Launched in October 2010, the Aria AWD marked the entry of Tata Motors into the premium car segment. One drive is enough to know just how far ahead Tata's engineering capability has progressed. The Aria felt & drove like no other Tata vehicle; a pity that it lost the brand's usually
value-for-money positioning as well. Positioned above the Toyota Innova, but below the 18 lakh SUVs, the Aria 4x4 found itself in no man's land...a segment of its own with no real direct competitor. There is no denying the fact that the Aria 4x4 was over-priced and the market responded by giving it a thumbs down. Unsatisfactory sales figures and upcoming competition (in particular, the W201 from Mahindra) have finally made Tata Motors launch the 4x2 variant.
The primary difference is that Tata has removed the AWD system, making the cheaper Aria a RWD only. It's noteworthy to mention that the Aria AWD also had a RWD bias, and supplied torque (as much as 45%) to the front wheels
*only* when required. To save on cost and to make the vehicle lighter (thus, more fuel efficient too), some chassis members have been removed. The Aria 4x2 is unfortunately not Euro NCAP crash rating worthy, as its AWD sibling is. Also, there isn't any fully-loaded Pride variant available with the 4x2 drivetrain, while a new base variant (Pure) has just been added. The Pure retains ABS + EBD brakes though (we are glad), all disc brakes, 2 DIN MP3 / CD Audio System with USB / AUX input & 6 speakers, electrically foldable & heated ORVMs and keyless entry. The top-end variant, over and above what's mentioned for the Pure, gets driver & passenger airbags, reverse guiding system (minus the camera), climate control, bluetooth telephony with steering mounted controls, 17" alloy wheels, glove box chiller, leather upholstery and front & rear fog lamps.
This is one of those rare cars where a manufacturer offers beige interiors on the base variant! I personally did not like the finish of the beige interior, especially when combined with the shiny fake wood. In my opinion, the interior of the Aria looks best in dark colors. Of course, this is entirely subjective & will vary from person to person. See what works for you.
The Aria 4x2 is nearly 200 kilos lighter than its AWD sister. This weight reduction is immediately noticeable, especially when accelerating away from standstill. The 4x2 even requires lesser throttle input to get it rolling. The front axle no more propels the MUV, thereby making the steering feel lighter & more direct than in the Aria AWD. For a car as tall as the Aria, body roll has been well-controlled. The 4x2 Aria rolls even less and feels well planted at highway speeds. The 138 BHP motor does its job well. Obviously, there is a certain amount of turbo-lag, yet its manageable & easy to drive around. You can feel the turbo spooling at about 1,700 rpms, after which power delivery is fairly linear. Thanks to taller tyre sidewalls (16 inch wheels versus the 17 inchers on the AWD), urban ride quality is also plusher. Fuel efficiency seems to have improved with the Aria 4x2 clocking 13.75 kpl in the ARAI tests. Considering the shaved weight of 200 kgs, this increment is minimal compared to the 13.5 kpl ARAI rating of the AWD. We'll wait for ownership reports to post a clearer picture.
On the flip side, the Aria still has an unsettled ride at highway speeds. Rear passengers will feel a fair amount of bounciness. The steering wheel had noticeable vibration above 100 kph, as did the gear lever. In addition, the huge ORVMs let in a fair amount of wind noise. Tata needs to work on consistency in its production process. I noticed varying panel gaps between the different test cars that were provided to us.
If you refer back to the Aria AWD review, it was noted that the brakes worked very well. Somehow, the 4x2 that I drove required a really firm push to bring the car to a halt. Then, there was an unnecessary amount of dead play too. It might have something to do with the test car provided by Tata Motors.