Tata Aria Prestige - Pearl White, Fabric Trim Background:
Our saga of the Aria started a long time ago. Since my father worked in Land Rover and GM dealership in Saudi, we have had a long
history of SUV's.They include:
1) Series I Range Rover 2 door
2)Series III Range Rover Vogue w/ Air suspension
3)Cadillac Escalde
4)Chevrolet Tahoe
5)GMC Suburban
6) Chevrolet Captiva
7)GMC Acadia and finally
8) Chevrolet Traverse
Of course except for the Range Rover's all the vehicles were company cars. In 1998, my father stayed behind in Saudi while the remaining
members migrated to India. Around 2004, with my sisters and I all growing up, the need for an SUV was apparent. But for some reason
those plans could never materialized. In the meantime we bought two Wagon R LPG cars. The justification being that since we lived in the
city and had no outstation plans, it would be more economical. However in the August of this year, My sister got engaged and is due to
get married in Feb. This really was the catalyst for us and we realized that we needed an SUV by NOvember.That was the easy part, we now
had the task of searching for the ideal car...but which one!!?? Selection:
Since I am an automotive design student, I was acutely aware of our familys needs and expectations. Fortunately many SUV's catered to
those needs. Unfortunately their priorities differed and we had to eventually compromise.
Xylo: Too Ugly,Too Tall
Scorpio: Too High for elderly members, Old design, not very well made
Innova: Taxi Image, Huge Waiting list
Endeavor: Overall good but since based on Ford Ranger ride tended to be firm
Fortuner: Based on the Innova but twice the cost!!?? Are you serious??!!
Captiva: The most ideal choice
but far too expensive, due to be phased out soon.
After lots of searching, finally came across the Aria. The points that won me were:
1)Long development cycle means parts have been tested and refined
2)Design was not technically crossover but was very well proportioned and makes a good impression.
3)Car needed to be strong for the bad roads in hyd, but also easy to drive and park
4)Feature list beyond anything in the market today
5) Cargo space with all three rows up.
6)Reasonable economy Booking and Delivery:
Really nothing special to add here. Went to Concorde and was taken care of by Mr. Ayim. Professional but a little irritating.
But I guess thats the sign of a good salesman.
We initially planed for an Aria Pleasure. But when I saw the vehicle, I decided it was a bad idea. We instead went for a
Prestige in Pearl with Fabric interior. For some reason I could not wrap my head around the black+plum trim. Not to mention the cost
difference.
OTR Price: 16.9L, not bad considering that is close to a fully loaded L&K Octavia. Driving Impressions:
1) Footwell is actually small and gives the impression that the pedals are a little off-center
2)Engine and road noise damped very well
3)Headlamps are good but blind anyone in its path
4)I mentioned this earlier but there tends to be a blistering of the paint behind the tailgate, I'll upload them and show you.
5)Turbo Lag takes time to get used to. The surge in power is tremendous in the green zone.
6)Weight of the steering wheel varies depending on speed
.
7)Not very happy in start-stop traffic, but is still quite managable.
8)As mentioned many times, the volume controls tend to get pressed by accident. More Driving Impressions UPDATE:
1) On the way back yesterday night, I noticed some moisture on the inside of the headlamps. My guess is that the heat from the engine has seeped into the headlight assembly. Will take care of it in the upcoming service.
2)As of now the FE seems to have stabilized. City is around 9.5-9.8 and highway is between 11 and 12km/l. It may improve once the engine has been run in.
3)Even though it is tuned for highway cruising, the gear ratios suffice for city traffic as well, albeit not that responsive. 2nd and 3rd gear should be more than enough for avg traffic in the city.
4)The more and more I drive it in the city, the more I appreciate the damping. It really absorbs the bumps with ease.
5) Rocky gets really rolly-polly when he's filled with people. Car does tend to sway while cornering at almost any speed.
6) It is quite easy to lose your bearings with the speed! Gently dab the accelerator but NEVER jab it in the city!! It tends to run away once past 2000rpm which means you could easily hit a car which has stopped infront of you. Try to keep the revs below 1800.
7) You can drive this car with the one-hand-on-wheel-other-hand-on-gear lever technique. Its not ideal but it does prevent the volume controls being pressed by accident.
8)Had a chance to try out the bluetooth today. Works fine but I would have liked it if there was bluetooth streaming.
9) 3rd row is cramped for anyone above 5'9. Since I am 5'5 I am quite ok sitting back there. Trust me, there are SUV's which have worse.
10) You genuinely dont feel like this is a huge car when you drive it. This feels a lot like my WagonR, except its a lot higher of course. Range of movement of the seats is very respectable. Tall and Short alike will be able to drive.
11) Fuel tank is HUGE! I filled 20lts and its only 1/3rd full!!
12) Reverse horn is an absolute must in this car! Also it pays to have another person in the car with you!
Pics coming soon. Stay Tuned!!
Last edited by GTO : 28th November 2010 at 17:50.
Reason: Adding your 2nd page driving impressions to the opening post itself. Congrats :)
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