First off, the price of the new Indica-2000 petrol mpfi is, ex-showroom (LEi and LXi models) in lakhs of Indian rupees:-

(The LXi has power steering, power windows, tachometer, rear wiper, and a few other knick knacks which the dealer will tell you about.)


Now for the review, partly assisted and largely inspried by Prakash Alimchandani of Pune, who has owned 6 Tata vehicles since 1991 and is an authority on them. In all fairness. One thing we do at cybersteering is that we walk the talk.

A review on the Tata Indica-2000 cannot be complete with this little story: the Japanese automobile industry in the '60s was best signified by cars dead on the roadside. Subsequently, the Korean cars achieved a reputation for being fairly dinky. Malaysia was never considered a centre for automobile excellence, till the Proton changed things. But India, yeah, we got Maruti-Suzuki, and we got the rest of the kit-assemblers. Now we got the Indica.

So when Tatas launched the Indica in November 1998, many of us in the media went overboard waving the flag, till we were stopped short by failing alternator belts and rapidly wearing out tyres. Joy turned to grief as the number of people cribbing about the Indica went through the roof. I myself could never ever bear to suggest an Indica to anybody, so horrific were the tales we heard. So why are we reviewing the Indica again, if it is such a dog?

Simply because I decided to take time out with a small but growing band of satisfied Tata Indica customers, in Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Lucknow, Bangalore and Jaipur. And this is what I figured:-

1) The Indica is more than value for money as far as space and basic comforts go.
2) The engine itself is more than reliable.
3) There are niggling faults with auxiliaries and suspension which irritate.
4) The dealer network seems to be suspect in terms of integrity in some cases, especially in the North.
5) If you persist with communicating directly with the company, your problems get solved.
6) There is something known as "national pride" in the buy-nobuy decision phase.
7) Most importantly, there's been a lot of debugging done.

Let me put it this way again. The Tata Engineering factories in Pune are amongst the cleanest 3 in the country, the others being Hyundai and Ford. Their level of engineering skills, robotics, design facilities and pride/self-respect are the best in the country. The other vehicles they make, Sumo upwards, seem to have the stamp of reliability on them to those of us who use highways extensively. So what's with the Indica, then?

Well, as has been said before, the numbers are everything, the rest is hot air. To sell 55000 cars in the first year and to aim at 90000 in the second, means something is improving. And that is the key word. Maybe the "i" in the new Tata Indica LEi and LXi stands for "improved"?

Sure, the car goes like a rocket though it roars through the 5-speed gearbox, the suspension has been softened which they call improved though some of us may like them taut, the interiors look classy though the white dials are a pain, and they still haven't got their colours right it would seem because they see things in clear blue Pune skies while we drive in grey urban landscapes! 75 bhp, 16 bit computer, tachometer (finally, but only in the LXi model).

But, and this is important to us, especially those of us in the software industry who take pride in being Indian by choice. This is an Indian car and we shall fix it the Indian way.

So let me make a statement here on how I would buy an Indica, not why.

1) I would require the option to buy an Indica MPFI petrol direct, of being permitted to take factory delivery myself, ex-Pune. If Mercedes-Benz and other large manufacturers can offer this as a means to giving a customer a choice between a dealer and the manufacturer, then why not Tatas? As an Indian in India I would probably pay a small premium for this service because I would know I am getting the genuine stuff.

2) I would then insist on being permitted to buy genuine spare parts directly from the manufacturer's offices everywhere, and get the work done by a mechanic of my choice, authorised dealer or otherwise. If Tatas can distribute tea all over to every small little kettle on two bricks with sticks in between, then they can surely stock 30-40 of the most fast moving proprietory Indica specific parts in every small town, if neccessary at the tea shops.

3) I would insist that Tata Engineering start some sort of "pride of ownership" maintenance courses for those interested. This would include road safety as well as environmental friendliness.

4) And lastly, I would open up two-way lines of communication directly with the manufacturers aiming at developing loyalty both ways for the next vehicle bought by me as well as those who I would suggest this vehicle to by word of mouth. Multi level marketing in automobiles, and why not?

And why would I buy the Indica? Because, at the Tata plant, I met a friend who is 6' 3" tall. He fits into the rear seat comfortably. That is one reason.

The other reason is that the new MPFi Indica is, simply, a darned good car. Those white dials hurt, though.

If I were you, I would look at this car again and try to explain to me or you why we would spend double the money for a smaller engine and lesser interior space? If I need a boot that badly, I will wear it on my feet, right now, I'm waiting for Tata Engineering to respond to me on my proposal of direct factory gate sales for my next hatchback.

Because, frankly, their dealer close to my home in South Delhi sucks. Why would I buy a car from a dealer who rents space at the most expensive building in town, isn't it obvious that they are going to recover that cost from me, simple, no? I would rather buy from an efficient location if I am looking for efficiency. And if you get a chance to visit the Tata Engineering factory, you will understand what efficiency means.

And frankly, about the car, it has improved, it will keep improving. Most importantly, the factory, and more so the people there, make me proud to be an Indian. It's all about self-respect, no?

Yeah, the Indica does 0-100 in 6 seconds and is very smooth, can lift from standstill in 5th gear with a/c on if you want to try that stunt, the front wheels don't fight back while taking hard turns at medium speeds like in the Japanese and Korean small hatchback cars, and really fits five big people comfortably. Now if only they would get their colours correct . . . a beige/metallic gold, a dark green, maybe a better red, throw in some jazzy bright yellows, oranges and purples in limited lots and, please, a very simple light grey.

And good luck with the Rover plant too. There is synergy here, Tetley and Rover, if you look carefully above.

Note: We were the only media types who reached their factory in our own Tata vehicle. How others can pass comment on a brand or make without actually owning it, is beyond us. For those of you having problems with Tata vehicles and looking at assistance, please write in to me
c/o autoguru@cybersteering.com and we'll forward it to the correct people at Tatas. There are many of them there. Indians. Even the soap in the clean toilets in their factory is Indian.