| Tata Indica | |
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| Manufacturer | Tata Motors |
| Also called | City Rover (discontinued) |
| Production | 1998–present |
| Class | Supermini car/City car |
| Body style(s) | 5-door hatchback |
| Engine(s) | 1.2 L I4 1.4 L I4 1.4 L diesel I4 1.4 L turbodiesel I4 |
| Transmission(s) | 5-speed manual |
| Related | Tata Indigo |
The Tata Indica is a small hatchback automobile manufactured by Tata Motors of India. The model is also exported to Europe as well as retailing in South Africa from late 2004. In the UK it was imported by MG Rover and was called the CityRover.
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History
On 30 December 1998, Tata Motors (previously called TELCO) introduced the most modern car ever to be designed by an Indian company: the Indica. It was marketed with slogans like "The Big.. Small Car" and "More car per car", the ad campaign focused on roomy interiors and affordability.Within a week, the company received 1,15,000 bookings. In two years, the Indica became the number one car in its segment. Partly designed and developed by Tata Motors, it is a five-door compact hatchback with a 1.4 L petrol/diesel engine designated as 475DL internally. This is a homegrown engine which is derived from the engine used by Tata in their line of pickups and SUVs earlier with a reduced stroke. The original engine was designated as 483DL which stood for 4 cylinder and 83 mm stroke. The Indica offered options like air conditioning and electric windows, which were previously restricted to only upmarket imported cars in India. Three years later the Indica was exported to European markets for the first time, and from 2003 the Indica was re-badged in Britain as the CityRover. Contrary to popular belief, the car was not designed entirely in India. The outer body styling was done by an Italian design house called I.DE.A Institute, under contract from Tata Motors, with heavy interaction with Tata's in-house design team. The engine was however indigenous.
Cracking the global market
In early 2004, Tata Motors attempted to seize a piece of the lucrative South African automobile pie, by releasing the Telcoline 2x4 and 4x4 pickup trucks at prices far below the market average. In late 2004, Tata released its Indica and Indigo range, aimed at the young driver demographic or those looking for an affordable yet reliable car. As of mid-2005, Tata reported that they were 'one of the fastest growing automobile brands in South Africa'. The Indian car manufacturer now commands a respectable market share in South Africa.
Driveability and functionality
A varied number of professional test-drives and their subsequent write-ups have had a wide range of reviews, although almost all allow for the fact that whilst the 1.4 L 8-valve petrol engine of the Xeta/Turbo Diesel is quite powerful for the price, the fuel economy—coupled with an accessible retail price—sets this to be bottom-range economy family car with "excellent value for money". Probably the most negative review came from the re-badged CityRover in the UK, where an undercover Top Gear episode proclaimed the car to be the worst he had ever driven on Top Gear. Purchased new, the Indica offers a wide range of accessories and optional extras, including:
- Power steering
- HVAC - Heater, ventilation, and air conditioning
- Turbocharger intercooler
- Alloy wheels
- Power windows
- Choice of radials (JK, Bridgestone, Goodyear, MRF, Apollo)
- Central locking with remote key-less entry
- Ventilated disc brakes
- 4 spoke steering wheel
- Tinted windshields
- Powerful fog lamps
- Rear spoiler with integrated LED stop lamp
- Luxurious beige/black interiors
- Night adjust rear view mirror
- Chrome tip on silencer, chrome lining on grill and bonnet
- Audio warnings—driver/passenger seat belt warning, door open warning
Indica v2
When the car was first launched, it suffered from various performance and efficiency glitches, which caused persistent grief amongst the early customers. In response to the customer complaints, Tata Motors greatly re-engineered the internals of the car and launched it as Indica V2 (or version 2), which solved most of the complaints and emerged as one of the most favored cars in the Indian automobile industry. An year back it was again updated, now marketed as "Refreshingly New Indica V2". The latest variant of Indica is the Indica V2 Xeta Petrol, which delivers 70 PS (69 hp/51 kW) of power at a fuel efficiency of 14 km/l (about 33 mpg U.S., fuel consumption of 7.1 L/100 km) [1] under standard test conditions. In Indian city conditions, the consumption can drop to about 10 km/l (about 23.5 mpg U.S., 10 L/100 km). In India, 3 versions are available with 4 submodels each.
- Indica V2 - 1.4 L diesel (DLE, DLS, DLG, DLX) - Turbo intercooler option on DLX
- Indica V2 XETA - 1.2 L petrol (GV, GVE, GVS, GVG) and 1.4 L petrol (GLX, GLG)
- Indicab - A low price car with same framework but fewer features and luxuries, aimed at cab and contract transport business. Very popular amongst the transport businessmen.
TATA also brings about High End Technology at affordable costs to the Indian consumers, one of first was the launch of the turbocharger and turbocharger intercooler. (Turbo is available only in the diesel.) Compressed natural gas (CNG) fittment is offered as an option through OEM Bedini kits offered by Shrimanker Gas Services India on TATA XETA. Faced with numerous missing and CNG related complaints, TATA organised a systematic recall and refittment of Bedini equipment which included a new improved Lamda ECU controller, Bedini emulator and new wiring harness approved and tested by both TATA and ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India). With the new system, TATA aims to improve gas delivery and performance, even if the brand Bedini is worldwide judged as one the oldest and lowest quality systems. The replacement procedure was conducted during 28 May–31 May 2007. In its home market, the Indica offers loads of space inside and competes with the Maruti Suzuki Swift, the Hyundai Santro and the Fiat Palio. There are two engines on offer—a 1.4-litre 70 bhp (52 kW) petrol as well as a 1.4-litre 62/68 bhp turbo-diesel. The slightly higher-than-average unladen weight makes for a relatively comfortable ride compared to lighter cars. Fit and finish continue to play catch-up with the Fiat's and Maruti's. The Indica platform spawned off a number of variants, including the Tata Indigo three-box sedan and the Indigo Marina estate car.
Forthcoming concept
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This article contains information about a scheduled or anticipated future automobile. It may contain preliminary or speculative information, and may not reflect the final version of the vehicle. |
During India's 2006 Auto Expo in New Delhi, Tata unveiled the Indica Silhouette concept car, a radical, high-performance Indica featuring rear-wheel drive, extensive bodywork, and a 3.5 litre 330 hp (246 kW) V6.[1] The car is capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, and maxes out at 270 km/h (168 mph). The Silhouette is currently only a concept vehicle, and is obviously a far cry from the standard Indica. Also the Recently Launched Indica Dicor Platform with a World class DICOR engine, to give competition to the Ford Fiesta D and Hyundai Verna. TATA aims to launch the New Improved versatile Indica V3 Platform for all its Indica Series with Complete new design, ergonomics and engine drive. Sources at TATA claim that the V3 Platform is expected sometime between the Year 2008-2009. TATA has however confirmed its participation at the Auto Expo India 2008, to be held in New Delhi sometime in January 2008. During this event they will Showcase the New v3 Platform range along with the eagerly awaited "One Lakh Car" or "Rs. Hundred Thousand car" (i.e. US$3000 car) a 600 cc rear engine drive car costing USD$3100 upwards (Rs. One Lakh Twenty Thousand).[clarify] The Indica v3 is nearly ready for launch in the Indian market, whether it will be launched in the foreign markets at the same time is still a question. the testing pictures of the Indica v3 shows a clear European design theme all around, the lights are long and rakish up the whole hood. the rear lights are a bit smaller than the current one. the interior are full up with the main change being the instrument display being shifted to the centre of the dash board. the Fiat 1.3 multijet engine could see its way into this car, due to the recent Tata- Fiat tie up.
References
External links
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| Tata Brands | Tata Motors · Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle · Hispano Carrocera |
| Cars/SUVs | Indica · Indigo · Sumo · TL · Safari · Tata 1 Lakh car |
| Concept Models | Indica Silhouette · Xover · Elegante |
| Trucks | Ace · Novus |
| Historic Models | Sierra · Estate |
