TagAZ C10 - budget “Russian Chinese” with an engine from Mitsubishi

TagAZ C10 is a compact class B sedan produced by the Taganrog Automobile Plant from 2011 to 2014. It was a copy (or adaptation) of the Chinese JAC Tojoy (JAC A138), which debuted in 2008.


The car had smooth body lines, a neat grille, large headlights and taillights. The appearance of the C10 was simple and uncomplicated, but quite modern, as for a sedan of those years. The Chinese version was offered as a hatchback, and other JAC Tojoy designations included J3 Turin, Tongyue, A138.

What's special?

The car belongs to the classic compact three-box, distinguished by a high waistline. Serial production of this project began in 2011. The body design was developed by Pininfarina, and the appearance of the car is almost identical to its original. One of the outstanding details of the TagAZ C10 is its special optics with elongated headlights that extend slightly beyond the boundaries of the wings. Also worth highlighting is the use of large brake lights.

The diameter of the car's steel wheels is 14 inches, the wheelbase is 2400 mm. The car interior is quite spacious. Five people can easily fit inside. The dashboard is made of high quality plastic. Overall, the C10's interior design is a stylish combination that can be perceived as economical.


To the engineers' credit, the plastic doesn't make unpleasant noises at high speeds and doesn't emit that typical odor that often comes with cheaper materials. The interior of the salon itself is designed in two shades. The luggage compartment volume is pleasantly impressive - 458 liters, which is considered an excellent indicator for a car in this price segment.

Considering the technical parameters, this sedan cannot be called powerful. But the car is not intended for racing, but is aimed at urban use. As for a Russian adaptation of a Chinese car, decent dynamic performance can be noted. When starting from a stop, the car does not “tear”, however, starting from second gear, the engine spins up and gives the sedan good acceleration.


According to car owners, the suspension of the TagAZ C10 surpasses the similar characteristics of cars from AvtoVAZ. The car is quite soft, which allows it to smoothly overcome uneven roads, and on the highway it demonstrates confident behavior. The gearbox operates smoothly, gear shifting is carried out without difficulty. The car exhibits high maneuverability in various conditions.

The engine and its weak points

TagAZ C10 was equipped with one gasoline engine - 4G13. This engine produced by Mitsubishi had a volume of 1,3 liters and was installed on many “Japanese” cars, including Colt, Mirage, Lancer, Dingo. When driving on the highway, the internal combustion engine consumes about 5,2 liters, in city mode - 8,4 liters.

The engine components use aluminum and plastic, which reduces its weight by 25 kg (the weight of the unit is 85 kg), compared to engines of the same size from other manufacturers. This internal combustion engine uses a variable valve timing system that works in conjunction with two camshafts. This resulted in improved engine responsiveness and lower emissions. This approach made it possible to achieve Euro 4 toxicity standards.

Structurally, this is a simple and reliable engine, not picky about fuel quality. If necessary, the “donor” will be relatively inexpensive on the secondary market. But it is not without its shortcomings. One of the most common problems with Orion series engines is high or fluctuating idle speed due to significant play in the throttle mechanism.


Some of the complaints on the forums are related to increased oil consumption. The reason for this is accelerated wear of the sealing caps of the oil scraper rings and soot deposits on the pistons. By 200 thousand km, wear of the CPG is added to these problems, which is why major repairs will be inevitable.

According to the technical manual, the service life of the timing belt is 90 thousand km, and it is not recommended to exceed this mileage. But on the forums you can find many cases where it wears out and breaks earlier. Moreover, this can lead not only to bending of the valves, but also to damage to the pistons.

The weak points of this unit include the catalyst and engine supports. With worn-out engines, many problems are also caused to car owners by elements of the ignition system, which make it difficult to start the engine. During the cold season, candles are often flooded. We should not forget about the need to adjust the valves, since there are no hydraulic compensators. According to official data, the resource of the 4G13 unit is 200 km, but with proper and timely maintenance, the motors can last 000 thousand km.

Disadvantages and weaknesses of TagAZ C10

The downside that C10 owners complain about is the difficulty of finding spare parts. This is due to the fact that production of the car was discontinued. Interchangeability of parts with other vehicles is limited. Due to the fact that TAGAZ S10 was a trial version, it is difficult to find body parts for it. This can be a serious problem when repairing after an accident or corrosion.


The build quality leaves much to be desired, although it is at a relatively decent level for its price category. There are crooked gaps in body elements, poor-quality welding, and poorly fitted interior elements. If the front seats are pushed back as far as possible, rear passengers may feel cramped. There is practically no sound insulation, which is why it is noisy inside. Interior materials are cheap and short-lived.

Other disadvantages include:

✅ on frosty days, the side windows of the C10 become covered with ice, which impairs the view
✅ doors close with a clang, like on old Zhiguli cars
✅ uncomfortable driving position
✅ Only manual gearbox, no automatic transmission

The 1,3L engine can feel weak when fully loaded. Some car owners complain about difficulty shifting gears, but this depends on the condition of the gearbox. The wiring is designed to use standard devices and is often not able to withstand the connection of additional equipment.

Prices

The cost of a budget sedan on the secondary market varies around 300-350 thousand rubles. A TagAZ C10 in “C” technical condition (rusty body, there are problems with the chassis, but the car drives), can be found for 200 thousand rubles. Accordingly, for the 2013 model year. fully equipped, “stuffed” with electronics, with a body overcooked and repainted, sellers can ask for 550 thousand rubles.

TagAZ C10 is a relatively good budget sedan, not without its shortcomings. A good option in its price category, it can be considered as a first car. Among the closest competitors of this model are Lifan Breez, Haima 3, BYD F3, Daewoo Nexia.