Aug 27, 2006 04:04 PM
6455 Views
(Updated Mar 06, 2007 02:20 PM)
I have 3 Indica's in my family. Guess that makes me a crazy Tata buff! I have the Indica V2 (2003), (2004) and (2006) models. The first two have the naturally aspirated IDI engines and the last one has the TDI (Turbo Diesel - Intercooler)
The space inside is great! No elbow jostling at all. The rear seat can sit 3 comfortably. The boot is not too spacious and is suitable only for weekend getaways.
Tata dealers are not so hot - they don't match-up to Maruti and Hyundai dealers.
My car gives me about 13 kmpl in Bangalore traffic and that's good considering that my driving borders on the aggressive, with auto drivers ensuring that my adrenalin keeps pumping.
The seats offer good back support and are adjustable for rake and tilt. The rear seats are double folding - offering a flat bed luggage area - great if only 2 people are travelling.
Reliability has not been an issue since the V2 - The indica is the 3rd highest selling car in the country - that speaks for itself.
Looks is a subjective area but on the whole the car is quite pleasing to the eye and the new colours being offered are good. The 14" wheels on the turbo model make the wheel arches look better filled out than the other models which offer the 13" wheels. This also improves the braking and handling of the car.
Having driven various avatars of this car, I must state here that Tata keeps improving the car. There is a remarkable difference between 2003 and 2006. Some improvements are very small and subtle, but go a long way in making the car better.
Driving Impressions:
This is the best part! Anyone who has driven an indica earlier knows that on a full load with the AC switched on, the car used to be about as responsive as a beached whale! Overtaking on a busy 2 lane highway involved switching the AC off, shifting to a lower gear, gritting your teeth and saying a silent prayer before the attempt to pass.
All this has changed with the TDI engine. the turbo kicks in at about 1800 RPM and this gives the car tremendous driveability both in the city and on the highway. The torque has improved so much that at about 80 kmph on the highway, an overtaking manouver can be accomplished without shifting down from 5th gear. A little increase on the throttle pressure is all that is required. The advantage of the torque improvement in city driving is also obvious. The car happily goes about in 3rd gear at about 20-25 kmph with the AC switched on. This is a huge improvement in the city driveability of the car.
Cost Advantage and Myth of Diesel Maintenance:
Typically for most cars, the diesel version costs more than the petrol version. This premium is recovered only if the car runs for a minimum of 1500 kms/month. But cost-wise the indica compares quite competitively to the swift / santro. After this if you consider the fuel efficiency and the lesser cost of diesel - the math is simple.
The car requires to be maintained as per the manufacturer guideline and no other special care needs to be taken.
All said and done, in about 6 months of ownership, I have already done 3 trips of the weekend variety covering about 600 kms in each trip, in my Indica Turbo. The experience was great. The very wide network of Tata dealers and authorised service stations also inspires great confidence in taking this hot hatch on long trips.
For detailed specs visit: https://tatamotors.com
Addendum 06th March 2007:
I have finished more than a year with this car and taken two more weekend trips to Ooty and Coorg.
Flawless on the highway, but the Ooty ghats gave my left hand a workout - gears need to be worked more frequently than any petrol car.
There is a slight vibration from the dashboard - this started after taking a nasty bump at 80kmph.
All switch gear, power windows and electronics working fine.
The biggest grouse I have is with the wiper blades. They really make a racket! Bad quality rubber!
Overall a satisfiying one-year of ownership.
