Tata Indigo Manza: Driven and Reviewed
At first when I walked into the showroom and had a look at the Quadrajet 90, the Diesel version of the Manza, the look from the front was not very appealing. The front of the car had the typical indigo bonnet divider and the over all look of the vehicle came to me as a bit too bulgy, from the front. The headlamp cluster on the other hand looked more like the headlamps on the older American Toyota Camry.
From the side, the car gives a smart look, though I’m still not happy with how the front looks. It’s a big car no doubt, for its price class, where the base model for the petrol (Indigo Manza Saffire) goes for about INR 4,74,682 and the base diesel version (Manza Quadra) is priced at INR 5,55,604, Ex Showroom Pune.
If I’m honest, the bodywork on the car did give me a slight ‘tin can-ish’ feel at first, but when you go around and look at the rear end, the vehicle just changes personality. It looks rather stately, the rear end, with a smartly configured Tail lamp cluster and a rectangular boot-lid. I found the bodywork here take my breath away a little. It has a slight Cadillac look to it, if you ask me.
Sitting at the drivers’ seat everything seemed rather well spaced, I was comfortable. Plus, with the adjustable seat height and lumbar support this car should be pretty comfortable for anybody out there no matter what his/her height is. The steering mounted controls for the music system and your Bluetooth enabled cell phone handset make driving the Manza that much more convenient to drive.
The centre console is well placed and has big chunky buttons which makes it easy to control the music and/or the Air conditioning from either side of the gear shaft. The driver instrument panel is also quite simple and easy to understand in general. The glove compartment is really impressive; it’s huge and is backlit. The top end model of the Manza comes with two airbags in the front, one on either side, something I feel they could have done better with. The quality of the plastics used is quite poor and especially when it comes to the pieces used on the hand rests on the door, around the power window controls.
What really blew me away was the rear leg room, even when the front seats were completely pushed back. A tall person can easily climb into the car and get out and still have a slight margin to spare. The rear seats are reasonably comfortable with an armrest and two cup holders which fold into the back seat in case there is a 5th passenger.
The boot is also quite impressive with a volume of 460 litres, ample space for two or three large luggage cases.
On the road the Manza, from the drivers’ seat gives out a commanding aura with 165mm of ground clearance. The car has a decent turning radius of 5.1 metres which aids in day to day city driving. Along with the hydraulic power steering and tilt adjust the steering is pretty comfortable too.
When one starts off in 1st gear the car behaves like a typical diesel vehicle, the 1248 cc Quadrajet 4 cylinder Common Rail, diesel engine displaces 90 PS @ 4000 rpm which is pretty good by any standard. Though there is a lag in the throttle response when depressing the accelerator, one has to wait for the power to come but when it does it comes in heaps, feels a tad jerky to be honest.
The gear change on the Manza Diesel, a 5+1 speed manual, is quite smooth, a boon in city traffic. The ride feels good with a slightly heavy steering wheel making the car feel bigger than it is. I felt the handling was crisp and sharp allowing for confident steering in the corners or on curvy roads.
One flaw which is very noticeable while driving in the sun is the reflection of the blower vents on the windscreen, it is very obtrusive and one constantly has the feeling of something being stuck to windscreen obstructing the drivers’ view. It’s a problem which should have been taken care of back on the design board. The air-conditioning is very effective; a much needed relief with today’s rising and falling degrees. One thing missing on the top end is climate control; it is not available even as an optional extra.
An impressive addition to the driver aids is the milometer which gives the driver an estimated range of the car, taking into account the amount of fuel present and the driving style. The fuel economy is again quite good with the diesel dishing out 16 to 17 kms to the litre and 12 to 14 for the petrol version, in the city. The fuel capacity is 44 litres which is good.
The tyres too leave no room for complaints; 15 inch 185/60 R15 tubeless radials are supplied as standard on all models.
So, what is my verdict?
Well, the car is good no doubt. With the pricing, it’s a complete value for money package deal. The top ends (the Aura ABS and the Plus) coming with Antilock brakes and two air bags the price hits the 6 to 6.5 lacs mark for the Plus.
I would recommend this vehicle more to people looking for a second family car rather than the first choice. It has its flaws but then again it’s a Tata. The after market service is pretty decent and it would not be much of a hassle to get the car serviced at any Tata service station. The Indigo Manza also comes with a 2 year and 75,000 km warranty, which is essential. Finally, Tata Motors has been among the best selling manufacturers in the Indian market for many years and with the new Indigo Manza, the trend is going continue.
Nipun Srivastava
[ratings]
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