Tata Indigo (2018)

Expert Review by Maxabout

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Colors

Exterior

The sedan version of Tata Indica known as Indigo was originally launched in the year 2002 and since then, the car has gone under few changes and has been quite popular in our Indian car market. In the year 2007, Tata added a new XL variant to the Indigo line-up which aimed to attract the premium sedan buyers. The car is still under production and in this article; we try to know more about this car in detail.

Exterior

The design and appearance of the car is similar to the original Indigo which was launched a decade ago. There are only few things which give fresh appeal to this car. The twin barrel headlights with long stripe of orange colored side indicators can easily grab your attention. The multi-layered front chrome grille adds premium touch to this car and goes well with its angular headlights. The bumper features smart lines on it which makes it look aerodynamic. The round shaped fog lights are housed in its black colored air-dam which suits the styling of this car. The new gen eCS version of Indigo and Indica also gets this same facial treatment. The bonnet, side fenders and A-pillar of this car looks quite familiar and feels out-dated. Move to the side of this car and you will get to see its large doors which make you realize its actual length. This is the longest version of the car ever launched although the bland look of these doors takes away the visual charm from this car. The car has a bulky rear overhang with full size tail lights and trunk door.

Interior

Tata Indigo is available with beige colored interiors which make it look premium although it shares its interior styling and plastic bits with Indica which feels cheap and makes it looks down-market. The plastic and fabric quality is certainly not up to the mark but if it’s about space then nothing goes past this car in its class. With extended wheelbase, the car offers you incredible legroom and shoulder room. The rear bench gives you the true sense of luxury as it offers optimum amount of under-thigh and back support. Five adults can easily fit in this car.

Comfort and Convenience

The car has a powerful front and rear AC with vents, power windows, steering, internally adjustable ORVMs and central locking. It also has other comfort features like rear defogger, rear centre arm rest and adjustable headrests.

Dashboard and Storage

The bike has an out-dated dashboard built with poor quality of plastic. The central console comes in silver finish and features many plastic buttons. The instrument console of the car is also placed in this dashboard which features twin dials for its analogue speedometer, tachometer and fuel gauge. The car features a lockable glove box with cup holders. It features front door pockets and comes with a boot capacity of 450 litres.

Music System

There is no factory fitted music system in this car but there is ideal place in its central console where you can get it fitted from outside.

Engine and Gearbox

Tata offers Indigo XL with three different engine options; out of which two are diesel engines. First is the new 1.4L common rail CR4 diesel engine which produces a peak power of 71 bhp at 4000 rpm. The torque output of this 4-cylinder SOHC engine is of 140 Nm which ranges from 1800-3000rpm. The second diesel engine is the old 1.4L TDI BS3 engine with maximum power and torque output of 71 Bhp and 135 Nm which are available at 4500 rpm and 2500 rpm respectively. The third engine is a 1.4L 16valves petrol engine which also runs on CNG. This engine churns out a maximum power and torque output of 101/86 bhp and 124/105 Nm (Petrol/CNG mode) which arrives at 6100 rpm and 3500 rpm respectively. All three engines are mated with five-speed manual gearbox.

Acceleration and Performance

The BiFuel 1.4L (Petrol+CNG) engine is the most refined and powerful engine available in Indigo. It’s a DOHC engine which shows high level of refinement and comes with short gear ratios. The car records a top speed of 164km/hr and reaches 0-100 in less than 15 seconds. The new CR4 engine gives you good half throttle response and reaches the top speed of 155km/hr. This engine does 0-100km/hr in nearly 15.5seconds which makes it three seconds faster than the TDI engine which faces major turbo lag and lacks refinement.

Mileage and Safety Features

The BiFuel engine gives you a mileage of around 12-14km/ltr while it’s CR4 and TDI engine gives you a mileage of around 16km/ltr and 14-15km/ltr respectively. The car comes with safety features like rear child lock, headlamp levelling device and electronic shut off valve which provide better safety at the time of collision.

Suspension and Brakes

Indigo features Independent McPherson Strut with coil spring at its both ends. The car has disc brakes at its front and drum brakes at the back.

Ride and Handling

The extra-long wheelbase of 2650 mm gives exceptional stability to this car at high speeds. There is minor body roll evident around corners though as its tyres fails to provide it firm grip of roads. The suspension system easily digests most of the potholes and behaves nicely around corners. The car can be handled easily in city traffic but lacks positive feedback on highways. Its ground clearance of 165 mm improves its aerodynamics while its braking system ensures you great control over this car.

Shades, Variants and Warranty

Three variants of Indigo XL are available in five shades. It comes with a warranty of 2years/ 75000 kilometres.

Verdict

Yes, this car is popular for its commercial usage and you will also miss the social status but if you want to sit at the back in an extremely spacious, feature rich and economical sedan then look no further than Indigo XL. It ranges from INR 5.88-6.46 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi (approx., may vary)). We agree there are some quality issues with this car but frankly speaking at this price, there is no other car which is as spacious and powerful as Indigo.