The Indigo simply adds a boot, a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension layout and a few centimeters to the wheelbase. It’s heavy and feels solid, but panel gaps are still evident; paint quality, however, is excellent. The wheelbase, at 2450 mm, is longer than the Indica’s by 50 mm, and the extra length has been used to give more space to rear seat occupants. Early design sketches for the indigo almost entirely focused on getting the C-pillar treatment right along with the tail lamps and the boot detailing. From the final three short listed, the one on the extreme right was picked for production.

 

At the front, the Indigo continues with the Indica’s McPherson strut set-up, but there’s an all-new independent multi-link set-up at the back. And finally, the engines - the Indigo has been launched in petrol and diesel versions. The Indica was already very well packaged, with a wide, airy cabin, and the longer wheelbase doesn’t hurt at all. The front seats don’t go too far back, but the flip side is great rear leg-room. Good seat height and back support at the rear also make it a great car to be chauffeured in. The instrument pod is too Indica-like, the front seats, though comfortable, are not the best for tall drivers and the plastics look shabby, especially after the fresh, new Indica. Some may find the high dashboard obstructs vision.

 

Still, there are highs, like the carbonfibre-look central console, high quality steering wheel, leather-covered gear-stick and the nice stalks. Tata has put in some effort to make the Indigo feel more up market than the hatch. The Indigo is very practical, and also has lots of useful storage bins, though boot space is not best in class. Plus, you get front and rear reading lamps on the top-of-the-line LX. Build quality isn’t exceptional, but it’s much better than before and has a more solid feel than cars like the Esteem.

 

First up was the petrol-engine GLX and inside, the first thing to catch my eye was the carbonfibre-effect plastic trim on the instrument console. Fake carbon is very 1990s, and to me, it looks rather tacky. The most popular Indigo is the 1.4-litre, 62bhp turbo-diesel, which has excellent performance and reasonable fuel economy. It returned 11.3kpl in the city and 16.6kpl on the highway.

 

The only sticking point seemed to be the five-speed gearbox, which was a bit rubbery and tended to balk while shifting quickly. The car, riding on its 14-inch wheels, could be thrown around with abandon without fear of losing the plot, but the 175/65 MRF ZVTS radials had more squeal than a bunch of teenage girls catching their first glimpse of Brad Pitt. 

 

The other engine is the 1.4-litre 85bhp petrol, which has adequate performance, but lacks refinement, and at 8.3kpl in the city and 13.6kpl on the highway, it isn’t terribly frugal, either. It’s quite a tractable engine though and performance is effortless, which makes the petrol much more user-friendly than the diesel.

 

That the Indigo has good handling, cornering and braking characteristics should perhaps not be such a surprise, given that a team of people from Tata Engineering spent many months honing these aspects of the car at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) testing/R&D facilities in England.

 

The good news is that ride height and suspension travel are generous and you can bang through potholes and ruts without hitting the bump stops, and ride quality improves at higher speeds. Steering feel is not too good though, and it doesn’t weight up in a linear way to give you any confidence at high speeds.

Filed under: Tata Motor Cars in India