[prmd_cochin]

I cant really find an alternative for Indica taxi. Im confused. Santro and wagon R yes could be an alternative, both are more or less easier to maintain, has good service network.

[safari_lover]

Indigo CS can be a very good City taxi I suppose. Marina can be a good Airport taxi.

[ritz830]

I dont think any other car specified other than indica is suited for taxi's. The plain fact is that the other cars don not have the shoulder space, airy and welcoming atmosphere as the Indicab taxi.

I suggest taxis should have big windows, doors and comfortable leg room. The big doors and elevated ground clearance offered by indicab makes it easy for the passengers to get in and get out. I would give the same reason why Amby is such a hit for taxi's and Fiat padmini dint perform well as a taxi.

Alernatives for Indicab:
Chevy Aveo/Aveo u-va (good leg room,large windows,big space)
Tata Nano (obvious reasons, and also good head room)
Amby
Indica vista(good mileage and space than the indicab)

I am sorry to point out that no maruti car has either the ride quality or leg room which suits a taxi. The Maruti cars are good for self driving, offering low turning radius.

And something off-topic. The secret behind maruti's low turning radius is simple. The front tread is lesser or equal to the back tread. (front tread being the distance between the front tires and back tread is of the back tires). Almost all car manufacturers have their front tread bigger than back tread as to give a stable high speed ride in highways. Good example is Fiat palio. In the case of swift, it has similar front and rear treads, but still it offers reasonable stability in highways. This is because, swift is a very very wide car, so the center of gravity is pushed down.

[Ym-enjn]

Mileage or the FE is biggest concern for this segment of Taxis. So the car with best FE will be most suitable. Second is Cost of car and third space and maintenance. So I think 1. Indigo CS, 2. Ikon Tdi and 3. Logan.

[X-Machine]

I'd go with the Logan. Its got decent boot space and nice interiors. Can't really think of any other car that suits the bill.

[joslicx]

I think in smaller cars it would be WagonR duo!
Among the sedans it would be Logan Diesel.

[fx45]

Originally Posted by Ram

India is developing fast to take her place among the progressive nations.

No nation in the prosperous developed world uses an economy subcompact hatchback for a taxi.

Attachment 69829

Economy subcompact citycars or econoboxes (as they are sometimes called in Europe) are not for taxis ferrying executives from railway station/airport to hotel...

...rather they're typical for students, newly married couples and very young freshers at the beginning of their careers. Typical econoboxen(sic) are Peugeot 206, Citroen C2/C3, Renault Clio/Twingo, Fiat Cinquencento, Opel Agila/Corsa, Volkswagen Polo/Lupo/Fox, Skoda Fabia, Ford Festiva/Fiesta, Hyundai Getz, Mazda 121/Demio, Suzuki Alto/Fronte/Swift/WagonR, Hyundai Atos/Santro/I10, Daihatsu Mira/Cuore/Charade/Domino, Subaru Justy, Toyota Tercel/Yaris/Vitz/Starlet/Echo, Chevrolet Aveo/Kalos/Cruze...

And there have been bigger cabs, right here in Bombay, in my childhood days...

Ram

awsome pictures.. u got some more of yesteryear, do pass them to me.

[sridak]

Yes. It has to be Logan. To qualify as cab, it should be comfortable, having good luggage space, and low initial cost. Logan has all of them.

[Anthym]

On a recent visit to Bangalore, hired a logan to get from the airport to whitefield. The logan makes for a wondeful cab.
Its
- spacious - in terms of passenger and boot space
- good build quality - can tackle the pot holes quite well
- had decent NVH levels
- the A/C was good
- the beige interiors were quite welcoming. Also, City cabs have matching seat upholstery which had a pleasant look about it.

In contrast the Esteem (which are run by Meru cabs in Mumbai) have cramped interiors (the esteem back seat is legendary for lack of under thigh support), are quite clumsy when it comes to tackling bad roads and the black leather upholstery can get quite hot in the mumbai weather and give a somewhat dull look to the cabin.

[amarprusty]

Logan Diesel is a very capable Taxi,anyone who has commuted in Bangalore from/to the airport will understand,comfort,mileage,boot space and renualt build and quality.

[sudheeshnairs]

I would say LOGAN would fit the bill, eventhough it would not be an exact replacement for Indica as the it is a sedan and the latter is a hatchback. Indigos will also fit in as good cabs.

I have found LOGAN's in Bangalore the most comfortable one's.

MERUs & EASYCABS at BIAL. About 1000 such City Taxis are there now in Bangalore



'Karnataka Taxi' of KSTDC. Total 100 such cabs are in roads. (dial 42525555)





MERU (dial 44224422)



Cockpit of a MERU with GPS.



EASY CAB- (dial 43434343)

[phamilyman]

logans are ALWAYS DLE without integrated headrests - a darned pain all the way.

Better option is also palio

ask architect, who met a tourist taxi operator, who came recently with THREE 1.9D and THREE Petra 1.9D to a service workshop - no niggles/major changes whatsoever! and yes, he swears by samyak too!

[shyamhegde]

Thread is a bit confusing and the poll adds to it.

Is this about what we want as taxi or what is a practicle option for operators?
I guess, if it was the latter one, poll makes no connection to the discussion.

I am sure most us would have thought of Logan while hitting 'others' in the poll.

[ravibhat]

At present best Taxy is Logan, its spacious, super silent although its Diesel, Excellant ride too. Logan gives best fuel economy too.

I feel Indica/Indigo cant compete with Logan. Most of them I travelled I noticed make horrible engine noise, rattling etc. They emit lot of smoke.

If Logan price comes down by 50,000/- I am sure it would sell like Hot Cake in Taxy segment. Looking into Scorpio interiors I am not disappointed by Logan.

I do agree Logan need few changes to attract private owners, I hope something new comes up soon.

Regards,

Ravi.

[bhojraj]

It will be logan, Built , FE and no nonsence car.

Maintainance which will be integral part for fleet operators, that is where logan
scores.

Thanks