Tata Motors is an Indian auto-maker, known for its passenger cars that it manufactures under the Tata marque. The company made its entry in the car market in the year 1991 with the launch of its MUV named Tata Sierra, which was followed by the launch of a station wagon named Tata Estate in the year 1922. Tata Motors is also credited for manufacturing the first Sports Utility Vehicle in the country, named Tata Safari. In the same year as the Safari, Tata also launched its first hatchback, Tata Indica, which quickly became the leader in its segment. As the competition began to increase, Tata decided to give this car an update. In the year 2008, a new version of Tata Vista entered the Indian market. This new model of Tata Vista was not a mere face lift as it was designed on a totally new platform. At present, this small car is available in the market in 12 different variants out of which 6 are petrol variants and the other 6 are powered by diesel engines. Tata Vista TDI LS is the base diesel variant of this hatchback. It is powered by a 1.5-litre 16V Turbo inter-cooled diesel engine that can churn out a maximum of 70bhp at the rate of 4500rpm and a torque of 135.4Nm at the rate of 2500rpm. Mileage delivered by this diesel variant is around 18kmpl, which is quite decent.
When it comes to the appearance, exterior design of this car is very dynamic and aggressive, mainly because of its headlamps. The front chrome grille further improves the beauty. To make it look a bit sporty, Tata has incorporated it with body coloured front and rear bumpers, ORVMs and door handles. The all new alloy wheels further accentuate the sporty look of this hatchback. The interior design of the car is also effective and attracts the customers with a single glance. It has a dual-tone theme with twin-coloured dash in the front, and several high-tech fitments. As this is the base diesel variant, it lacks the high end comfort and safety features, but it still has the standard ones to ensure comfortable and safe driving. In the infotainment section, we have a 2-DIN music system with USB, Aux-in and Bluetooth connectivity. With the Bluetooth feature, we can connect a maximum of 5 mobiles to the audio system and directly play songs from the cell phone. The ORVMs are now electrically adjustable with a joystick available inside. Besides, the HVAC functions are electrically controlled. To add to the comforts, the new Vista has adjustable steering along with adjustable seat for the driver. The seating has lumbar support also. There is also ample room for luggage at the rear with the seats folded.
Exteriors
As already mentioned, the exterior styling of the car is very dynamic and aggressive. In the front, we have four barrel headlamps flanking the chrome grille with horizontal slats. At the centre, the grille bears the Tata crest in chrome, flaunting it with pride. The lower grille has the fog lamps to provide better visibility at night. The side profile is very elegantly designed and there is nothing much added except the single curve line flowing across door handles from the front to the rear. The beauty is mainly due to the alloy wheels that make this car look very sporty. The hatchback is available in the market in 8 amazing colours, which include Mint White, Cavern Grey, Gala Red, Infinity Black, Arctic Silver, Porcelain White, Marine Silver and Solar Orange . Tata Vista is a five seater premium hatchback model with a spacious cabin area. The exterior dimensions of Tata Vista are length - 3,795mm, width - 1,695mm, height - 1,550mm and wheelbase - 2,470mm while the ground clearance for the small car is 165mm and the minimum turning radius is 5.0 meters, which is quite good for a hatchback like Vista.
Interiors
When it comes to the interior design, it is lined with a very attractive dual tone - Ebony Black and Sahara Beige - theme to impart a soothing effect to the eye. The colour combination at various places is such that it is going to lure the onlookers at just a glance. The beige centre console includes two AC vents with audio control system . The polished gear knob and fully fabricated seats add beauty to the overall appearance of the car. Tata Vista is an ultra spacious premium hatchback model, which has the seating capacity of five passengers . It offers a generous headroom of 960mm (Front) and 915mm (Rear) with the front legroom of 1180mm (at the maximum) and 1015mm (at the minimum), rear knee-room of 910mm (at the maximum) and 705mm (at the minimum), and shoulder-room of 1340mm. These dimensions are enough even for a six feet tall person to comfortably sit in the car. The boot capacity of this SUV is 232 litres.
Comfort Features
Comfort features in this hatchback includes a power steering wheel to allow easy driving in any kind of terrain while providing minimal turn radius. The seat lumbar support gives you the option to increase the support at the back of your seat to get more comfort. The standard features are low fuel warning light, accessory power outlet, vanity mirror and rear seat headrest.
Engine and Performance
The hatchback, under its hood, carries a Turbo inter-cooled diesel engine, which provides a displacement of 1405cc .This 4-cylinder engine has 4 valves per cylinder and MPFI fuel supply system . It also has a turbocharger latched to it for improved acceleration and pick-up. The engine produces a top 70bhp at the rate of 4500rpm and a torque of 135.4Nm at the rate of 2500rpm. With the power and torque generated here, we can readily accelerate the car from 0-100kmph in 16.4 seconds and can touch a top speed of 148kmph . The mileage delivered by this hatch is around 16.2kmpl on the city roads and 19.4kmpl on the highways.
Braking and Handling
In the brake mechanism of the car, we have disc brakes in the front and drum brakes at the rear, and together they perform efficiently and deliver an extremely small braking distance. For handling, we have a power steering wheel with collapsible steering column that provides a turning radius of 5 meters.
Safety Features
As this is the low end variant, it is equipped with all the standard features like child safety locks, rear seat belts, side and front impact beams and centrally mounted fuel tank. It also has halogen headlamps, which gives two to three times more light as compared to the normal headlamps with just half the energy consumption.
Pros: Spacious interiors, decent exteriors and a good mileage.
Cons: Safety and comfort features can be improved.
