Last month we drove the Indica Vista Drivetech4 Safire (petrol), and recently, we got our hands on the Drivetech4 Quadrajet. The Indica Vista has undergone a few minor changes in its powertrain to meet the recently enforced Bharat Stage IV emission norms. The Indica Vista Drivetech4 comes with the same 1.3-litre Fiat multijet diesel engine, (which Tata has badged Quadrajet), and tweaked to make it compatible with BS-IV norms.

Most auto manufacturers have either just added another oxygen sensor or made some minor changes to their valvetrain to fulfill the BS-IV norms. The Maruti Suzuki Swift Diesel BS-IV that we tested a few months ago, has the same powerplant as the Indica Vista Quadrajet. This engine is manufactured by Fiat India and it also does duty on many other cars such as Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Maruti Swift DZire; Fiat Palio (now discontinued) and the Fiat Grande Punto. The larger Tata Indigo Manza, the Fiat Linea and now the Fiat Grande Punto 90hp use the same engine with a Variable Geometry Turbo. This gives a higher power output ranging from 85 – 90bhp on the same engine , depending on the car.

There’s not much to say about the Fiat powerplant – we simply love the engine! The turbo lag on the Indica Vista isn’t too much and the engine cleanly pulls from even low almost –walking speeds even in the second gear. Tata claims to have made some changes in the gear ratios of the Indica Vista Drivetech4. In our standard performance test, the Indica Vista reached the 100kph mark in 19 seconds in damp road conditions. No doubt, dry conditions would have shaved off some time on the run. The funny thing here with our press demonstrator was that the car reached 90kph in 14.3 seconds, however, it took almost 5 more seconds to reach the three-digit mark and we don’t know whether it was an issue with just our press demonstrator. We’re going to revisit this issue on another car.

The Indica Vista DrivetechD4 is good for city commutes. It can start pulling easily at low revs in almost any gear which makes it easier to drive it around in bumper to bumper traffic since it doesn’t protest too much when you lug the car in a higher gear at low revs – typical of the Indian driver. The in-gear timings speak volumes, as the Vista clocked 30-50kph in 4.1 seconds in the third gear and covered the same distance in 8.9 seconds in the fourth gear. It clocked the 50-70kph mark test in 7.7 seconds in the fifth gear. Like the Safire which was tested last month, the brakes on the Indica Vista Quadrajet, just like its petrol engined sibling, aren’t bad at all. There’s plenty of bite as well as feel. The Vista stopped from a speed of 80kph in 38.7metres in very wet conditions.

The changes on the Indica Vista Drivetech 4 are evident inside. On the top-of-the-line Aura+ variant the car gets a new steering wheel, a new audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and comes with airbags and ABS, all of which have been lifted from the larger Indigo Manza. The Indica Vista has pretty good ride quality and Tata have really managed to get the Indica Vista to ride well without compromising too much on the handling front. The one thing we wished that could have been better on this car was its stability at high speeds, especially during strong cross winds. While we did not encounter this issue while testing the Indica Vista Drivetech4 Safire, the Quadrajet didn’t feel very confident above 135kph. This however should not pose to be too much of a problem as it is difficult to drive at such speeds, both, within the city and on the highway, not to mention it would be considered illegal! The steering also disappointed us a little as it felt slightly slack at speeds in excess of 100kph, but then we’re putting this down to the extremely wet conditions we drove the car in.

The top-of-the-line Tata Indica Vista Drivetech4 Quadrajet (Aura+) can be yours for Rs 5.51 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai) and considering the space, ride quality, peppy & frugal engine, safety features and low ownership costs that Tata vehicles are renowned for, it can safely be said that it is complete value for money. It’s very hard to really fault the new generation of Tata products for their sheer value for money proposition and we believe that the Indica Vista is a great car for those looking for a roomy hatchback (for five tall well-built people) with low purchase and running costs. What turns most people away from the Tata badge is the lack of some quality materials on the inside and the fact that the car’s used to depreciate faster than its competitors. We think it’s a sensible, no nonsense VFM package with improved reliability and build. Sure it may not excite you, but it’ll get the job done without fuss It really is a better Vista now – quite renewed!