[rajneeesh]

Damodar, In case a person is going in for a Tata 4X4 , would the Storme not make ore sence. As an Aria owner what would be the plus points of Pride 4X4 over the Storm VX 4X4 other than the additional Airbags?

[damodar]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

Damodar, In case a person is going in for a Tata 4X4 , would the Storme not make ore sence. As an Aria owner what would be the plus points of Pride 4X4 over the Storm VX 4X4 other than the additional Airbags?

If your primary usage is highway with occasional bad sections which are abundant on our roads the Aria will reward you with better ride and NVH and better mileage owing to a more aerodynamic shape compared to the Storme.You will not miss the SUV feel since your seating is as high and the tyre size being the same in both. The 4wd system in the Aria is full time which is use full on highway drives especially during rainy season. Also the safety equipment level is far higher on the Aria compared to the Storme. Finally the engine on Aria is 150ps compared to 140ps on Storme. If you drive yourself then you will also appreciate the clutch on the Aria which is lighter than say a Skoda rapid and I was assured by the dealership that it will remain so for its entire life.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

Damodar, In case a person is going in for a Tata 4X4 , would the Storme not make ore sence. As an Aria owner what would be the plus points of Pride 4X4 over the Storm VX 4X4 other than the additional Airbags?

1. It gives much better handling with less body roll.

2. The Adapterra is usable as an all time awd unlike the part time 4x4 of the Storme.

3. Much more safety with TC, ESP, all round airbags.

4. Superbly integrated custom made Harman ICE.

5. Much more practically usable space.

6. Better looks and better design. Compared to the Storme which does look dated no doubt.

[2000rpm]

Got a chance to ride an Aria today (as a cab).

Was really impressed with the fit and finish and the comfort offered!! I personally felt that the car deserves better sales than an Innova. Cant comment on niggling issues though. Also I experienced only the middle seats.

[ptushar]

Originally Posted by damodar

...the Aria will reward you with better ride and NVH and better mileage owing to a more aerodynamic shape compared to the Storme...

damodar. This has always puzzled me. I would have thought that a vehicle which is mostly driven in 4x2 would offer a better mileage over a vehicle constantly driven in a 4x4 or an AWD mode. Any reason why you believe that an Aria Pride 4x4 (mostly driven in AWD mode) will provide a better mileage than a Storme VX (mostly driven in a 4x2 mode)?

Also, I notice that the Aria has a switch which can put the car in a 4x2 mode. For an AWD car, under what circumstances would one specifically want to put the car in a 4x2 mode?

Any help on the above questions will be very useful in my decision making.

[AAD]

Originally Posted by ptushar

damodar. This has always puzzled me. I would have thought that a vehicle which is mostly driven in 4x2 would offer a better mileage over a vehicle constantly driven in a 4x4 or an AWD mode. Any reason why you believe that an Aria Pride 4x4 (mostly driven in AWD mode) will provide a better mileage than a Storme VX (mostly driven in a 4x2 mode)?

Also, I notice that the Aria has a switch which can put the car in a 4x2 mode. For an AWD car, under what circumstances would one specifically want to put the car in a 4x2 mode?

Any help on the above questions will be very useful in my decision making.

Hi PTushar,

I own Aria Pride 4x4 that has now done over 1.1 Lakh kms till date. Compared to Safari Storme, Aria has better aerodynamics that will result in improved fuel efficiency. My Aria is the earlier version which has a taller axle ratio @ 3.73:1 which was even better from fuel efficiency point of view.

New Aria launched in 2014 now comes with 4.10 axle ratio (same as Storme) so the increased fuel efficiency of the New Aria over the Storme can be attributed to better Aerodynamics as mentioned earlier & of course the improved Varicor Engine with increased power & wider torque band, leading to improved drivability & reduced gear changes.

I generally run my Aria in 4x2 mode on Dry Highway & of course City traffic as it improves fuel efficiency & also reduces Steering effort marginally. I immediately switch to 4x4 on either on Wet Roads during Rains or on Ghats & Twisty Sections to improve grip & control of the vehicle. Do bear in mind that the Aria weighs 2.2 T so the increased traction afforded by the 4x4 does help.

Of course on Dry Roads, with limited slip, I wonder how much of the 4x4 actually kicks in. It's more the Traction Control & ESP which aid in better handling & control. On wet rainy days with puddles of water on the roads, 4x4 is very reassuring & confidence inspiring, especially at high speeds.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by ptushar

damodar. This has always puzzled me. I would have thought that a vehicle which is mostly driven in 4x2 would offer a better mileage over a vehicle constantly driven in a 4x4 or an AWD mode. Any reason why you believe that an Aria Pride 4x4 (mostly driven in AWD mode) will provide a better mileage than a Storme VX (mostly driven in a 4x2 mode)?

Also, I notice that the Aria has a switch which can put the car in a 4x2 mode. For an AWD car, under what circumstances would one specifically want to put the car in a 4x2 mode?

Any help on the above questions will be very useful in my decision making.

Originally Posted by AAD

I generally run my Aria in 4x2 mode on Dry Highway & of course City traffic as it improves fuel efficiency & also reduces Steering effort marginally. I immediately switch to 4x4 on either on Wet Roads during Rains or on Ghats & Twisty Sections to improve grip & control of the vehicle. Do bear in mind that the Aria weighs 2.2 T so the increased traction afforded by the 4x4 does help.

The Adapterra is not as simple as "always 4x4". As far as I know it has a control unit that delivers on-demand torque to the 2 front wheels when it senses the need. So probably coupled with the traction control / ESP. So on a straight on an e-way or something, you may simply be driving in 4x2 mode even when the "4x4" light is glowing. A similar implementation is also seen in the Duster AWD (except that the Duster being an FWD by default, the on demand torque gets delivered to the rear wheels dynamically).

And as @AAD said, the ARIA is designed with much more attention to aerodynamics. You'll see that the fascia, windshield are designed to provide smooth passage to air without presenting a big wall like the Safari. I suspect they might even have used CFD in ARIA designing.

For a vehicle that regularly does 100+ speeds, air handling certainly has an impact on fuel efficiency.

[damodar]

Originally Posted by ptushar

Also, I notice that the Aria has a switch which can put the car in a 4x2 mode. For an AWD car, under what circumstances would one specifically want to put the car in a 4x2 mode? .

The Storme 4wd system has a proper low ratio which cannot be used on tarmac with high speeds but inversely when off roading it will get you out of situations where an Aria may not make it. Also Storme has higher approach and departure which help in off road roading but are of little use on highways. So it all depends the intended use for these two vehicles are put to.

[ptushar]

Thanks damodar, AAD and Reinhard. That makes it clear.

Now on to the test drives. Storme, Aria, XUV and the Duster (Though it does not meet the 7 seater need). Although I have been told that I will not get to even see the Pride 4x4 in the showroom. That's a little sad, but not a deal breaker as such. Let's see where this goes.

[damodar]

After doing 5000km in 50 days the engine has opened up and first time I touched 140kph briefly and the way it climbed to that speed from 100kph was effortless with the engine revving freel with no need for gear changes from 70-140kph which can be done in 5th gear like an automatic.Having driven the earlier iterations of the Aria this one felt very powerful and absolutely silent except for wind noise from the rear view mirrors. On higways i usually drive between 110 to 120 kph with air pressure at 32psi all round,keep the A/c in Eco mode and have got between 14.5 to 15.5 till now . This mileage is without using the rear A/C so I cannot comment how much a fully loaded car will give in the same circumstances.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by damodar

After doing 5000km in 50 days the engine has opened up and first time I touched 140kph briefly and the way it climbed to that speed from 100kph was effortless with the engine revving freel with no need for gear changes from 70-140kph which can be done in 5th gear like an automatic.

100kms a day flat! Superb. Congrats on the milestone. The Aria really is a cruiser and not often does it find an owner that unleashes the ability so well. Keep the updates coming.

Do you have an ownership report? I couldn't find one. If not yet, please float one soon! Long term reviews from users like you are rare for the Aria.

[ptushar]

Originally Posted by damodar

After doing 5000km in 50 days...

Wow! That sounds great. 5000 kms in 50 days. You seem to be living in the Aria.
Yesterday I sat in my colleaugues Aria. Liked almost everything about the car. The one thing that I found a little odd was the multiple storage pods on the roof. I found the middle person in the second row could be inconvenienced with this as it reduces the headroom. Again nothing major, but maybe something for Tata to consider.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Do you have an ownership report? I couldn't find one. If not yet, please float one soon! Long term reviews from users like you are rare for the Aria.

Yes. Please do this so that we get a detailed view on how your overall experience has been. While I can see from your previous post that you are enjoying the ownership.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by ptushar

The one thing that I found a little odd was the multiple storage pods on the roof. I found the middle person in the second row could be inconvenienced with this as it reduces the headroom. Again nothing major, but maybe something for Tata to consider.

Please Tata don't reconsider this at any cost!! The storage really is useful. And makes Aria one of the rare Tata cars with some practically useful storage space (other than boot) to talk about, after the Indica V2

[damodar]

Originally Posted by ptushar

Wow! That sounds great. 5000 kms in 50 days. You seem to be living in the Aria.

Sorry guys for not posting the ownership report till now is because of all that traveling. The car is always dirty to take some decent photos. Got original 3d kagu mats and fixed the old Aria's mud flaps over the OE one provided in the front. The OE mudlaps especially in the front are practically useless.

[rkg]

My ARIA Pure LX at Warila pass, leh on 8th October, 2014.
At Mcleodganj