Leganza packs luxury features into a family price

Joe Duarte
Published: 01 04 2002

From its name, through its design to its presence, the Daewoo Leganza presents a sophisticated image that far exceeds its $20,000 price-tag expectations.

Some history: Daewoo set up shop in Canada in the summer of 1998 and started selling vehicles the following spring. Its model base has always been three cars — the sub-compact Lanos hatchback and sedan, the compact Nubira sedan and wagon, and the intermediate Leganza sedan.

The company has flirted with the thought of bringing in a sport utility (Korando in the domestic market) but has yet to follow through on it. For 2003, Daewoo will replace the Leganza with a bigger model and introduce a version of the Rezzo tall-wagon (to compete against the Suzuki Aerio Fastback, Ford Focus ZX5 and Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe).

Daewoo has always been especially adept at borrowing the talents of upscale companies in the building of their vehicles. This not only lends credibility to the nameplates, but also provides a superior vehicle without a superior price tag. On the outside, Daewoo has enlisted the experience of ItalDesign to provide attractive, contemporary shapes, while mechanical soundness has been provided by the likes of Porsche and Lotus.

The Daewoo flagship Leganza is rich in this heritage. The overall styling ideologically places the car outside of the "affordability" class. A noticeable wedge shape with coiled muscular rear haunches, gracefully flowing contours and elegant creases in the sides and hood lead many passersby to inquire about the car’s roots. Incredulous affirmation usually follows when they are told it’s a Korean car.

Inside, the theme is carried forward with the use of durable materials on the entry-level SX, and rich trim on the top-of-the-line CDX that includes leather trim and upholstery and authentic-looking simulated wood surrounds on the centre console and door-pulls.

Leganza’s 2.2-litre DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder makes suitable power (131 hp at 5,200 rpm) for around-town cruising but it becomes noisy and anemic at highway speeds. Lack of torque is sorely evident in the 100 to 120 km/h range where the engine runs far below the peak torque level of 4,400 rpm.

On the one hand, that’s good since engine noise is subdued for comfortable conversation; on the other, passing requires a keen eye and judicious planning. The automatic transmission is slow to kick down, which exacerbates the problem, so a manual down shift is required. A manual shifter is standard on the SX, but the CDX uses only a four-speed automatic to send power to the front wheels.

We expect those characteristics to be fixed on the 2003 model, which will reportedly receive a version of Daewoo’s 2.5-litre inline-six that makes it in the neighbourhood of 170 hp.

The Leganza ride is pleasantly firm and fairly well controlled, with noticeable thump over common ruts and bumps. It keeps its composure very well during everyday driving, but when pushed it quickly shows its faults. There is noticeable lean during spirited cornering, and aggressive acceleration and braking results in noticeable squat and dive, respectively.

The interior is tight but not cramped. Granting more rear-seat legroom does not induce claustrophobia in front occupants, though it does become more difficult to open the glove box or reach into the centre cubby (located between the front seatbacks).

In areas of legroom and headroom, the rear seat is plenty spacious for a couple of adults, but trying to fit more than two shoulder-to-shoulder is not recommended. With four-year old Raechelle in her booster and Ryan on the opposite side, there was room enough to fit one of Ryan’s schoolmates in the centre, though he found a noticeable lack of elbow room. And, he had to do with a standard lap belt (which I don’t particularly like). Again, I’m sure the new, larger 2003 Leganza will address all of these areas.

The driving position is definitively European, with comfortable leg positioning resulting in being almost an arm’s-length away from the wheel. Trying to set a more comfortable arm position creates cramped quarters down below, often resulting in knees banging into the steering column.

Seat padding all around is fine, with plenty of thigh support for longer legs and nicely bolstered seatbacks.

The trunk is large enough to carry a couple of golf bags, and easily accommodates a week’s worth of groceries. The flat-floored area is a bit of a stretch to the split/folding rear seatback, making it difficult to retrieve items that scurry away from grocery bags. The opening is pretty good for this size of car, and it opens up high to stay out of the way of heads peering in.

Overall, Leganza is a pleasant car that will have your friends and neighbours wondering why you insist you only paid $20,000 for it (an SX with five-speed manual transmission). A fully equipped CDX still comes in at under $26,000, which outdoes a comparably-equipped Toyota Camry with standards such as traction control, fog lights, leather upholstery and power sunroof, among others —although the Camry is larger and more powerful.

-from the Toronto Sun DriverSource

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