[civicsense]

Originally Posted by GTO

@ Civicsense : That's the gross weight you have put up. Kerb weight of the Pride variant is 2160 kilos.

Yes, but still significantly (~8-10%) heavier than full-blooded SUVs like the Endeavour and Fortuner. But from your report, it doesnt seem to be a big problem. Thats a good thing.

[idofsuresh]

I feel this is your best review till date. Better than the Vento review. Your reviews are way more detailed than the auto magazines, I won't be surprised if auto companies request you to be their design & usability consultant


I feel the 19+ lacs price tag is very high. This vehicle may be reliable, but considering the past reliability compared to Toyotas and Hondas and niggling issues, I don't think I would spend this kind of money on this vehicle if I am in market for a 20 lacs MUV. If the vehicle proves to have stellar reliability and refinement levels then it is a different matter altogether.

I tried a Safari yesterday. I felt the clutch is placed too high and I had to lift my leg almost by half foot to press it and it travels very long. Will be extremely tiring to drive, both in highways and in city. The traffic in highways is also ever increasing thanks to tens of thousands of cars that sell every month. If Aria's clutch position is similar to Safari's, it will be very hard for an average Joe.

[civicsense]

@idofsuresh: I guess Tata wants us to believe that the Aria is much more than an MUV (Innova, Xylo etc). Aria base-variant is around 1L more expensive than Innova highest end. For that you get a more powerful engine, 4WD, SUV-like GC and ruggedness etc.

On the other hand, when you compare it to the SUVs like Fortuner, it starts to look like a better deal, given all the gizmos in the top-end Aria.

Of course, the underlying assumption is again that long-term reliability is better than before and that Tata bucks up on its customer service experience.

At some point in the future, it might even make sense for Tata and Maruti to start new brands of premium cars (a la Lexus, Acura and Infinity) to get rid of the low-budget tag that is associated with these brands. But thats probably 5-10 years down the line I guess...

[architect]

Another good review, GTO. I seem to find your reviews getting shorter in word length but still quite comprehensive, which seems like a good sign to me.

Was there no opportunity to test the 4WD? I was actually looking forward to that part since TML has been tom-toming the crossover part so loudly. No doubt, you have tested the people-mover part well.

Looking at the price, it seems to be quite clear that buyers of the Innova (except those who are comfortable buying the V variant) still have only one option left: the Xylo. No doubt, the Xylo's third row makes it a true people mover.

idofsuresh just mentioned "if I was in the market for a 20 lac rupee MUV". This is perhaps the most important thing about this vehicle: kickstarting a new segment.

[PaddleShifter]

Excellent Review GTO. The addition of so many pics in your reviews makes them worth reading and more interesting. Almost every feature is shown in the pics you attach with your reviews.

I think the price of this car is justified for the features it carries. TATA has really put some good features and some are really creative (Air-Con vents on B-pillar).


Ex-Showroom price(Chandigarh) is competitive.
But nothing beats the Fortuner in terms of looks and road presence. A Toyota Fortuner in white color is still the best buy and I think its better to rather wait and have a bit higher budget and go for Fortuner instead (just my personal opinion).

[sachinj12]

As always, excellent review GTO.

I agree with your point that Tata should have given a slush box option. Its too important a thing to miss in the 15+ segment.

[Rudra Sen]

Undoubtedly this is the most crisp review. Saw this car few weeks back on the road. Surely it has road presence. With fatter tyres it'll be even more I'm sure.

Originally Posted by GTO

• By not giving an automatic option, Tata has missed an opportunity. Premium car buyers are increasingly choosing slush boxes. This is all the more relevant as the Aria is targeted toward the urban customer.

I think it's a calculative step from TATA. Probably they just want to see the market response before offering that. Let's not forget.. this is the costliest offering from TATA at this point in time. Adding another lakh is not going to paint any pretty picture. Not now at least.

[condor]

GTO, kudos for another comprehensive review. Opened the the thread to have a first glance (have to rush), but ended up doing much more than that.

The fit & finish has jumped a couple of generations forward. I dont think one needs to /can add much to the car in terms of accessories. But space for the 3rd row will be a sore point.

Come to think of it, the lower variant may be a good platform for customization by the likes of DC. There's tonnes of space to play around with.

[speedmiester]

Great review again.
Curiously looking forward to the sales figures and the initial ownership reports.
Tata needs to pull up their socks and offer exclusive service to Aria owners.

[blackbeast]

Originally Posted by GTO

The Smaller but Significant things:

The automatic wiper sensor is mounted on the base of the windscreen.

Material similar to MB-Tex. It is a vinyl used by Mercedes Benz and made famous for its durability:

Roof-mounted controls for the lights and rear air-conditioner. These buttons engage the vents on the B & C Pillars:

Middle button activates the "approach lights". Useful for finding your car in a tightly packed parking lot:

The cooled (via AC) glovebox can function as a regular glovebox if you turn off the cold-air valve (top right):

The inbuilt GPS has an option to guide you to the nearest Tata dealership / service station. Neat, especially when in unfamiliar locations:

Rear seat recline controls are awkwardly positioned, right next to the neck restraints. Thus, you have to reach over your shoulder to adjust:

Extendable sunshades rock!

A hydraulic jack to make things a little easier:

12v socket and light in the boot. Light doesn't activate automatically when the rear hatch is opened. Rather, you have to switch it on manually:

The shoulder of the middle row seat hits the AC vent, preventing it from folding forward completely. A design flaw:

This is why GTO reports are unique. How many reviewers pay attention towards such design issues. That said, I liked the points quoted above. A huge leap forward for TATA. The base model is sure to encounter those sales number of innova. People who shy away from Taxi innova image are certainly in the kitty for TATA.As nicely pointed out, lot of segment firsts or industry firsts in the vehicle. Interiors are out of the world while exteriors are just good but far better than Innova. However, the key is how vehicles from initial batches perform. Remember the 2007 first batch 2.2vtt issues.

Good news for me is, I can expect improvement at this level in the next gen safari. That will shake up the 1:3 safari n scorpio sales figures. TATA set to redefine their standards. New vista,manza and Aria. Well done TATA

[Klub Class]

Another brilliant review GTO.

It seems that the build quality and fit & finish has improved by leaps and bounds. I'm really impressed by the interiors. The A/C vents on the B-pillar and C-pillar looks awesome. I wish they had not sacrificed the space for the 3rd row!

But, for me - the car looks like a Manza when viewed from the front. Any takers?

Rated 5 stars

Amith

[Dippy]

Fantastic review guys. The Aria has superb road presence. Its really huge. I do see some JLR effect here but they should have also used that in the overall fit and finish as well. That stapling of the carpet with patches are a no no even on a test car. But one thing that has me impressed is that the safety equipment is standard across all the variant. Brownie points to them for that.

Very optimistic pricing by Tata. One reason I see that they have wanted to keep the Aria from the taxi segment but for how long? A bare bones model is needed and that will surely be introduced in the coming months. It's a "cant' ignore" factor.

I also feel that an AT with the Pride model pricing would have been awesome. Are you listening?

[sidindica]

Avant garde review GTO and rehaan!

The vehicle looks promising, the concept and execution look perfect, lets see for customer reaction and ownership experiance.

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for another great review GTO.

As for Tata - bad luck - they overdid the pricing. At 17L on road, i see many people happily paying extra 20% for an Endeavor/Captiva/Fortuner.

[rkbharat]

awesome review GTO.

Personally I doubt if ARIA will stand for VFM tag of Tata