COMING OF AGE: TATA INDICA VISTA 1.3 QUADRAJET REVIEW
Update: Review updated with even more pictures.
The Indica has been a landmark product for Tata Motors. Launched way back in 1998, a car concieved by the Indians for the Indians, Ratan Tata’s dream car for Indians was bit of a nightmare really. Reliability was suspect, the car would breakdown in the middle of the road without any warnings, the quality was way below passenger car standards let alone comparing it to the competition. The sales faded away after the initial hysteria died down and thats when Tata Motors really woke up. A nice good looking, roomy car with a frugal diesel and an affordable petrol engine at an ‘Indian’ price, you couldn’t really fault Tata Motors as far as fundamentals were concerned, it was the execution which let them down.
The company worked really hard thereafter to make Indica the success story it is today. Every aspect of the car was given a throughover and improved in some way or the other. The chassis was made stiffer by improving the weld joints, the front and rear suspension were altered to retain the alignment, tormented against the unforgiving Indian roads, all that alongwith improved levels of quality and V2 was launched and it changed everything.
Indica no longer was an unreliable car and from then on went on to become a huge success. The car was refreshed every now and then and with each iteration Tata Motors improved the quality and reliability even further. There are more than 9.1 Lakh Indica’s already on the roads and the car is well accepted in the Taxi market where taking abuse is order of the day, a huge testimony to all the hard work put in by Tata Motors into the car.
Although reliable, the Indica fell short as far as refinement was concerned. It was always a point A to B automobile, a big roomy hatch with a frugal diesel engine is what everyone knew of the Indica. Tata did try and inject some ‘desirability factor ‘ with the Turbo and the DICOR versions, but the car still fell short on the refinement which remains its achilles heel even today.
All along the way Tata Motors learnt valuable lessons from the Indica project and the other models spawned from the same base, the Indigo family. The new Indica Vista is the crux of all the learnings the company has accumulated over the last 10 years and the results are nothing less than astonishing….. read further!
Exterior Styling, Chassis, Engineering and Suspension
Tyre size still looks small for the car
One look and the car looks like an Indica to a casual eye, but look closely and you will notice that everything has changed. Under the familiar looking shape lies an all new platfrom, all new interiors and a completely new outer skin. The car measures nearly 3.8 meters in length, 1.7 meters in width with a best-in-class 2470mm of wheelbase which means ever more interior room (not that the current Indica was short on it but having more never hurts… does it?). The ‘peeled up’ petal shaped headlamps look stunning complemented by the trademark smiling honeycomb grill upfront. There is a new central character line on the hood, a sharp new crease line that run across the length of the car just below the beltline, a fuss-free ‘clean’ front bumper with classy circular fog lamps.
The side turn indicators are incorporated on matt plastic just behind the outside rear view mirror, an unusual placement mainly for the stylistically inclined. The front windscreen is steeply raked and the whole glass-house area is rounded and ends in a nicely rounded back! The glasshouse is large which means airy interiors and a trimmer C-Pillar which will aid in reverse/parking visibility.
The rear still has the tall roof length christmas tree tail lights, again an Indica trademark and a crease on the hatch door for good effect. The rear bumper is again neat with embedded reflectors at the either end to break the monotony.
The styling may be evolutionary but what lies beneath is truly revolutionary as far as Tata Motors in concerned. There are quite a few ‘firsts’ for a TATA passenger car, the suspension is mounted on a sub-frame for enhanced transverse stiffness meaning better ride, handling and refinement, the body uses higher strength steel panels for enhanced torsional and bending stiffness, tailor welded blanks have been used for the first time to reduce weight, the company has left no stone unturned.
The exterior fit and finish is top notch and you no longer can insert your entire finger into a panel gap. The panels gaps are even and tight and the car feels built to last. The doors close with a nice ‘thud’ that is reminiscent of a European built automobile and the pull-type door opening levers feel better too.
Gas charged dampers which react instantly to bumps compared to oil filled units have been used all around to improve refinement and ride quality. Front suspension remains largely the same but the biggest change has come via a completely new semi-independent twist beam rear suspension which eliminates alignment problems, another of Indica’s long term bug-bear due to independent rear suspension. The power steering is still hydraulic (thank for not going electric Tata).
The only grouse is the size of the wheels (14 inch), which still look a bit too small for the car and spoil the look to an extent. Speaking of tyres, the car comes with Tubeless footwear as standard, another step in the right direction.
Interiors and Comfort
Doors open 90 Degrees wide to ease ingress & egress
As we predicted earlier, the interiors are the best yet on a Tata passenger vehicle both in terms of design & execution and quality. The quality especially has taken a huge leap but even though very decent, its still not the best in its class. The interior panels gaps are still there and the pastic quality lacks the premium feel.
Steering wheel shrouds still dont fit properly
Ill fitting plastics still, around the door pads
Some of the plastic bits in the car, especially around the door pads are positively down market and there are still parts which dont fit together as well, like for example the steering wheel shrouds and inside door opening levers which feel flimsy.
Overall the interiors are a nice place to be and Tata designers have used multiple textures and soft grain plastics to good effect. The three tone interiors, especially the beige with large glasshouse makes the cabin feel airy and nice and is an exact opposite to the Swift which has a gloomy black plastic all around with a small rear windows making the insides feel claustrophobic especially ture for the back seat passengers. Attention to detail is plenty this time with seat belts which are concealed and sealed at their place by a plastic cover, the grab handles for the passengers which are spring loaded, two 12 Volt DC outlet at the front and another one at the back on the parcel tray, the rear wiper that switches itself on while reversing when the front wiper is on! Even the central locking system is improved and doesnt sounds like a ‘bullet shot’ when called to work.
The ergonomics are great too. The driver seat is height adjustable on the top end Aura and the range of adjustment is absolutely brilliant. To a perch for a small driver, the seat can virtually come down to floor level if you like it that way, couple that with rake adjustable steering wheel and finding a perfect driving position is easy. Pedal placement itself is much improved compared to the Indica and the generous wheel well will accomodate even big foot drivers with ease.
Power windows switches now on the doors
The Glovebox is huge
The power window switches are where they should be, on the door pads. The door pads themselves have been designed to follow the natural placement of the arm. The door open 90 dgrees wide to ease ingress and egress, another Indica trademark. The glovebox is huge and can take a laptop if you like!
The A/C is a Chiller
A/C vents direct the air flow nicely although they dont shut micron tight
The A/C is a chiller and cools the cabin in no time at all. The AC vents themselves have two knobs each to direct the horizontal and vertical air flow as desired and do a mighty fine job of it, although they dont shut micron tight.
Loads of legroom for rear seat passengers
The seats are wide and offer good under thigh support and will seat 5 medium sized adults comfortably. There’s no shortage of legroom either given the long wheelbase. The front seats in the top end AURA also feature lumber support a first for its segment.
Central Instrument cluster is not a distraction
The biggest ergonomic change is the placement of the instrument console which is now in the middle of the dashboard just like the Chevvy Spark or the Nissin X-Trail with some calling it a disaster while some swearing by in-driving passenger involvement it provides. Let me assure everyone here, its not even half as bad as you might be thinking. The huge speedo with large font makes it easy for the driver to just glance at the speedo without taking his/her eyes of the road. There are two cupholders, a coin holder right next to the 12V DC outlet on the floor console and a place to keep your mobile phone and other knick knacks right below the tip of the hand brake. Under seat trays also make an appearance and can be used to keep precious stuff invisible to the eavesdroppers.
Blue lighting for the odometer numbers and temp gauge… cool!
The instrument cluster incorporates a tachometer and fuel gauge at the either side of the large speedo and various other tell-tale lights. The instrument panel lights up in a gorgeous white light while the electronic odometer fonts light themselves in blue digits…. very cool! It also has lights for airbags and ABS, safety features which Tata has promised to bring in another 6 months as an optional extra.
Standard Dual Din Stereo even with 6 speakers sounds average
The top end AURA also comes with a Dual DIN in-dash CD/MP3 player which supports USB input and has a auxillary input port to connect your i-pods. The delphi unit also comes with a remote to facilitate rear seat control and has with a total of 6-speakers, 4 in the doors and 2 on the dashboard. The sound from the system won’t impress an audiophile but is adequate for a normal listener.
The boot dissapointingly is just a wee bit larger than the current Indica and the intruding strut towers don’t the help the cause either. The top end AURA though offers 60:40 split rear seat which does improves the versatilty.
Another dissapointment are the small outside rear view mirrors not helped by the fact that they still come with plain glass instead of a convex one.
Overall the interiors are the most comfortable around and one of the best places to be in both as a driver and a passenger in its segment and even above and this is a huge compliment inspite of some shoddy plastic bits in the cabin.
Engine, Performance and Gearshift
To put it in a single line, the best application of the Fiat’s little wonder 1.3 Mulitjet (Called Quadrajet for Vista) yet. The engine is tuned more for low and mid-range than top end rush and develops 75 ps and 190 nm of torque at barely 1750 rpm!
Its an incredibly tractable, smooth, refined and quiet unit. The engine noise is barely audible inside with the windows rolled up and will remain muted as long as you dont push it too hard. Even when pushed hard it doesnt sound harsh at all or asking for mercy. The driveability is great too with car pulling (relative!) cleanly without any judder in fourth gear with 3 persons on board and A/C running from as little as 25 kmph! The turbo lag is well contained and the power delivery is extremely linear. The Swift VDi for example explodes after 2000 rpm, addictive alright but in everyday driving the Vista is better with a sustained shove all the way and a definite step up b/w 2000 to 2500 rpm. The gearing is spot on and the Vista can putter around the city all day in 3rd gear.
Gearshift is precise and positive
The hydraulic clutch is smooth and progressive and isnt overtly stiff . The cable operated gearbox with twin synchronisers is light and precise and is right up there with the best, if not the best… Fiat at work!
The flat out performance may not be as good as a Swift or even a Palio but thats not the point. The engine is tuned more for everyday driving with little fatigue and minimal gearshifts which will definitely improve economy and reliability in the long run.
Ride and Handling
Indica always rode well but the suspension was noisy and unrefined. The cabin used to fill with a boomy noise everytime the suspension worked overtime on potholes and every road undulation was uneccesarily felt and heard in the cabin. With the new Vista everything has changed. The new sub-frame mounted stiffened suspension is quiet and works unobstrusively even when going over larger than average Indian potholes. The ride quality is of a very high order and the car smoothers every road surface without shouting about it. There is a reassuring muted thud inside the cabin everytime the car goes over a large pothole.
The all new semi independent twist beam suspension at the rear has a big role to play in it and it also eliminates the alignment issues the Indica is plagued with.
The handling is failsafe at city speeds although there is a bit of body roll. We are yet to drive the car at highway speeds to better judge the handling and will update the review in due course of time.
Overall
The new Indica Vista is a huge leap as far as Tata Motors in concerned. The Indica Vista is an accumulation of more than 10 years of learning for Tata Motors, truly a coming of age and will set a new price to performance benchmark in the segment. With refined engine, gearbox, suspension, large, spacious and hugely comfortable interiors, endearing ride and handling, decent quality and long list of standard equipments its really hard not to like this car.
Offcourse its not perfect, there are still a few rough edges to the package like for instance the plastic quality should have been better, the boot is still small but at 4.88 Lakhs (Ex-Showroom Delhi) for the top end diesel 1.3 Quadrajet, its all easily forgiven. The Indica Vista is an astonishing value for money and is the car to buy in its segment. I have no doubts that this will be another huge success story for Tata Motors. Maruti’s and Hyundai’s of this world have already been warned.
45 People have left comments on this post
Thanks for such a comprehensive review. It is simply Fantastic. I believe this is the first Review on the Tata Indica Vista !!
Well written review..!! Kudos.
But how can one be sure that a Test Ride of the New Indica Vista was really taken..??
Don’t get me wrong… but publishing a few details like the Venue and Time of the Test Drive along with a few pics of you guys (along with your identity) taking the test drive would have given authenticity to the article.
Keep up the Good Work.
@payeng…. Why don’t you take a test drive yourself and see what we have written is true or not. I read another test drive report saying the plastics are international quality which in my humble opinion is far off the mark. They are decent but not the best in its class… calling it international quality is taking things a bit too far.
@Admin (that’s one of the Problem, I don’t know who you guys are)..
I will definitely take a test ride..
Publishing details and Pics about yourself was only a humble suggestion from my side to you guys. So that it will give your articles and your blog Authenticity.
http://***************.com/2008/08/another-iab-exclusive-tata-indica-vista-pictorial-review/
You have taken inspiration from above.
Interesting review cant say that I have ever driven a TATA, will have to maybe do just that and see for myself.
@xylem… why would you say that? Is it because they are about the same car, Vista or otherwise?
A very written review of the Indica, thanks alot for sharing it.
@admin, the interior quality of cars and trucks from GM and FORD still sucks, and i can assure you, this indica vista has better interior quality than that of chevy u-va.
thats why the person may have said it is comparable to international quality.
obviously tata is not hunting for bmw or mercedes, so you can’t expect them to touch those international standards but i think they are at par with GM and FORD
****** ******* cheap indian car and you are saying its quality matches international u fool
Edit from Admin: Amit, Foul language wont be tolerated. Please keep this in mind next time you leave us a comment. If you have a previous bad experience with Tata Motors we would like you to share that with us but these sort of comments wont take you anywhere.
Your comment has been editted to remove derogatory words.
first tata is a non quality it can never ever produce a car like eoropean go to hell tata purchacing jlr dosent make u great if u use your tech in these brands thebrands will go to hell
@admin - Absolute beauty of an article
. You’ve mentioned every detail that would interest a prospective buyer. Keep up the good work..
And ppl @admin never uttered a word to compare the quality with that of european cars.. swift’s plactics feel better than that of vista but then it rattles what’s the use then.. I’ve driven vista too and its a fabulous car.
Amit: You don’t get out much, do you?
P.S. In the off chance that you do, don’t. it could be detrimental to your well being.
@Amit…
What’s Wrong bro..??
Great Review. But can please explain what do you mean by below two statements?
“The flat out performance may not be as good as a Swift or even a Palio “.
” The engine is tuned more for everyday driving with little fatigue and minimal gearshifts”
Whats “flat out performance” and “everyday driving with little fatigue”???
How would you compare Indica Vista QJD with Palio MJD?
Saju
Saju… Flatout performance would be 0-100 kph time. Swift and Palio may be faster to 100 kph but Vista has better driveability of the two. Although Swift explodes after 2000 rpm and is fun to drive, the turbo lag is pronounced which is not the case with the Vista. Vista’s gearing is more suited for the daily urban crawl in the indian cities than Swift.
Although the quality of the new indica vista seems to be quite improved, but its very higher prices will certainly harm it for competing with the already existing well run models of Swift and Getz with whom Tata tends to compete. If the rates are reduced, the car will be much more popular.
The present quoted rates indicate that TATAS may not have belief in its own TDI engine which is shown between the prices of TDI and quadrajet models.
Although the quality of the new indica vista seems to be quite improved, but its very higher prices will certainly harm it for competing with the already existing well run models of Swift and Getz with whom Tata tends to compete. If the rates are reduced, the car will be much more popular.
The present quoted rates indicate that TATAS may not have belief in its own TDI engine which is shown between the prices of TDI and quadrajet models.
I was mad of this car since Jan 08, but now it seems to be difficult to purchase owing to its rates only for a B segment car.
Brilliant Review. The best yet by any Indian blog. Keep it up!
The best review of the Vista I have read on any blog. Keep up the good work!
Guys looks like Tata has a winner in hand cant wait to get my hands on the lovely little quadrajet engine. Would love if somebody tells me if Palio Stile would be a better choice? for it is placed at a tad bit lower range (pricewise)and i believe it is a roomier car of the two… Somebody please help me make a decision between the two……
a good overall review of a new launched car.though it dosent speak about the fuel economy factor at all.tata has been always preferred for its ease of ownership.aces of the brand should not be shunned by the newly achieved virtues.hope it returns the same wooping averages both in city and highways as swift does.though the kerb weight and the wide profile tyres tell me otherwise.but, bros!!! seeing is believing.lets see more and get wiser!!!!!
tata is a bit more optimistic about the wide spread appeal of its new horse.not so well bread sibblings of indica family, eg.the turbo variant, received more publicity in both the print and electronic media.let people know about tata and its new found goodness and quickly and widely as possible.Dono b shy, babe, woh have no, notin to hide!
This is a good early review. Good work guys. From whatever I have read till now, this car seems nice. However the pricing has put it in different segment(one up) than Tata Indica.
Anyways, I am keen on safety aspects of the car. I would wait for ABS and air-bags option to arrive. Till then my favourite option is still Swift VDi(ABS).
The new Vista has a 3 week waiting.
@ AMIT …>>>>>>>> iF YOU CALL “CHEAP INDIAN EVEN YOU BECOME CHEAP” BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT EVEN YOU R AN INDIAN.
IF YOU HAVE ANY GREVIENCE ABOUT TATA PUT IT OUT PROPERLY.
TATA IS ALSO PRESENT AS TISCO,TITAN,(FASTTRACK),TANISHQ,TATA TEA,TATA MOTORS,VOLTAS BY TATA.
DONT FORGET THAT ALL THE ABOVE ARE AMONGST THE BEST SBUs OF TATA GIVING GOOD PRODUCTS TO THIER CONSUMERS.
DONT YOU EVER DARE UTTER A FOUL COMMENT.iF YOU DO……. IT SHOWS YOUR AMATUER ATTITUDE.
ANY WAYS THE REVIEW IS USEFULL. EVERY THING CANT BE PERFECT EVEN “A BMW OR A DAIMLER CHRISLER MAKE”,HAS POT HOLES IF YOU CAREFULLY LOOK IN TO EVERY THING.
AND FOR A SMALL CAR HAVING THESE MANY GOODIES THAT TOO AT 5.5LK ONROAD FOR A TOP END,AND A PROBABLE USAGE PERIOD OF 5-6 YRS THIS CAN BE A PERFECT CHOICE.
REST ON THE INDIVIDUAL CHOICE…………
good work by TATA and thanks very much for review
Putting instrument panel in the centre of dash board is not ergonomical. It also spoils the driver involvement with driving. The traditional positioning behind the steering wheel gives the driver a sort of kick and is exciting. The new indica vista with central positioned instrument panel feels boring to sit on the drivers seat. I advice tatas not to place the instrument panel in the centre of dash board in their new indigo based on vistas platform.
Thanks for a comprehensive review
In the present generation of Indica, one of the problems have been the quality of Rims/wheels. They are of lower quality and cannot take rough handling of indian roads and we end up having bent rims.
Has there been any improvements. does the vista come with alloy wheels.
I also agree that 185/60 R15 would have made a better choice, but would have reduced the mileage by a KM or so. (is my understanding of this correct?)
I also notice that the kerb weight has increased by about 250 KGs(1270 KGs vs 1005 Kgs in existing Indica). what could be the major conributors for this. Obviously it will be a drag on the mileage
Good Review. I feel the pricing of vista is right. But I still don’t understand why tata wanted to carry over the looks of old Indica (especially with respect to the rear). Also luggage space is at par with swift. As I know, the length of the car is just under 3800mm (which was thr proposed norm for small cars. If tata could increase the length by another 200 mm, it could liberate more space for luggage. Hope something like that would happen in future.
Hi, Can we have some review on the Sapphire and the TDI, in case the yearly run is <12,000 Kms do you suggest we go for Sapphire as we see that it is around 100K cheaper!! Will it be having less maintenance as its diesel cousins.
what about TDI it is also 70K cheaper than Qdrjt. Is the Qdrjt worth so much difference if the yrly run is <12000 Kms. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
I am proud owner of this car TATA Vist and iam driving it from last 10 days and it is satisfied me in all aspects, iam getting the milage 18kmpl in city conditions with AC on, driving is very easy in city the comfort level, space and ambience inside the car is very good, i advise you to go for this before it’s avialable on booking only
@ chandrakanth :
Are you talking about the saphhire
chandrakanth is it QUADRAJET ur owning.?Please let me know i have booked the quadrajet AQUA hyderabad “autofin” iam taking for “daserra”.Iam exited abt the mileage now. I thought i will get “14-15km in city” if it is 18kmpl diesel wow what a value for money…….
Please reply…
Chandrakanth and others who own or test drove the Vista Quadrajet, please provide some feedback on the noise level inside cabin when windows rulled up. Personally, I test drove the Vista QUADRAJET diesel car and I find that the engine noise is almost nil when the ignition is on, but, when I push the accelerator, it sounds quite loud inside the cabin. Your input will be very helpful to me and others who are interested in this car.
I have this great site bookmarked. Thanks Kredit
owner of Indica Vista Quadrajet Aura , kindly suggest how car is performing w.r.t engine performance and driving comfort , any issue related to maitanence , I am currently confused between Swift Vxi ( 5.02 on road ) and Vista Quadrajet Aura (5.5 on road). Kindly suggest ownership experience and performance .
This is a good review.
My personal feedback on this car as follows…
PROS:
+ Vehicle looks very good on the front view and side view, making you doubt if its really the Indica (esp, the beautiful looking front headlamps).
+ More Space: Shoulder & Rear leg room bigger & seats are comfortable too.
+ Useful set of features like Driver seat height adjustment, Steering Tilt, Lumbar support.
+ Descent Sounding Mp3 music system with Aux-in.
+ Good ride quality, good suspension and good power.
+ Great Value for Money.
CONS:
- Very Bad Cabin Insulation bringing in the engine noise., esp., push the accelerator and you will hear a high noise. Though its the same Swift engine used, the key difference is this when compared with Swift/Palio Diesel which have better insulation.
- Though the interiors have improved in this version of Indica, when I compare it to the other peers, the quality of plastics and materials used inside needs improvement.
The above comments are based on my 2 test drive experiences on Vista Quadrajet, plus based on what a most reviews are online, as well based on a recent review I read on “Auto Bild” magazine dated Sep-28th.
I had booked this car 3 weeks ago as this car had so many positives I mentioned above, plus my family loved the car for its space and comfort. But, the noise level really bothered me a lot; if this noise level is not a bearable factor for me now, on the longer run, its not going to help as the noise will only grow as the vehicle gets old.
I wasn’t feeling convinced with my decision on this car, considering that I am going to be driving this alone most of the time (it was important to also see what I enjoyed) . So, I finally canceled the booking and going for alternative car that closely suits my criteria.
i m confused wether to buy indica vista or swift.if indica what all features do we get in top model.is abs or Airbags or mp3player there in top model.pls reply fast.
New Maruti Swift TVC says it all - http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=JWAbTgS-EHM
Use your judgment and go for it. In my opinon SWIFT is answer to your question. With strong service support of Maruti behind it leaves no doubt. 
The fact that Maruti has started advertising the Swift (again) is a positive sign that the Vista has made them wake up & take notice. Swift might have drop dead gorgeous looks & might also drive slightly better (am talking of Diesels only), but the Vista is simply too good in interior space & the value that its offering.
If you compare the Petrol version of the car, then the Swift wins hands down, but then the price difference is simply too much.
Now comes the BEST part -
Swift VXi - Rs. 5.12 Lacs (On road Mumbai)
Vista Quadrajet (Aqua) - Rs. 5.31 (on road Mumbai)
So effectively you pay just 19K extra for getting the cracker of the Diesel Engine.
Honestly my annual running of just 6000 - 10,000 km, does not justify the Diesel Engine, however when I saw the above mentioned price difference & the cost savings for a Diesel the table turned in favour of the Vista.
Correction - The boot is definitely bigger than the Swift.
I am owning Indica Turbo V2 … Now I feel vista will be the best for my next choise .. Pls suggest .. b’coz .. I like the performance and the maintance for these new trend cars.. as I thot the maintance for diecel cars would be more when I opt for Indica turbo.. but its not with the new trend cars i believe… wat do u guys say
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