What makes Tata Indica 1.4 Petrol, India's Ultimate Sleeper Car !

[salilpawar1]

sleeper (n. or adj.) - A sleeper (US English) or Q-car (British English) is a car that has high performance and an unassuming exterior.

I am new to the world of "actual" driving as I turned 18 just a few months ago, my backseat driving skills notwithstanding.

My car is a humble 2003 "Tata Indica V2 LSi 16-Bit Microprocessor 75 BHP Petrol" (well, that's what the badging says).

I've spent almost three months learning about the car (apart from improving my driving skills) and staying behind the wheel of my petrol Indica gave me a lot of pleasant surprises:

The main reason for the surprises:
Most of the Indicas sold are diesels for reasons I don't want to elaborate upon and insult your intelligence. Thus, everybody presumes that my car is a diesel.

Here it goes:

At the time of starting:
People feel that this car will start with a huge groan. But to their surprise, it almost purrs to a start (if you are comparing with the diesel).

At fuel stations:
In most cases, the pump employee blindly presumes that, "here comes another call-centre cabbie, and will definitely fill the cheapest available diesel". So, he will ask me, "Diesel ?". When I say, "Speed Petrol", it is interesting to note the rather confused expression on the poor chap's face. Many times, he'll be hesitant while filling petrol with the fear that I am putting petrol in a diesel car.

At traffic lights:
Here, things get really interesting. Many times, it does happen that an overenthusiastic driver stops just beside my car at a stop signal with an intention of going ahead of the pack just when (or before) the light turns green. Once again, he expects that my car would be a diesel and I would invariably be a cabbie (whose only aim in life is too ooze out max mileage from every single drop of diesel). He feels that he would easily cut lanes and go ahead of me. That's when the time comes to acclerate a bit harder than usual and show him/her who's the boss.

When in motion:
Let me explain this, with an anecdote:
I was driving at a steady speed of around 70-80 kmph, when a blue Indica diesel was almost tailgating me and trying to desperately overtake me for no valid reason. So, I opened the throttle a bit more, to show him that my car was NOT a 53 bhp diesel.

What makes my car more special, is that it belongs to the batch of the most powerful (in terms of raw power) stock Indicas ever to roll out of Tata Motors' assembly line. The newer Xetas are probably not that fast compared (correct me, if I am wrong) to the Type-I Indica V2s, as the 1.4L Xetas were slightly detuned for refinement and fuel efficiency and most of the petrol Xetas sold now are 1.2Ls.

Having said that the Indica Diesel Turbo has reduced the gap between petrol and diesel in terms of performance but still, compared to the normally-aspirated Indicas, their number is quite less.

I don't claim that this is the best hatch in the market. But thanks to the presumptions and the prejudices of the aam janta about the Indica, the Tata Indica 1.4 petrol is surely, a nice tool to raise a few eyebrows on the road (without any modifications)! The fact that the Indica lacks "snob value" (sic) and "status" (sic) works in favour of the petrol version !!!

Signing off,

salilpawar1
SP BLOGS

Mods: Please move this thread to the appropriate section, if required.

[phamilyman]

Yes, the petrol indicas are decent machines. We are pretty happy with our 1.4 xeta. what was your car's torque figures? These babies prooduce good amounts of torque quite low down!

[ported_head]

This thread has been moved. For the want of a more suitable section. See salil, this can be in the Ownership section, should you choose to give information to members about maintenance history of the vehicle. Not otherwise.

[salilpawar1]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Yes, the petrol indicas are decent machines. We are pretty happy with our 1.4 xeta. what was your car's torque figures? These babies prooduce good amounts of torque quite low down!

The older V2 produced 110 Nm torque while the 1.4 Xeta produces 120 Nm, I suppose but the power output is 70 bhp in the 1.4 Xeta.

[itwasntme]

Hi Salilpawar1,

I had a Indica 2000 LEi which was among the first few delivered in Mumbai in June 2000! You are absolutely right in your post above: most people simply could not believe the acceleration from the early 1.4s. Remember, this was when it's competitors were the Santro and the Matiz. It could blow the away both in the drag and in top speed.

I currently have a Xeta 1.2 but sorely miss my Indica 2000.

Enjoy yourself!

[shuvc]

True. I had a 2000 LEi too. 3rd gear was good fun! I think the 2000 series had the max grunt of the petrols. The gear ratios were probably different. Not sure though.

[1100D]

Indica 2000 on the other hand was blessed with stiffer handling, which was taken away in the interest of soothing the ride on the V2 cars to cater to the wider audience.

[salilpawar1]

Originally Posted by 1100D

Indica 2000 on the other hand was blessed with stiffer handling, which was taken away in the interest of soothing the ride on the V2 cars to cater to the wider audience.

Probably, you might not be knowing but the Indica V2 went through a not-so-publicised upgrade in 2002, wherein the brakes were provided with new brakeboosters, the handling and the monocoque was stiffened.

Auto Mags went on calling it the best handling hatch during that time, second only to the Fiat Palio.

[superavi]

Originally Posted by salilpawar1

I would invariably be a cabbie (whose only aim in life is too ooze out max mileage from every single drop of diesel).

Cool write up Salil, I enjoyed every bit of it, and totally disagree with you on the above, most cabbies i've seen are like Japanese pilots in WW2.

Superavi

[quicksilver]

I agree with you 100%. with no offence to Indica owners (Am one of them) Indica is mostly associated with Economy, VFM and being sluggish. So it is a surprise when you drive a bigger car and get beaten by an Indica.

Ask fellow member Harrie and he should tell stories of how many kids got fooled trying to mess with him when he was driving the Indica.

[skandyhere]

The most common experience is when a diesel indica eagerly tries to overtake your car on the highways. Not one to start a race at any point, I would not prefer to reveal the difference between my car and his. But it has happened once, and to humorous effect!

[1100D]

Originally Posted by salilpawar1

Probably, you might not be knowing but the Indica V2 went through a not-so-publicised upgrade in 2002, wherein the brakes were provided with new brakeboosters, the handling and the monocoque was stiffened.

Auto Mags went on calling it the best handling hatch during that time, second only to the Fiat Palio.

I was abroad between early 2002 and 2004. When I came back, the V2's with the body cladding, did not inspire the same confidence that the Indica 2000 did. Maybe, they stiffened the 2000 further in the V2 petrol and later softened it for ride considerations.

However, let me just say this on this forum, although, I have said this to you earlier, in my opinion, your Indica bodystyle look much more classy than the Powder-lipstick job of the later models with stick on wheel arches. (Perhaps the only reason to add those were to have broader dimensions for the car on paper to match Getz)

[condor]

Found the front grille better on the old Indica & on the current model. Not that of the V2. But the old Indica looks a little bland compared with the later models that had the claddings around the wheel arches.

Originally Posted by 1100D

(Perhaps the only reason to add those were to have broader dimensions for the car on paper to match Getz)

But how would matching the Getz for broader dimensions help ? If a person is actually looking at width as a differentiator, he would take into account the track also. Not just superficial dimensions to see which is wider. And increasing the width that way will not increase the space inside.

Come to think of it, how many of us actually took a tape to measure inside dimensions ? We would almost certainly look at the space inside by getting a feel, not in terms of measurements. Case in point: The Scorpio - Big on the outside, but get inside, and the space has disappeared.

[Harrie]

Have lost count of how many indigo tdi s I ve had fun with...

The Indica petrol IMO has very good low-mid torque. At red line the engine is very harsh... but keep it at 3500-4000 rpm, it pulls very cleanly.

[Sparkie]

Originally Posted by 1100D

However, let me just say this on this forum, although, I have said this to you earlier, in my opinion, your Indica bodystyle look much more classy than the Powder-lipstick job of the later models with stick on wheel arches. (Perhaps the only reason to add those were to have broader dimensions for the car on paper to match Getz)

Ya I like the original Indica more too! The old Indica looked much more proportionate. However it does look old in my opinion. The newer flared wheel arches look disproportionate, the wheel track would have had to be increased to make it look better. And not to forget the shoddy quality of wheel arches and the skirts.