Tager SUV production was started at the beginning of 2008 by the Taganrog Automobile Plant. As a basis for the developed car, the Korando model of the Korean automaker SsangYong was taken. At the same time, back in 2007, a domestic manufacturer bought out the rights to a new product being prepared for production, after which it received its existing name especially for the Russian market.
The ambiguity of the embodiment of the TagAZ Tager exterior
In accordance with the manufacturer's statement, the vehicle under consideration embodies the most daring ambitions, while the car is a real SUV in form, spirit and content. The truly unusual appearance of the TagAZ Tager car in 2013 was created according to the classic canons of legendary army cars, as a result of which it is unambiguously associated with reliability, endurance and strength, and is also absolutely not subject to any fashion trends.
Of course, the design of the car is realized for an amateur who wants to buy TagAZ Tager, in an extremely ambiguous and unusual form, which can be visualized in six colors: white, beige, silver, dark blue, dark red and black. The realized dimensions of the machine are presented for each of the proposed six configurations, which will be discussed below, with the following characteristics:
| Modification | MT1 | -//-2 | -//-3 | AT5 | MT6 | -//-8 |
| Length, mm | 4330 | -//- | -//- | -//- | -//- | 4512 |
| Height, mm | 1840 | |||||
| Width, mm | 1841 | |||||
| Wheelbase, mm | 2480 | -//- | -//- | -//- | -//- | 2630 |
| Track width (back / front), mm | 1520/1510 | |||||
| Overhang (rear / front), mm | 975/875 | |||||
| The value of the angle of departure / entry, deg. | 35/28,5 | |||||
| Clearance, mm | 195 | |||||
| Turning diameter, m | 11,6 | |||||
Proposed configurations of TagAZ Tager and their features
Everyone can buy TagAZ Tager in 6 different trim levels: three-door MT1, 2, 3, 6 and AT5, as well as five-door MT8. They have, in addition to MT1, exterior mirrors painted in body color and a spare wheel cover. In addition, the car has integrated glass with a light factory tint, wheel mud flaps, 16-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, as well as anti-corrosion treatment of the body.
Among other things, the car is equipped with inertial seat belts and power steering. For all variations, except for the base one with the presence of only the driver's airbag, the installation of an analogue for the front passenger is provided. Also in the stock version there is no heated front seats. Exclusively in AT5, you can find front fog lights together with a rain sensor.
But otherwise, any of the modifications, for which, during operation, TagAZ Tager parts can be purchased at extremely affordable prices, has an air conditioner, an immobilizer, a central door lock, electric heating and adjustment of rear-view mirrors, power windows with the addition of automatic lowering and an audio system with installed six speakers.
TagAZ Tager interior and its aspects
For modifications, in addition to the basic one with the presence of fabric trim, leather upholstery is offered. At the same time, the AT5 version boasts a height adjustment of the driver's seat and a lumbar support for the driver.
In the interior of any of the cars of the model in question, the head restraints of all seats are found, a folding rear seat, thereby increasing the volume of the trunk to 1200 liters, as well as the illumination of the ignition switch, cigarette lighter, front doors and trunk. Otherwise, everything is extremely simple and without any frills, a real Spartan salon.
Is the technical potential of TagAZ Tager worth attention?
Before thoroughly examining TagAZ Tager technical characteristics, it should be noted that the power units integrated in the model under consideration are manufactured under license from Mercedes-Benz, so you can confidently comment on the statement of representatives of the domestic manufacturer that all engines are adaptable to Russian conditions, have a large resource and high reliability.
True, you can study the embodied technical characteristics of TagAZ Tager in more detail according to the table below:
| Modification | MT1 | -//-2 | -//-3 | AT5 | MT6 | -//-8 |
| Engine | DOHC | -//- | SOHC | DOHC | OHV | DOHC |
| Volume, l | 2,3 | -//- | 2,9 | 3,2 | 2,6 | 2,3 |
| Cylinders (quantity) | 4 | -//- | 5 | 6 | 4 | -//- |
| Power potential, h.p. | 150 | -//- | 129 | 220 | 104 | 150 |
| Tractive effort, Nm | 210 | -//- | 265 | 307 | 215 | 210 |
| Standard | Euro-3 | |||||
| Transmission | 5MKPP | -//- | -//- | 5АКПП | 5MKPP | -//- |
| Drive unit | rear | Plug-in full (downshift) | ||||
| Fuel | B | -//- | D | B | D | B |
| Front suspension | Independent, transverse double levers | |||||
| Rear suspension | Dependent, spring multi-link | |||||
| Front brakes | Ventilated disc | |||||
| Rear analogs | Disk | |||||
How much you can buy TagAZ Tager
The price indicated by the manufacturer for Tager TagAZ varies significantly depending on the purchased modification of the vehicle. The cheapest, of course, is the basic version of MT1, which is estimated at 519.9 thousand rubles... The next MT2 version is 609.9 thousand rubles, but for the MT3 variation you will have to pay 619.9 thousand, moreover, for the same amount you can buy MT6. At the next price level is the AT5 option with a value of 675.9 thousand... And the top modification will cost 729.9 thousand rubles.
What are the owners' reviews about TagAZ Tager
Looked closely, but then decided to buy. Almost never regretted the purchase. Minor shortcomings are present, for example, too large a stroke of the existing gearshift lever and its capricious switching, but they are fully compensated by the advantages of the car, expressed in comfort, cross-country ability, high seating position, good handling, high-torque unit and frame structure.
Sergey V., modification 2.6 TD manual transmission, 4 * 4, 2012
It should be noted that almost all the reviews of the owners of TagAZ Tager, in general, fully correspond to the above opinion.
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.
