[srinivasmhn]

Was surprised to see not many long term reviews posted/updated for Indica. Read one of the recent review and thought post my review on my Indica DLG.

After lot of considerations on choose to buy the Indica over Wagon-R Duo. Raising LPG prices also prompted to go diesel vehicle. Had been driving the alto for last 5 years and had sold it due to some financial emergency.
As soon as got some cash(For down payment) started looking for car. Had planned to buy a used Indica and did see some of them. But the high asking price did push me to look for new car after taking into consideration high interest rate. Did love the swift diesel, but the extra lakh & the waiting period pushed me to finalize for Indica.
At least would have loved to have the Palio MJD, my bad luck it was launched on the day of my vehicle delivery. Did not consider Dicor as did not want buy new product form Tata.

At last booked my vehicle at Manipal motors and the processing was quite fast. I knew one of the sales person and it helped to get my things done fast. Did get the vehicle with 2 hrs delay from the promised time.

Now it is almost 3 months & 5K on ODO using this vehicle, I am pretty much satisfied with the vehicle until now.

Pro’s:
1) Space is too good. It can accommodate 5 well built persons
2) Highway driving is very comfortable.
3) Performance is OK to me. Power is more once the turbo kicks at around 2 K RPM. Some times it is sluggish while driving it city.
4) Getting mileage of around 16/18 with combined highway & city driving.

Con’s:
1) With AC the mileage looks to drop very. Getting around 12/13.
2) Power drop is noticeable with AC on and some load.
3) Clutch get harder after around 100+ Kms.
4) Build quality is poor.
5) Headlight power looks to be low. Need to get this checked-up.
6) Vehicle gets dirt very soon. May be it is because of the color(Salsa red) I choose(Did not have much say on as it was Wife decision). More effort is needed to get the perfect cleaning. Still the glass areas will have marks.
7) Rattles have started poping-up.

Service:
It is ok, but not great. It will chaotic at the service station. If you can get-in early around 8.15 AM , you will able to get the required attention.

But the surprising comment is from wife. She find’s that it is easier to drive the Indica than the Santro(In-Laws). May be it is due to harder cluth in Indica than santro.

Overall my journey is good as of now. Hope it is the same for not 2 to 3 years.

[ethanhunt123]

Interesting comment indeed from your wife. I personally find Santro to the be the easiest drive in the city.

Good Report though, post some pics if possible

[pingping]

Good report. Pictures please

[greenhorn]

yup, sounds like what most of us have been experiencing. do post pics of your car please

could you specify the kind of rattles , specifically where they are from? might be able to help!

[mnhegde]

@ srinivas : Hi, Nice to see that you are quite satisfied with your vehicle . We need to keep two things in mind about indica, that is space and FE, nothing else. Average performance (power ), build quality is poor and many more problems. I wonder when TATA is going to resolve these issues. After having bought Two major International brands, why is TATA still thinking of not providing properly finished quality Products to the INDIANS. Are they satisfied by selling indicas as only CABS?? Quality is an issue in all TATA vehicles. By experience I can say Maruthi vehicles fare much much better than TATA vehicles. One plus point in TATA is cheaper diesel vehicle. Thats all.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by srinivasmhn

At last booked my vehicle at Manipal motors and the processing was quite fast. I knew one of the sales person and it helped to get my things done fast. Did get the vehicle with 2 hrs delay from the promised time.

Now it is almost 3 months & 5K on ODO using this vehicle, I am pretty much satisfied with the vehicle until now.

Pro’s:
1) Space is too good. It can accommodate 5 well built persons
2) Highway driving is very comfortable.
3) Performance is OK to me. Power is more once the turbo kicks at around 2 K RPM. Some times it is sluggish while driving it city.
4) Getting mileage of around 16/18 with combined highway & city driving.

Con’s:
1) With AC the mileage looks to drop very. Getting around 12/13.
2) Power drop is noticeable with AC on and some load.
3) Clutch get harder after around 100+ Kms.
4) Build quality is poor.
5) Headlight power looks to be low. Need to get this checked-up.
6) Vehicle gets dirt very soon. May be it is because of the color(Salsa red) I choose(Did not have much say on as it was Wife decision). More effort is needed to get the perfect cleaning. Still the glass areas will have marks.
7) Rattles have started poping-up.

Service:
It is ok, but not great. It will chaotic at the service station. If you can get-in early around 8.15 AM , you will able to get the required attention.

But the surprising comment is from wife. She find’s that it is easier to drive the Indica than the Santro(In-Laws). May be it is due to harder cluth in Indica than santro.

Overall my journey is good as of now. Hope it is the same for not 2 to 3 years.

Nice, honest review with some small niggling problems listed.


1)
I think that 12-13 kmpl in the city is not really bad for this car.

2)
Change the bulb to 100W or something. Weak headlights are reported by many Indica owners I am in touch with, however do put relay also along with 100W bulb.

3)

[srinivasmhn]

aaggoswami,
Can you provide me details on relay, i am not sure of it. I have completed
8k Kms this week and planning to give it for second service some time next
week. I planning to get the headlight problem sorted-out.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by srinivasmhn

aaggoswami,
Can you provide me details on relay, i am not sure of it. I have completed
8k Kms this week and planning to give it for second service some time next
week. I planning to get the headlight problem sorted-out.

@ srinivasmhn,
Please post all your queries about lightning here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ting-here.html

Relay:
In a broad sense, relay is an electrical amplifier. It can control output circuit of higher power than input circuit.

[sridhga]

Originally Posted by mnhegde

@ srinivas : Hi, Nice to see that you are quite satisfied with your vehicle . We need to keep two things in mind about indica, that is space and FE, nothing else. Average performance (power ), build quality is poor and many more problems. I wonder when TATA is going to resolve these issues. After having bought Two major International brands, why is TATA still thinking of not providing properly finished quality Products to the INDIANS. Are they satisfied by selling indicas as only CABS?? Quality is an issue in all TATA vehicles. By experience I can say Maruthi vehicles fare much much better than TATA vehicles. One plus point in TATA is cheaper diesel vehicle. Thats all.

I beg to differ on this one. Indica is more than Space and FE. It is economical because of the Diesel pricing. That does not make it FE. I bought an Indica for other reasons. It is a very strong body. Put your seat belts on and drive an indica, you feel more secure than many other expensive cars. More over road handling, handling potholes, humps is so excellent. And you feel you are really driving a car and not a toy or go kart.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by mnhegde

@ srinivas : Hi, Nice to see that you are quite satisfied with your vehicle . We need to keep two things in mind about indica, that is space and FE, nothing else.

Value for money, low cost of ownership, features, tried and trusted design, what about these ?

Average performance (power ),

The DLG turbo's performance is more than adequate, and its no slouch, and is faster than some petrol cars in the same segment , and can keep up with most.

build quality is poor

only if you feel that the interior plastics alone build the car. You dont see threads of indicas which had their bumpers and bodies suffering huge damage due to falling into potholes or getting hit by dogs

and many more problems.

could you care to specify? The indica like every car may have its own share of problems , and unfortunately highlighted by its poorly maintained taxicab brethren. You dont find many new privately owned indicas having "many problems "?

I wonder when TATA is going to resolve these issues.

The indica has been in continuous development since it was launched. the car you get today is a vastly better car than the pre -V1 indicas .I havent found any fault in my car which i could call a design flaw (except for the seating position)

After having bought Two major International brands, why is TATA still thinking of not providing properly finished quality Products to the INDIANS.

You dont expect a companies products to change overnight because they acquired two brands do you ?

Are they satisfied by selling indicas as only CABS??

why do you suppose they developed the indica X1 and more importantly, the nano?

Quality is an issue in all TATA vehicles. By experience I can say Maruthi vehicles fare much much better than TATA vehicles.

Maruti has a vastly better dealer and service network. I'll agree with that, but even maruti products have started to have their own issues. rattling, flimsy body panels, premature clutch wear..

You have all the rights to love maruti vehicles, but please dont make baseless blanket statements dememaning other manufacturers.
Tata may have their flaws , but they're surely improving!

[mnhegde]

@ Green horn : My friend I have no intention of demeaning any manufacturer. I support their products. I appreciate your positiveness towards the vehicle. Indica was one of my favourites too. So i am not blindly saying something here. I had a very personal attachment to that vehicle. But dont wanna mention it here. Am just clearing certain points. Nothing personal brother.

1. Average power : let me clear this, It feels sluggish. May be you havent faced any problem (thats good). ( I am not comparing petrol and diesel)
2. VFM yes, Low cost of ownership yes two points agreed .
3. New vehicles need to finish their run in period then lets see.
4. I agree new Indicas are improving. they have been improving since 10 years. Good. isnt it??.
5. i dont see threads of indicas having body damage or bumper hit. I agree. But I see them on ROADS.
6. I am not saying their products need to change overnight. I mean, properly finished products. Please understand.
7. the Indica has problems like any other car , I agree, but many steps ahead.
8. They needed to cater to a much better class than cabs. so they have new Indica. As for nano, lets wait and see.
9. maruthi is having problems now because of huge demand of their vehicles, thats where they fail to bring out properly finished vehicles.
10. Tata is nowhere in sales compared to Maruthi . Do you mean to say Tatas are satisfied with the present sales figures?? Shouldnt they think, if they improve products their sales will improve too??. Being a diesel why is Indica lagging behind in sales compared to wagon r and santro. tell me. if its a better vehicle than the above two, it should have burnt the sales charts. Now dont say people who buy wagon r and santro are fools. look at maruthi how they have managed to keep good number of dealers and why tata has failed here. Being one of the oldest automobile manufacturin guys shouldnt they improve their dealer and service network??. I AM NOT SAYING NOT TO BUY TATA VEHICLES. Every manufacturer pumps a lot of money in manufacturing, I respect each and every one. Design wise its again a personal opinion. I have seen few indicas within my group . Me, my colleagues and friends (more than 10 people have had indicas and have even sold it within a few months , include me too in that). Were we all fools to sell new vehicles within a few months of purchase and that too with a huge depreciation. I dont make baseless comments my friend, please dont use such statements. we have every right to love or criticise a product (experience wise) . Keep that in mind brother. Your car experience is also a personal opinion.

In future if TATA brings a proper indica (overall improvement) i bet i will buy it again. And I will recommend the product to others too.

[mnhegde]

@ greenhorn and sridhga and all Indica owners: guys am sorry if i hurt your sentiments. I didnt mean to do that.

[greenhorn]

no issues mate. I'm just againt people who say tata is bad just because they've heard everyone say so, or hated the last indicab they rode in. Your reply substantiated your arguments , so they stand, and I fully agree. Its just that for some of us , the pros outweigh the cons you've put forward, and we buy the car despite the bumpy ride with the A.S.S

[mnhegde]

@ green horn : i respect every manufacturer. Because they believe in market and pump 1000's of crores to make vehicles. Whoever it is Maruthi, tata, fiat, gm , ford, hm. An automobile lover will love any vehicle. isnt it?? Its the vehicle that matters. It matters even more when you are emotionally attached towards it. I accept i have been harsh in my post. Am really sorry for that. Because I love every vehicle ( Starting from cycles to planes ) . I even today and in future also tell the same, will buy a tata vehicle as soon as they address certain issues. . I BET. And you will find my new post very soon, where I will be posting certain issues with my Wagon R.

[abhinav.s]

A very good and unbiased review of the car.. 12/13 with AC on is actually a little on the lower side.. But i guess the turbo could be the reason for the low mileage with AC on.. And yeah its very surprising to hear that this car is easier to drive than the Santro..