-->
Tata is loved by Indians for
practicality and shear amount of space. Now Tata has came up with an
unexpected twist in its tactics. Tata has launched what we could say
a sports hatchback. The Indica Vista D90 with Raw 90 HP of power
which is as same as Maruthi SX4 and Tata Manza. Tata has been lacking
a premium hatchback and now that problem is solved. But the real
question is whether the 90 HP of power is just on paper only or true?
Can it beat the swift in terms of sportiness.
Tata has changed a lot in 2013. Tata is
doing some heavy job upgrading and adding new cars to their line up.
May be Tata will become India's second largest manufacturer by 2020.
The new D90is entirely different than the other Tata hatchbacks.
Tata targets the youth who are hungry for sporty performance at an
affordable price.
The Vista D90 attained 90 Hp with a
variable geometry Turbo charger and with some retuning to the engine.
So lets test what changes does the extra 15 HP makes. The first thing
I noticed is that the car has pretty good low end response which
makes it more drivable in the Mumbai Traffic. The car is happy to
move around in the city in low speeds and it does that perfectly
without any fuss. But if you want a sudden overtake step on the gas
and you won't feel the 90 HP. The car is a bit slow to react when you
need a sudden acceleration. You will also feel a tiny bit turbo lag
at lower rpms. But after 2500 rpm you will feel the turbo accompanied
buy a sudden burst of power which will be fussy in the city. Overall
in city driving D90 feels much better to drive than other Tata
hatches. It feels as good as an export car.
Now its time to escape from the city
and take the Mumbai to Pune express way(one of my favorite
highways). I drove the car in 100 km/h and the car feels more rigid
and refined as well. The car will respond to driver input quickly and
it maintains 3 digit speeds with ease. The car has improved several
notches in refining. Even in 150 km/h you will feel the car quite
quiet. Tata has added a sound deadening package to reduce the noise
of the car in high speeds.
The 90 HP means car should have some
pretty impressive acceleration figures. The D90 wont disappoint you,
it reaches 100km in 13.9 seconds which is 3 seconds quicker than the
ordinary Vista but still 0.3 seconds slower than the 75 HP swift. So
what went wrong here. Well the reason is D90's extra cock weight of
150 kg than the swift.
Tata claims that they have used strong
steel in the body to ensure safety and it has cost the extra weight.
WE all knows that Tata is bit weak in build quality and they use the
same old tech for making the body which always increases the weight.
But the Vista D90 is a steady
performer. The light clutch and slick gearbox works well with the
engine. The car is considerably fast and easy to drive. The car burst
in to action in high revs. The D90 is an exciting vehicle for the
young enthusiasts.
Tata has tweaked the suspension too in
the D90. The car handled the bad patches on the highway well. You
will be impressed with the quality ride of the Vista D90. On corners
The D90 feels safe and inspires confidence. unusual for a Tata car
isn't it? The car offers good high speed stability and bod roll has
been minimized. But it is a bulky car so handling is not as precise
as the Swift or the Honda Brio.
 |
| Indica D90 dashboard |
The Vista D90 has improved a several
notches in in fit and finish. The dashboard looks good in to tone
colors. The plastics and the switches are of high quality. But there
are some old bits like the volume control.
 |
| Rear of D90 cabin |
The seats are well cushioned and are
more comfortable than other Vistas. Cabin space has been a trump card
for Indica Vista and the D90 retains it. You get acres of space in
front and rear. Although the boot could have been a bit larger.
 |
| D90 Front Seats |
The D90 offers some extensive features
as well. The features list is pretty much on par with Indigo Manza
It gets the following features:
- Power Windows
- Electrically adjustable Mirrors
- Touch Screen for Audio system
- Voice controlled Navigation
- Blue-tooth connectivity
- USB, AUX IN and SD card capability
- Automatic Climate Control
 |
| Automatc climate control in D90 |
Overall like I said above D90 combine
practicality of the Vista and the sportiness of the 90 HP of power.
So the D90 is a sporty hatchback at a cheap price. The enthusiasts
are gonna love it. We should appreciate Tata for this effort to make
a sporty car.
But some of us have a bad attitude
toward Tata. Many like to tease Tata cars and owners. But Tata
deserves more. It is purely Indian brand afterall.
Price
VX 5.99 lakhs
ZX 6.83 lakhs
Specsheet
| Engine | |
| Displacement | 1300 cc |
| Max Power | 89 HP at 4000 RPM |
| Max Torque | 20.8 kgm at 1750 rpm |
| Type | 1.3 l common rail diesel |
| Turbo | Variable Geometry Turbo |
| Transmission | |
| Type | FWD (Front wheel Drive) |
| Gears | 6 gears |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 3795 mm |
| Width | 1695 mm |
| Height | 1550 mm |
| Wheel Base | 2450 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 165 mm |
| Body | |
| Wheels | 14 inch |
| Tires | 175 55 R14 |
| Suspension | |
| Front | McPherson Strut |
| Back | Twist Beams |
| Brakes | |
| Front | Ventilated Disc |
| Rear | Drum |
No comments:
Post a Comment