The TagAZ Vega was a Russian passenger car in the C segment, presented in April 2009 and assembled in Taganrog from parts supplied by the company’s Korean division. It was sold with a 1.6-litre engine and a five-speed manual gearbox, and 1,037 cars were delivered before production was stopped. The model’s short life ended in a court case brought by GM Daewoo, which accused TagAZ of using stolen Chevrolet Lacetti documentation.
TagAZ Vega at a glance
| Maker | TagAZ, Taganrog, Russia |
|---|---|
| Also known as | TagAZ C100 Vega |
| Class | C-segment saloon |
| Production | from summer 2009; assembly stopped after the court decision |
| First car | 30 April 2009 |
| Engine | 1.6-litre petrol, 124 hp, 173 Nm |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual |
| Trim levels | five |
| Top equipment | climate control, parking sensors, heated front seats, ABS |
| Localisation | up to 15% |
| Top speed | 173 km/h with the 1.6-litre engine |
| Cars sold | 1,037 |
The Vega has no article on the English Wikipedia; this page uses the Russian and German articles, together with the English article on the TagAZ factory.
History of the TagAZ Vega
Launch
The Vega was a Russian passenger car of the C segment. Its presentation and press conference took place on Red Square in Moscow, and the model was officially shown in April 2009 at the Avtoformula exhibition in Rostov-on-Don. The first example was assembled on 30 April 2009, and mass production began in the summer of 2009. According to the manufacturer, the car was developed by TagAZ Korea, a new South Korean division founded after the purchase of the Korando and Musso rights. That division supplied the engine, suspension, doors and body parts, while final assembly took place in Taganrog; the degree of localisation reached up to 15%.
Equipment
The car was available as a saloon with a 1.6-litre engine producing 124 hp and 173 Nm, coupled only to a five-speed manual transmission. There were five trim levels. The base version had power steering and a driver’s airbag; the top version offered climate control, parking sensors, heated front seats and ABS, and cost no more than half a million roubles. The range was to be expanded with 1.4- and 1.8-litre engines and an automatic gearbox, and a hatchback and a facelift of the front end were in their final stage.
The GM Daewoo case
On 17 September 2009 the South Korean division of General Motors, GM Daewoo Auto & Technology, started legal proceedings against TagAZ Korea, accusing it of infringing intellectual property rights and using trade secrets. GM Daewoo demanded a ban on building and selling cars which, in its view, had been developed with stolen documentation, and claimed that data from the Chevrolet Lacetti had been used to design the Vega. A Seoul court temporarily stopped production; the TagAZ press service denied any official ban and said the claims had been rejected at the first hearing as unproven. On 23 February 2011 the Seoul court fined TagAZ 10 million South Korean won, about $8,896, for illegal use of GM technology. Assembly was stopped, and 1,037 cars had been sold.
Design and features
- Korean-developed body: engine, suspension, doors and body parts came from TagAZ Korea, with final assembly in Taganrog.
- One engine at launch: a 1.6-litre unit with 124 hp and 173 Nm, matched to a five-speed manual.
- Five trim levels: from a base car with power steering and a driver’s airbag to a version with climate control and ABS.
- Low localisation: only up to 15% of the car was made in Russia.
- Short life: production was halted after the GM Daewoo case, with 1,037 cars sold.
TagAZ Vega versions
- Base trim: power steering and a driver’s airbag.
- Top trim: climate control, parking sensors, heated front seats and ABS for under half a million roubles.
- Planned 1.4 and 1.8: extra engines and an automatic gearbox that were to join the range.
- C100 Vega: the alternative designation used for the same car.
The Vega was replaced in the range by the C10, and its larger stablemate was the Tager. More cars are in the TagAZ collection.
Video: Наши тесты – Tagaz Vega
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- TagAZ, English Wikipedia: place of the Vega in the range, the Lacetti accusation
- Tagaz Vega, Russian Wikipedia: launch, equipment, engines, sales and the court case
- Tagaz C100 Vega, German Wikipedia: presentation, kits, top speed and end of production
