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By
EWAN KENNEDY
13 November 2006
Leganza is a mid-sized model from Korea that only had a
short five years on the Australian market. Spacious inside,
with a good boot, it’s comfortable to travel in, perhaps
not quite in the European manner, but not as far removed as
you might expect. This doesn’t come as a surprise when you
remember that Daewoo had considerable support from some
European engineers, not to forget stylists. Indeed, at one
time Daewoo planned to become a lower-cost alternative to
Euro cars.
It wasn’t just the styling that had a touch of European
flair, the steering and road feel, particularly from the
1999 model change, leant strongly in the same direction. So
a driver who enjoys hunting their car along in a spirited
fashion will be surprised at how well this Daewoo family car
responds to good driving.
Those who can think laterally and take the Daewoo Leganza
seriously, will find themselves at the wheel of a
good-looking, well-equipped car that's pleasant to drive and
comes with a remarkably affordable price tag for what it is.
For its time the Leganza was refined and quiet to ride
in. The rear seat was slightly above average in size, making
the car suited as a family machine with those who had three
kids up to the early-teen stage.
Interestingly, Leganza's power comes from a Holden-built
engine. The engines are built in Melbourne, shipped to
Korea, where they are installed in Daewoos sold worldwide,
some of which come back to Australia. Only four-cylinder
engines are used, with a capacity of 2.0 litres from the car’s
launch in July 1997, until the first model change of April
1999, when an upgraded 2.2 engine was fitted. This is a
relatively large and heavy car so performance is nothing
special. Regard it in the European manner, where engines are
small and economical and you will appreciate what Leganza is
all about.
Daewoo Leganza is sold only as a four-door sedan, which
is a pity because we feel it would make a very good station
wagon. It’s generally well built, but some of the
materials, particularly in the interior, are on the
low-budget side and can fade with age if the car isn’t
kept garaged.
Good home handymen should be able to do a lot of their
own work as this Daewoo is relatively straightforward in its
design. There's good underbonnet space so you shouldn’t
get too many scarred knuckles. Make sure to have a workshop
manual on hand if carrying out anything more than basic
repairs and servicing.
Spare parts prices are around average and availability
generally isn't too bad. There aren’t a huge number of
Daewoo dealers around, especially in remote bush areas. Try
finding a specialist, perhaps a parts recycler, who has
Daewoo parts in your neighbourhood before getting too deeply
into the purchasing process.
Insurance premiums are normally about mid range, but for
some reason there's a bigger than average variation from
lowest to highest with the various insurance companies. So
it’s worth shopping around, though we caution you to be
sure what is covered and what's not before going for a low
price.
Daewoo stopped importing cars to Australia at the end of
2004. At least under the Daewoo name that is. Because in
2005 imports began again – except that this time the cars
were badged as Holdens. This doesn’t really seem to have
made any difference to resale values of Daewoo-badged cars,
probably because Holden is keen not to be seen as being tied
up with the company.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Rust hasn’t shown up as a major concern in these
comparatively early years, but check the lower body and door
areas to be on the safe side.
If you think the car has been in a crash it pays to have
a professional thoroughly check the repairs.
Engines are generally strong and are proving reliable.
Make sure they start quickly and idle reasonably smoothly
from the moment they do fire up.
Smoke from the exhaust when the engine is worked hard is
a sign of excessive wear.
A manual gearbox that is noisy and/or hard to get into
gear is likely to be due for an overhaul.
An automatic transmission that hunts too much or that is
slow at going into Drive or Reverse could be about to damage
someone’s budget.
Check the cabin for rips in the seat and door panels and
for severe wear in the carpets. Listen for rattles and
squeaks and feel for parts that may not be correctly fitted.
CAR BUYING TIP
Orphans amongst cars are generally best left to
enthusiasts who can spare the time and trouble to locate
parts and qualified mechanics.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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