Team-BHP - Tata Indica- a tribute

Part 13: Indica Revisited

Indica Vista Drive tech 4: From technologically advanced to fully loaded

Tata engineers are constantly known to refine and continuously improve their products based on customer feedback and this stands true for the Indica nameplate too. The vista has seen consistent success and maintains a constant sales momentum, despite intense competition from 7 other diesel small cars which include:

ford figo
volkswagen polo
hyundai I20
fiat punto
maruti suzuki swift
maruti suzuki ritz
skoda fabia

When Tata launched the Vista in mid 2008, it was a complete departure from what the Indica was seen and perceived a decade ago. While the package had it all what an average middle class car buyer wanted, it lacked one vital component-safety. Tata motors listened and launched 2 additional variants in the Indica vista earlier in 2010.

Not only that, the price tag is immensely competitive and perhaps its the cheapest diesel hatch that money can buy with all the safety equipment and other creature comforts.
Keeping its VFM tag of "more car per car" intact, the car not only is better equipped, but its better to drive and considerably improved over the earlier vistas as well.

As we test drove the new improved vistas here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ve-review.html

noticeable improvements to engine refinement, driveability, fit and finish etc were apparent. The car drove much better, handled better and the overall feel is now much improved. These improvements are carried out further in the Euro 4 compliant versions of the Vista aptly named as drivetech 4.

To improve the brand's perception of the "Indica" tag usually associated with Taxi and that old baggage not withstanding, this new campaign aims to change that.
Apart from being environmentally friendly, emissions have been lowered by making changes to the catalytic converter in the petrol and EGR in the multijet versions. Besides, the "Eurotech Fiat cog's" gear ratios have been altered for better driveability and the linkages have been worked upon. Sound insulation too have been improved with a thicker layering package, especially under the hood and firewall. Suspension has been retuned and the Indica now rides better, handles better and most importantly, with the new ABS brakes, stops better.

Priced very aggressively and available in 5 models:'

terra
aqua
aura
aura abs
aura plus

in both safire petrol, quadrajet diesel and TDI diesel (Euro 3-for the aam janta), there is an Indica Vista for every budget, need and desire.

So, the Indica nameplate is all set to evolve in the coming years.

A fitting slogan:

"The Tata Indica Vista.
Italiano powered.
Yet Uniquely Indian at Heart."

(pics of concept S courtesy GTO)

:thumbs up Fantastic writeup on the Indica story. I owned a Indica V2 DLS from 2003 to 2008. While the world was talking of the so called reliability issues with TATA vehicles, i did not face a single issue with the car in 5 years. have done several trips from Bangalore to Pune, Goa, kerala and Mysore in the car, only two flat tyres and a fuse blowup in 5 years of ownership!!. This was a contrast to the palio 1.2 sport driven by my wife - issues gallore :). After nearly 5 years of ownership i sold my beloved car for Rs 2,00,000/-
Took the money and promptly got myself a Safari 2.2 VTT. Long live the Tata Indica.

My sister has owned and I've driven (on and off) a V2 Lsi since 2003. I once beat my friend's Palio (1.2) in it in a short drag, and we later realised that I had been driving with A/C on and he had it off!

The car has never broken down or refused to start or anything. There are 2 quirks that came with the car, and have stayed till today:

1. The fuel gauge is basically useless and swings around while driving. Also never goes to zero - requires a lot of guess work, and the only positive is that we prefer to keep it at tank-full than finding out the hard way that we should have!

2. The silencer has to be changed religiously every year-n-a-half. It rusts through and starts sounding as if we've installed an after-market end can or something.

Done numerous Agra - Delhi, Agra - Lucknow and Bangalore - Chennai trips without any trouble. Bought the car from Pune (Pandit Auto) and her first long drive (a couple of days after delivery) was a 1700km, two-day drive (Dad, Mom and myself) to Agra. Only trouble so far has been one flat tyre on the Mhow-Gwalior stretch on that first trip.

Super car for the highway even today. Comes into her own on the Bangalore - Chennai highway :D Still have her and don't intend to sell!

Thanks Sid for a fantastic thread.. It surely made a wonderful read.

When I was looking for a car, my choices changed from Santro, to Wagon-R and Estilo.. before finally falling for Indica Xeta's "value" proposition. And it's my first car!! I have loved it's peppy nature and the feature-set for the price.

It's been wonderful journey since then. Had some long drives and it served us well without much issues. I agree to the critisism that it's not free of niggles, etc. But, there are no issues. Overall a satisfying experience.

Attaching some pics from my Car!!

Thanks a lot sid .....

This saves me a lot of effort in digging the journey of the Indica .....which i was super excited about as a kid just like you. Though i was a big Tata fan, i couldn't convince my Dad to buy an Indica in 1998(He replaced his 800 with a new 800).

Let me bring something here..... MUL actually reduced the 800 prices a day after the Indica was launched and the media actually celebrated the same. We were unlucky as we had booked our car two weeks before the price cut. :FrustratiPaid 261000 as booking amount for the 800 Dx (Indica starting price was 254000).

Come 2008, he wishes to change his car and chooses the Swift Diesel despite me pitching fiercely for the Vista quadrajet (his justification this time is that a Vista V2 is yet to come). please:

I see him as a representative example of the average car buyer of India. They need a feeling of comfort and peace of mind after buying a car. The 'S' on the Bonnet is what they prefer to the 'T'. It is this perception which has to change so that after a couple of more years we see the queues shifting to TML dealerships from the 'S' dealerships and people like us celebrating the same right here in 'Team BHP'.

1997- the year i got out of the college and got to Tata motors in pune (It was Telco then)
Was a part of the Indica set up!
I still couldnt forget the first time i saw the car and drove it! It was fantastic. The factory was very modern and shared its piant shop with the merc (before merc moved out)
I dstill remember the full page advert on a lot of newspaers citing 118,000 bookings for the car!
I am not sure if that record has been bettered by any other car launch.
We then we posted to an upcoming tata motors plant in north karnataka. Ofcourse, this plant had nothing to do with cars. However, for a lot of nice work we had done it, we got the keys for the Indica for a whole day (It had still not arrived in the market and the car was shrouded in canvas and cloth)
we did like around 300kms on that day. painted the towns red. Every place we slowed or stopped, we had many many curious eyes asking us umpteen questions.
I never really knew how it felt to be driving a car before it hit the market.. somehow knew it was going to be a surewinner!.