|
|
Tata Indigo TDi review |
This car had lit up the Indian car scene well before its launch. Buyers showed interest in the car since the time when it was merely a concept called Aria. A frugal turbocharged intercooled diesel engine, a comfortable set of seats, great value for money (VFM) and reliability. The recipe couldn't have been simpler; they took the Indica, extended the wheelbase by a bit, added a boot and called it the Indigo! Is that it? Well, lets find out.
Design and styling
The design and styling of this car is quite basically the Indica with a boot, but there's more to it. Although the C-pillar doesn't quite blend very well with the boot thanks to its rake but overall, one wouldn't be blamed for mistaking the Indigo for an Indica! From the front at least. The car is very spacious on the inside, more spacious perhaps than most of its competitors, especially at the back, as you can see here,
thanks mainly to the 2450mm wheelbase. The front seats offer excellent support for the back, but the rear seats were a just a bit hard we felt. The car also offers a very generous boot of 450liters. The Indigo has a very prominent instrument cluster consisting of a speedometer, tachometer and fuel gauge along with all the necessary warning lights. Cup holders are present inside the dashboard cover. Tata has also provided an electrical socket on the dash, which may be used to plug auxiliary equipment. The dash is now beige and quite pleasing, but we did feel that its reflection on the windscreen could be a bit distraction on a sunny afternoon.
Tata though, has always been very India centric and they offer exactly what the consumer is looking for, making sure that in the process of offering goodies, the cost of the car doesn't go beyond the roof, for this reason, the Indigo SX has only been supplied with 4 alloys. Also, Tata has constantly been making sure that the list of essentials is always in check, in its constant endeavor to outdo the competition, it keeps providing little things that matter much, such as the spot reading lamps which were hardly seen in cars of this segment. More importantly, the trim levels in this car were quite good, as you can see in its Spec sheet. Small additions like a leather clad steering wheel and gear knob (LX and SX) are nice additions. Overall, the interiors seem well pieced together and of good quality.
Engine and transmission
Right, lets cut to the chase; this here is the crux of the argument. The engine in question is a 1405cc indirect injection, turbocharged intercooled with a maximum power of 70ps at 4500rpm and a maximum torque of 13.5kgm at 2500rpm in a car that weighs in at 1070kgs (kerb weight), it translates to a power to weight ratio of 65.42ps per ton, which is quite impressive. Actually, there is more to the story than what the numbers indicate. As a result of the car being turbocharged, with a turbo that has quite a bit of inertia, the turbo doesn't start till about 2000rpm and doesn't quite kick in till about 2300rpm. The result is that even though the Indigo feels rather slow initially; it sheds all its weight and gallops as soon as the turbo begins working. The engine is a bit noisy at low revs and since power is available only above 2000rpm, the engine needs to be revved in which case it gets noisier! The noise does fade away a bit after the engine reaches temperature. This engine sans the noise bit is a sterling performer. It pushes you into your seat as soon as the turbo sets off on its merry stroll, but its a shame that the turbo requires considerable amount of time for the engine to spin fast enough to make any use of the turbo's presence. This engine, as Tata has made it somewhat clear needs to be kept at idle for at least a minute just before rolling off and before switching the engine off, could mean that engine life gets somewhat reduced for those owners who are unable to follow this.
The transmission is 5-speed synchromesh, which quite frankly could do better; it has much play foul when you're aiming at that all-important overtaking maneuver. The clutch on the other hand is quite light and progressive. The gearing is a bit tall, this allows for a great top speed, which we expect to be in the region of 170kph but, this has resulted in the engine taking slightly longer to build up revs.
Ride and handling
Tata employs independent McPherson struts upfront and an independent 3-link McPherson strut at the rear, with anti-roll bars at both ends. The result is a very composed car which has a comfortable rear seat and unlike lighter Japanese cars, can hold its own quite comfortably even on slightly uneven highways. The brakes also felt adequate, although not as progressive as one had hoped for them to be.
Power steering in this car is one with hydraulic assist, designed to give you a very luxurious feeling by decreasing effort required to change directions. At low speeds, bulls eye but as the speeds increase it changes into a totally different ballgame. The steering is expected to be a bridge between the drivers palm and the road surface. The Indigo fails miserable on this front,
the steering never seems to weigh up enough to aid the driver, leading to a situation where, immaterial of car capability the driver is unable to go faster around a corner simply because he can feel nothing.
Verdict
Tata Indigo is a focused effort, focused mainly on offering more for your money. Tata has tried to cater to all the needs of the Indian consumer, a frugal oil sipper that is both reliable and luxurious. Tata build quality although not perfect has and continues to improve with every new effort. The handling, which could get edgy, sometimes actually results in a car that can go very fast in a straight line and with brakes and tires good enough to bring you to a halt in a hurry. The critical and most important factor in the Indigo's favor though is its price, at 4.8 lakhs (ex-showroom Mysore) the Indigo sets new standards as far as value goes.
| For |
Against |
| Powerful yet efficient engine |
Engine noise |
| Spacious cabin, leg room and decent trim levels |
Rear seats could have been more supportive |
| Comfortable and supportive front seats |
Steering feels too light |
| Light clutch |
Gearbox lacks feel |
| Big boot |
Brakes tend to lock up easily |
| Improved overall quality |
Turbo lag |
|
|
![Tata Indigo TDi Exterior](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=indigol.jpg&imagetitle=Tata Indigo TDi Exterior"))
![Tata Indigo TDi interior](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=indigoseat.jpg&imagetitle=Tata Indigo TDi interior"))
![Tata Indigo TDi Exterior](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=indigo1.jpg&imagetitle=Tata Indigo TDi Exterior"))
![Tata Indigo TDi Engine](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=indigoeng.jpg&imagetitle=Tata Indigo TDi Engine"))
![Tata Indigo TDi turbocharger sticker](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=turbostick.jpg&imagetitle=Tata Indigo TDi turbocharger sticker"))
![Tata Indigo TDi Exterior](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=indigofr.jpg&imagetitle=Tata Indigo TDi Exterior"))
![Tata Indigo TDi Exterior](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=indigob.jpg&imagetitle=Tata Indigo TDi Exterior"))