Tata Indica Vista – The Third Generation Indica!!!

indicavista.jpg The Vista is the latest version of the Tata Indica, the company’s most successful hatchback. When launched 10 years ago, the Tata Indica was the first true ‘Indian’ hatchback. Since then, the Indica has come a long way and the Vista comes with not just mere face lifts, but with more powerful engines, bigger, better interiors and improved quality. The Vista has evolved so much from it’s previous generation that except for the name and layout, everything seems different. Perhaps thats why Tata decided to call it the Indica Vista and not the Indica V3.



The ’smiling’ grille, which has become the company’s signature, has been retained although modded slightly. The bonnet has a new central character line, which gives it a more up-market look. The most notable difference comes in the headlight cluster, which becomes longer and sleeker. There is much difference with the tail-lamp as well. This is one area where the Tata designers have done a lot of innovation over the years. The Vista has full-length pillar-mounted tail lamps.

The interiors also have an all-new look. The instrument cluster is centrally-mounted, along the lines of the Chevrolet Spark(The Nano also has a central instrument cluster). There is enough leg-space and the cabin feels as good as the Honda cars. The Vista is a much better experience for the driver, with adjustable seat and steering-wheel. Another feature is a 2-DIN integrated CD player with USB port and remote control. Also, the overall fit-and-finish of the interiors is far more superior to the earlier Indicas, with ergonomic seating position and better-quality switches. All these contribute to giving the car a more upmarket feel.

Under the hood, the Vista offers different options. Three engine variants available for the Vista are :

1. Safire (Petrol): 1172 cc, 4 cylinder, MPFI (multi point fuel injection) petrol engine from Fiat
2. TDI (Diesel): 1405 cc, 4 cylinder, 475 IDI Turbo diesel engine from Tata motors
3. Quadrajet (Diesel): 1248 cc, 4 cylinder, SDE CRDi (common rail diesel) engine from Fiat

Tata calls these three option Vistas as Terra, Aqua and Aura. Tata Indica Vista Variants :

* Terra – Available in 1.2 Safire Petrol & 1.4 TDi
* Aqua – Available in 1.2 Safire Petrol, 1.4 TDi & 1.3 Quadrajet
* Aura – Available in 1.2 Safire Petrol &1.3 Quadrajet

Also, Tata claims that the current Indica models will remain available in the market, providing the customer with a coice of cars from Rs. 2.6 lakhs to Rs. 4.88 lakhs in the Indica brand. The Vista’s seven versions range from Rs. 3.49 to Rs. 4.88 lakhs. On the safety front, the Vista is a major disappointment, with the company providing neither ABS nor airbags. However, Tata would cover up this shortcoming very soon, as there are already Indica V2 models, which provide these two safety features. And finally, the (Maruti Suzuki) Swift has found some competition, and a good one at that. The fact that the Vista comes at a lower price might just tilt things in the favour of the Tatas.