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-   -   500 kms on my Infinity Black Manza (Quadrajet Aura ABS) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/71067-500-kms-my-infinity-black-manza-quadrajet-aura-abs.html)

Hi guys, Actually i took my time to write about Manza because I wanted to test it first. I brought home my Infinity Black Manza (Quadrajet Aura ABS) on 19th Last month (Nov). Till now i have clocked 500+ kms on it and here is my experience;
Exteriors:
A lot has already been written about the looks so i will keep it short. There is no doubt that Tata has worked extensively on the looks of the car. Wherever I have taken it, it has always managed to turn heads. The headlights are a piece of art, a prominent shoulder line running across the sides, and a Cadillac-ish Rear cluster. Though the wheels could have been a size larger, they certainly look better than the older Indigo. It was disappointing to know that Tata does not offer Alloys on any of the variants and I had to shell out an extra 20k for a good set of alloys. But all in all it is quite a good effort.
Interiors:
Having owned an Indica and then an Indigo, the interiors did impress me. Unlike the earlier interiors which screamed pure utility, the new interiors with a beige finish do manage to give a luxurious feel to the vehicle. Though the plastic quality is still not the best or comparable to better brands in its segment, it is certainly not disappointing or does not feel "cheap". The centre console has been beautifully integrated with the dash. The instrument cluster does feel a little cramped and a little bigger dials would have made it look attractive. However little innovative touches like the Rev needle turning red on revving the engine too hard does bring a smile. Also small additions like a drawer underneath the front passengers seat, a larger illuminated glove box, a charger at the rear, theater style dimming interior lights all make you feel delighted about this vehicle.
What you notice as soon as you step inside is the space inside the vehicle. I have an Altis, but still the space inside Manza beats Altis hollow. Even with the front seat pushed back as far as it can go, a 6ft rear passenger can easily sit without having to grumble about his legs touching the front seat. Three fully grown "healthy" adults can easily sit in the back seat without any of them compromising on ones own space. That is the kind of space I am talking about. Also the rear seat is soooo comfortable, for the rear passenger, who usually grumbles, it makes a long journey seem all the more wonderful. The back angle and the thigh support are just about perfect. In fact my mom now likes to be driven around in Manza rather than Altis because of the rear seat comfort!! The boot space is enormous, so huge that it can actually swallow your entire house in case you decide to shift.
A few disappointments though; the Sunglasses holder present in Indigo is missing, the controls on the steering don't allow you to change the channel, they allow you to change the frequency so shuffling through stored channels needs you to take your hand off the steering, A center armrest for the driver would have been a delight in this segment, also I think Swift Desire comes with an automatic climate control, missing in Manza. Another irritant present in all Tata vehicles is the "clunky" door noise. It actually robs the upmarket feel of the vehicle. One actually needs to slam shut the door to ensure it is closed properly, giving it a very metallic noise. I hope Tata brings in some changes to improve the feel when you close the door. Also the Music system has a blue background and the text quite similar to the ones found on first generation Black & White cell phones. A better display screen and font would have certainly felt much better.
Also some of the warning signals could have been improved. Firstly, the seat belt warning bell, which seems directly from an aircraft, is present only for the driver and not the passenger. There is no alarm for open doors apart from a sign in the dash. Also if any of the doors are not closed properly the doors do not get locked automatically after a certain speed, a kind of an indicator that some door is not shut properly.

Drive:
The moment you start the car it gives a fairly loud engine noise accompanied by some vibrations. But no need to worry as all this is just temporary. Slot the gear into 1st in the new improved gearbox, which is much better than the Indigo, and rev the engine a little and the engine immediately changes its tune to a more subdued and smoother beat. The gearbox feels much better with gears slotting perfectly. What is really amazing is the ease of driving this vehicle in city inspite of it being a diesel. There is no sluggishness that was present in the Indigo. In the first gear, release the clutch and the vehicle immediately responds like and eager kid off to play. It almost feels like a petrol engine. Tata seems to have worked extensively on gear ratios and low end torque because there is no more hassle of changing gears at signals. At full load of 5 passengers, the vehicle still managed to pull away easily in the 2nd gear. Also the pickup of the vehicle is simply awesome and so is its handling. In fact both of them encourage you to push the vehicle a little more and it is actually fun tearing across ghats and winding roads. Also the higher the speed, the more smoother the engine feels and sounds. As you pull away from the traffic or accelerate on the open road, power delivery is extremely smooth. this is unlike Indigo where one could feel the turbo charger kicking in after (I Guess) 20K Rpm. The steering response is quite accurate. However there is a buzzing sound of the motors accompanying the steering which is quite audible when the steering is rotated to its fullest. It being a FIAT engine (same as Linea) it has returned an impressive average of almost 17-18km/ltr in city and 21 kms on highways.
A higher ground clearance ensures you have peace of mind on uneven and broken roads. Manza easily absorbs any undulations or potholes that the road may throw at it. Though the muted thuds are audible the vehicle does not lose its composure and if it were not for the sound, the passengers would not even know that the vehicle passed over a pothole. However on an extremely rough road, with lots of crests and troughs the ride does tend to get a bit bouncy.
The AC has been extremely good, effectively cooling the vehicle in no time even in the afternoon. However, this being winter, the real test would obviously be a few months down the line when temperatures soar above 35 degrees.
Illumination at night is extremely effective as the lights throw ample light both in brightness and reach. Also the headlights are manually adjustable.

Finally, I feel the vehicle is great Value for Money.
Space much larger than a vehicle twice its cost, features at par if not more than vehicles in the same segment. Rear seat comfort way beyond even those of higher segment. Add to it an extremely fuel efficient and proven FIAT engine.
The improvements in the products over the years is quite visible even though there is still scope for improvement. Nevertheless, the evolution of the vehicles from the Indica to the new Vista and Indigo to the new Manza is commendable. Hopefully, if Tata can consistently maintain quality with products like these and new improved ones over the next few years, Tata would be easily be able to give nightmares to most of its competition and be a sought after brand in the Indian Market.

Sunil; that was a nice unbiased review coming from a Tata car and Toyota car owner. :thumbs up

Can we have some pix too please; havent see a Manza with alloys.

The text in bold sums it up for rear seat comfort. Even if I may be an enthusiast and not like the way the power is delivered or about the quality of plastics, what matters more to me is how the rest of the family likes it before I even consider putting down my money for a car. With a review like that for a car from an owner, I would much rather put my money down on a Manza rather than an Altis as what matters more to me is the comfort of family members rather than my own.

I did read in some online automag (dont remember which) that the author dozed off on the Mumbai-Pune run when his colleague was driving and he was on the backseat, all the time the car was doing 3-digit speeds.

Maybe there is hope for me, if family dozes off leaving me to speed on the road (safely of course) and not hear 'SLOW DOWN' any time I go over 65 kmph.clap:

+1 on that... The Manza seems to be the only one that has been designed with a 'family sedan' brief, instead of the usual 'performance sedan' or 'executive sedan' brief..

Sometimes it seems to me that the in the Indian market the 'family' car design brief is restricted to hatchbacks, which is a little sad...

Sunil - nice review- More believable due to having owned other TATA's and Altis in the past.

Congrats on the Manza, Sunil! That's an excellent straight forward review you've contributed to the community. I hope you keep updating it with your service experiences + costs. Drive safe!

It probably turns heads because its a "new" Tata car, rather than from a design standpoint? :)

I kinda like the rear end design. More so when we compare it to the Dzire.

Well said. It's not Hyundai i20 level, but the interior quality is not a deal breaker at all.

That's saying a hell lot.

No better 6 lakh sedan to be chauffeur-driven, Sir!

So true. Lets go further, how about a rear air-con (for a car that stresses on back seat comfort) unit? Could double up as a center armrest.

You've highlit some amazing points (including negatives) which are only evident once you live with a car. Again, congrats and drive safe, Sunil.

The confused soul as I was already, you have added more to that by this review Sunil. That was a good review coming straight from an owner who has lived with the car for some time.

Me too, graduating from Indica Xeta to new car...and confused between Fiesta or SX4 (read my thread in this section), this one now adds to the list. Well done. :D.

How about some pics? Keep driving and keep posting.

Congrats Sunil. Post some snaps buddy.
Hope your dealer has visited you and rectified/verified the niggle adding a small gap between steering & brake pipes. According to my dealer this was observed in most of the Manza PDI'ed and this was by default getting rectified in recent deliveries, but guess we were the earliest folks to get Manza.


Vijay

I am 188 cms tall, i have been able to sit comfortably on the rear seat (along with 3 others) of a manza with the driver's seat positioned at the most backward position. Of course the car was stationary.

personally i think Manza is a good product from Tata
how it will perform actually in the market & on Indian roads, time will tell.


Hi Sunil

Congratulations on buying a new Tata manza.
please keep your ownership thread updated periodically.
this will help others to understand more about the car.

drive safe.

Nice review sunil.I agree with you on the space manza provides.it is much more than my optra.
How is the ICE? Have you tried answering calls through them?
I have been suggesting Manza to anyone with a budget of 7L. IMHO there is no other car with this VFM.

Hey guys, I am equally eager to put snaps of my Manza on the forum. However my Camera has been smuggled away by my younger brother for a trip to Agra. He is expected to be back by 22nd....so guess the snaps will have to wait till then. In the meanwhile if I can manage a camera from somewhere I shall do the needful. Can someone please guide me as to how I can uploads pics on the forum? please:

Congratulations on new car.

Check this thread for photo upload to T-bhp

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/announ...-team-bhp.html

Congrats on the Manza. Do keep updating this thread with your experiences. It would help a lot of the other aspiring Manza buyers.

Please upload some pictures as well.

Congratulations on the Manza Sunil clap:
Excellent review.
I saw the Manza close up at the V Kool outlet at Vile Parle in Mumbai while having sun film installed on my car.
It is truly an impressive effort from Tata and from the VFM angle surely none to beat either in the diesel or petrol category in its class.
Please keep us updated on the after sales service with Tata and hope the build quality lasts i.e. no squeaks or rattles early in life.
Enjoy your drive :)

ooh i am excited to see the pics!! congratulations!! manza is the epitome of VFM :D

the only grudge i have with this is the treatment of the c pillar, they could have done it like the jetta, or the linea, they have better sloping c pillars which gives the car a proper sedan look!(sloping and thick c pillar)! but maybe manza will grow on me! other than that i think its a fantastic car!