[chetanthaker]

Mod Note : Team-BHP's Review of the Vista D90 is located at this link

Was selected as part of a blogger activity (will not name here) where I could get to test drive a D90 for 3 full days and write a review in return.

Prelude: I had requested for a car over the weekend so I could drive it about in Mumbai in various parts of town, but TATA Motors ended up (regrettably) coming on a Thursday. The driver reached my building complex and asked the security guard to let him speak with me over intercom before handing over the keys. The guard, by pure error, dialed someone else, who denied the fact that they had asked for a test drive. The call ended up being my dad who was absolutely clueless and the driver was asked to go back. After about 2 hours, I dialed TATA motors asking where is the car they promised on a Thursday. The TATA Motors exec said that 'Sir, you yourself said that you did not want to drive the car'. Being clueless about this discussion as well, I asked him to come in again tomorrow and call me on my mobile once the guy is in. Friday morning, the same driver showed up and called me on my phone and I quickly arranged to pick up the keys from him and headed to work.

Initial impressions:
First time I got inside the car, I was pleasantly surprised at how spacious the car was. The driver seat was too high and too far ahead. Managed to get in a driving position in less than a minute. Steering height was also adjusted. Kick started the engine and figured that the RHS ORVM was not right and went ahead to adjust that, but found out that 1/3rds of the ORVM was reflecting the driver and the back door. Blind spot!

Engine:
The first time I started the car, it was eerily quiet. No vibrations, no dielse engine clatter, nothing. Pulled down the windows and the story did not change. Figured that this was a 'warm' diesel engine and was confident that the noise would be even worse on a cold start. Got comfortable and started driving to work. The engine was very rev-happy with the pull-zone being between 2000-3500 RPM, and the rev needle went all the way to 8000RPM!. Figured that the turbo lag would be insane, but it was just fine. Power delivery was linear and there was very minimal turbo lag. The engine starts making a noise at 3000RPM and wants you to push more. And it does not disappoint. Post the turbo band, the power delivery is still linear but the acceleration is not as hard. Also, the power delivery is not as violent as the Verna VGT, which means that the car is driveable in bumper-to-bumper traffic. When you do rev the engine, you feel (and hear) that you are going fast, but in reality, you are always about 20kmph slower than what you expect. (Verdict: LOVED the engine)

Gearbox:
With a great engine, you will always need a great gearbox. Unfortunately, the D90 disappoints. This one has a 5 speed gearbox with the gear ratios inconsistently spaced. The 1st gear is good for you to get to 20kmph, even though you rev to 4000, switch to higher gears and you will experience a jerk. This engine deserves a 6 speed for you to actually 'cruise' at the speeds you want to - which is about ~100kmph. (Verdict: Disappointed)

Exteriors:
An Indica of 2012 still has the roots of the old Indicas of the 1990s. The same mouse-like design, but the styling has evolved to a great extent. The headlights are wickedly swept back and the rear looks clean. I am not a very big fan of chrome plating and thank God, it did not have that gaudy tacky-looking chrome everywhere on the car. The side indicators are embedded into the body and hidden under the ORVM. Not a very optimum design, but it did not seem to bother me too much. However, I still prefer the pimple-like side indicators we have on the Swift. (Verdict: Happy with the design refresh)

Interiors:
Having owned an Indica about 10 years back, I was not expecting anything better. But boy was I surprised! Not saying that the interior quality was great, but the fact that they did think over the design made it worth it. The plastics were below average and it should really have been similar to the new Swifts at least. The cabin was insanely quiet and almost no ambient noise from the outside made it's way into the car. (Verdict: Confused - Dissatisfied at the quality of plastics, but happy that they did put their heads together for the design, though it being a direct rip-off of the Manza). The seats are flat and hard. There is no lateral support and can be slippery when turning sharply.
(Verdict: Let down with the interior quality)

The Niggles:
Far too many, I am afraid.
1. There is a huge blindspot on the RHS ORVM, which is quite frankly, dangerous when you are merging on to a highway at night.
2. No dead pedal. You will always have your left foot on the clutch (see pictures). There is no 'rest' position for both of your legs if you adjust the seat to the lowest position.
3. The Horn was feeble and at the end of the 2nd day, the horn sounded like it is going to give up entirely on me. Sounds like an old man yelling at you, while being choked by someone.
4. The Central Console might look pretty with the decent paint job on horrible plastic, but there is no excuse of making a tiny 'OK' button 6 inches away from the navigation pad. The Aux/USB rubber protector will fall off after 10 uses.
5. Tyres need to be wider and the wheels need to be at least 2 sizes bigger. This is ridiculous.
6. Seats are hard and flat. Replacing them with benches with spikes in them would be more comfortable, IMHO.
7. Seat belt slot does not move. The seat belt is always in an awkward angle which cuts through your neck if you are a 6-foot largish man.
8. If you take the keys out and if the lights are turned on, they will remain on. Come on! Even my 2006 Swift VXi turned off the lights when the key was pulled out. You risk battery drain and the only thing to remind you is the forgetful beep, which you think is the car telling you that the key is out.

In a nutshell, I was expecting the Vista D90 to be the same as what I had driven ~10 years back, but I was surprised at how much the car has evolved. There still are things which remind you that this car was not entirely thought through (or was intentionally left behind citing cost cutting). This car is all about the engine and the engine alone.

As a first car, I would recommend it, surely. With the mileage it (and the instant mileage-meter) claims at 25KMpl, I think this is a good deal.

[Schoudhury]

How does the car handles?
Because with the added power if the car doesnt handle properly whats the use of it .
The fog lamps seems to be really powerful .
Also you can directly upload the pictures here rather than the external link.
The boot space comparison with a LPG cylinder was too much , i guess it will be helpful for people looking for CNG kit.

Cheers

[chetanthaker]

Originally Posted by Schoudhury

How does the car handles?
Because with the added power if the car doesnt handle properly whats the use of it .
The fog lamps seems to be really powerful .
Also you can directly upload the pictures here rather than the external link.
The boot space comparison with a LPG cylinder was too much , i guess it will be helpful for people looking for CNG kit.

Cheers

1. The car does not handle as well as my Swift. Feels a little nervous when I drive above 100kmph. Thanks to the thin tyres
2. The Fog lamps are quite powerful, yes - But the illumination is not of any use to the driver. It just lights up the road - Maybe a tiny adjustment in the angle should let it act like another dim-dip
3. Will try to upload pictures here. I thought the post would be much more cleaner had I posted an album on imgur. Let me try this out though
4. Haha, yes, it really is as big as a CNG cylinder, but this being a diesel with 'claimed' good mileage, I doubt that will be used.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[deetjohn]

Thanks for sharing this with us chetanthaker.

Originally Posted by chetanthaker

The engine was very rev-happy with the pull-zone being between 2000-3500 RPM, and the rev needle went all the way to 8000RPM!.

8000 RPM on the MJD! Is that a typo?

[chetanthaker]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Thanks for sharing this with us chetanthaker.



8000 RPM on the MJD! Is that a typo?

The needle goes all the way to 8000
I have personally hit the 5500 rpm mark on 2nd gear.

[Biraj]

Thank you for sharing the review! Blame our curiosity for information, the review could have been a bit more detailed for a 2/3 day test. Can you please elaborate on the ride and handling a bit more, especially on different types of roads?

8000 RPM for a diesel seems very high. Not sure if Punto 90 HP manages to reach such RPMs. I am surprised that Tata didn't decide to copy the tyre size of Punto 90 HP. It might have given it better stance.

[kaviprem]

Good way to start the review. But, I dont agree the list of niggles you have pointed out. Not that I know about this Vista edition. But, everything that you listed under "niggles" seem to be the way it is designed. Probably, a feedback for TML designers/technicians rather than niggles.

I am sure, we will have more thoughts coming in, lets wait and watch.

Well tried
Prem.

[Sommos]

Thanks for sharing your views with us, but I was expecting a more detailed one, bit disappointed. I could not find anything about the suspension & brakes and ride comfort & handling of the car.

The only thing that you loved about the car was the engine and this is the Fiat 1.3 MJD, if I am not wrong.

Would like to hear more about ride comfort - handling - suspension.

[bblost]

Thanks a lot for your review.

Originally Posted by chetanthaker

2. The Fog lamps are quite powerful, yes - But the illumination is not of any use to the driver. It just lights up the road - Maybe a tiny adjustment in the angle should let it act like another dim-dip

Fogs are meant for lighting up the road. They are not supplementary headlights.

[directinjection]

Thanks for the review Chetan!

I find it curious that the head unit in your car looks like the regular Vista head unit. D90 comes with a touch screen operated head unit whose screen is much larger and which does not have the plastic buttons.

[swiftnfurious]

Thanks for the review.

Originally Posted by chetanthaker

...2. The Fog lamps are quite powerful, yes - But the illumination is not of any use to the driver. It just lights up the road - Maybe a tiny adjustment in the angle should let it act like another dim-dip

Fog lights are supposed to light up the front edges with a wider view for the driver. The throw is NOT supposed to be great or its NOT even designed to be compared to the low/high beams.

Originally Posted by deetjohn

..8000 RPM on the MJD! Is that a typo?

I believe TATA has used the same console as petrol option in Manza. If you notice, there is NO red lining marked on it specific for a diesel. I do NOT think anyone can hit 8000 rpm on a 1.3 MJD.

Edit:: The buttons on this car need to re-designed! That's one quite area which gives a low quality interior feel. And the golden paint too! I just can't take it!

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Thanks for sharing this with us chetanthaker.



8000 RPM on the MJD! Is that a typo?

Probably because its a company test car, the rev limiter might be lifted for whatever purpose.

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by chetanthaker

The needle goes all the way to 8000
I have personally hit the 5500 rpm mark on 2nd gear.

Oh my! Next time, please shift up to 3rd. You'll accelerate much faster, burn less fuel, make less smoke, bring down the NVH and help preserve the mechanical components.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by chetanthaker

Was selected as part of a blogger activity (will not name here) where I could get to test drive a D90 for 3 full days and write a review in return.

Thanks for the informative review chetanthaker. It will definitely help people who are looking for a cheaper alternative to the other two 90bhp diesel hatchbacks on sale - i20 Asta / Punto 90HP.

Without meaning any offense, the 'niggles' that you pointed out aren't really niggles, they are design flaws - things like mirrors not showing enough of the road, or tyres being too skinny, etc. When you said too many 'niggles' i thought you experienced things breaking off or rattling in those 3 days due to poor quality.

The Niggles:
8. If you take the keys out and if the lights are turned on, they will remain on. Come on! Even my 2006 Swift VXi turned off the lights when the key was pulled out. You risk battery drain and the only thing to remind you is the forgetful beep, which you think is the car telling you that the key is out.

Some cars like the Punto have a total electrical shutdown after locking it. It is all systems off, unless you activated the follow-me-home lamps which remain on for some fixed duration. I suppose Tata should have thought of something as trivial as this.

Got comfortable and started driving to work. The engine was very rev-happy with the pull-zone being between 2000-3500 RPM, and the rev needle went all the way to 8000RPM!.

Originally Posted by deetjohn

8000 RPM on the MJD! Is that a typo?

Originally Posted by Biraj

8000 RPM for a diesel seems very high. Not sure if Punto 90 HP manages to reach such RPMs.

Impossible for a diesel engine to touch 8000 rpm! The first and probably the second of these possibilities are true :

1. The D90 probably shares the same console / tacho gauges with the petrol 90HP variant of the Vista, which explains the reason why the tacho is marked so high. The same is the case with Punto and Swift.

2. Tata must have calibrated the needle to move double than the actual rpm after a certain level , just to make the driver optimistic. The 1.3 MultiJet doing 8000 rpm is ridiculous. In fact any diesel doing those level of revs is ridiculous. Even many of our petrols can't manage that high figure.

P.S - the punto 90hp with the same vgt engine starts screaming at around 4800-4900 rpm. I think the actual redline is around 5000rpm. It will refuse to budge an inch after that.