[zenx]

ummm, getting back to the point....
would it sell more easily (not that enough arent sold) and be accepted by a wider audience if it looked slicker/prettier ? Say looked like the PalioGTX or Golf and worked lke the Indica, and was as cheap and frugal. A whole of the Rovers were actually like that.

[dadu]

Originally Posted by nikunj_cal

i remember when I travelled to Nepal 8 years back , daewoo cielo's were looked upon as taxi's there which was sort of a status symbol here in India .
So i guess it is the commonness rather than the design which is creating this impression about the car being bad looking ...

Mercs and Audi's are still used in most of Europe as Taxis, so I agree with you, its an Image factor.

[dadu]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Rahul, not to forget the boot which looks really like an add-on.

Even the front needs a change of looks, at first glance (from the front) its difficult to make out between an Indica or an Indigo.

[spadival]

AFAIK, Palio and Indica were designed by the same firm - IDEA. But what Indica lacks is the Giorgetto Giugiaro touch that Palio has.

[doctorkats]

all you little boys whining about the tata car interiors should know that tata doesnt care two hoots!
yeah,i learnt the bad way when i test drove the safari.on completion they handed out the usual assessment sheet.
drive,space,safety,blah blah...even torque(!) but nothing on interiors.
nope i looked it over twice no boxes to check on that!

[dadu]

Originally Posted by doctorkats

all you little boys whining about the tata car interiors should know that tata doesnt care two hoots!
yeah,i learnt the bad way when i test drove the safari.on completion they handed out the usual assessment sheet.
drive,space,safety,blah blah...even torque(!) but nothing on interiors.
nope i looked it over twice no boxes to check on that!

You should have added an additional comment at the bottom of the sheet for those.

[MaserQ]

I always thought of the Indigo Marina as a bit of a looker, but sadly the Indian car buying public doesnt seem to think so or have a problem with estate versions of sedans/hatchbacks.

[extreme_torque]

Indigo is just a decent looking car, its does not have the "wow" factor present in a car when you see it for the first time. Marina is better proportioned and better built (my perception).
The problem with TATA is always quality, the buttons even on top end Safari VX are downright horrible and have no place even in an Amby let alone a 12 lakh rupee SUV, the shutlines are not perfect but then I havent seen many cars made in India having perfect shutlines. The engine and transmission are reliable but again the refinement is missing, some of the design elements need another go through, Indica rear suspension for example.
The car are prettier alright, but they would have been a lot lot better had the quality thing was taken care off. I guess this is the price to pay when you buy them for cheap.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by Alfa_Kilo

In the indica, the gear lever is simply not connected to the gear box. If there is any thing more vague, its the column shifter found in old Ambys and Padminies.

I can prove otherwise, its only badly maintained cars that gave this feeling. We can talk about this offline!

In my opinion, Tata cars are quite goodlooking (there are exceptions of the Victa or the Spacio ST).

The first versions were pretty. Only in case of the Indica I dont like those pressed on plastic wheelarches, whose intent other than perceivably adding to the aesthetics is to add to the overall width factor to take on GETZ.

I think the Indigo facelift was quite sober, although prefer the Marina to the Indigo because of the Indigo's inhouse tail.

Its only that the materials/finish of most cars dont hold over time, but thats precisely because most cars are commercially used and the users dont care about maintaining the looks as maybe what a private owner would.

[planet_rocker]

Originally Posted by Alfa_Kilo

If there is any thing more vague, its the column shifter found in old Ambys and Padminies.

what u must be joking man! the rule is simple...you gotto know how to shift properly (the column shift in case of padminis) and trust me if you are used to it you will love it. and by the way, how can you compare a new age machine to an old gen machine?

ps: no hard feelings!

[Ricky_63]

Originally Posted by zenx

I really like the VFMness
I need adequate power which the Dicors provide
The Indigo Dicor is sooo much cheaper than the Fiesta, Verna
The handling may not be that great, but probably good enough for a large range of driving conditions/habits, and aftermarket fixes might be possible.
They are a little more error-prone but after 3 cars (v1,v2,v2+) in the family, and a few with friends, not earth shatteringly painful. And getting things corrected (OEM stuff) is soooo affordable, unlike my Oh-HC.
All the diesels are amazingly fuel efficient.
Comfort levels are ok, and the interiors, while never too upmarket, do hold up well if taken care of even a bit.
If only Tata made cars prettier and with a little more 'appeal' ....

They 'd surely find a lot of lady buyers if they made PRETTIER CARS

[1100D]

Originally Posted by Ricky_63

They 'd surely find a lot of lady buyers if they made PRETTIER CARS

Few of them dont actually like the crude steering placement but prefer the looks. However most actually find the first gen Santro quite hot to look at, so never bother!

[extreme_torque]

Gearshift on Indica is absolutely fine, atleast on the new one that I drove. The gears don't "click" into position but then its not imprecise either. Its a lot better than a lot of other cars in the market. Wagon-R for one has the most pathetic shift among the small cars.

[harshavardhan]

True, Wagon R gearshift is slightly better than an M800 / Omni gearshift. Indica's gearshift are far better than what it is made out to be. BTW, for all who say that Indigo is bad loking / made to a price etc, check out the R-M Logan. It does not have any competition in bad looks / made to a price / bad ergonomics. TATAs deserve kudos for making a good VFM car (or should it be even more car per car...) at a great price. Sales figures don't lie month after month. And yes, refinement and fit & finish should be improved.

PS: I dont own any TATA car ...

[rajdoll]

I really like the looks of Indica from all angles except the side profile. The front and back profiles are really good looking. You need to see the brand new cars to appriciate that and not the old indicabs. Interior quality is not that bad at all, if you maintain it, yes it has become outdated. I feel swift plastics worse than Indica's. Gear box definately needs improvement.
I think, more and more people buy Indica's because of its lot of positives(irrespective of its cab image), that is why you have close to 15,000 sold every month, but if Tata wants to grow that number, they need to continuously improve upon their negatives. Better gearbox and engine refinement are couple of those.