Tata Indigo CS [2008-2011] User Reviews

 

 

 Dear friends,

I purchased one Indigo eCS GLX (BS-IV) in January, 2011. Before this car I owned one Premier Padmini that was with me for more than 11 years. I don’t like changing cars too often but would like to continue with one car till its full life. As production of Padmini has been stopped way back in 1998, procuring spares and getting quality mechanic became a major issue. That’s why I decided to go for a new sedan. In the process of choosing the new car I was immensely helped by two sites namely carwale and mouthshut. I feel duty bound to share my experience with this new car.

My parameters for choosing a car were:

(i) It has to be a sedan.

(ii) It should have enough cabin space

(iii) It should have sturdy & heavy body

(iv) It should be durable and last at least 15 years or 1,00,000 km.

(v) I was not at all bothered about resale value as I will be using the car for at least 15 years.

I checked 3 brands of cars before closing in on Tata Indigo CS eGLX. Other 2 were Swift Dzire, Hyndai Accent. Other sedans were beyond my budget. I didn’t like the restricted interior space and legroom of Dzire. Secondly the price of Dzire (VXI) was greater by a good Rs. 1.75 lakh (in comparison with Indigo CS eGLX). However driving comfort, AC, interior furnishing of Dzire is much better than Indigo CS eGLX. I really felt cramped in the back seat when it had 3 passengers. I liked the Hyndaui Accent Executive very much. The price difference was not too high either. Two things I did not like in accent. First the back seat. Secondly there are very few accent executive on road, at least in Kolkata. With such a few cars running in road, I am afraid that the company may stop production at any moment.

So I decided on Indigo CS eGLX. While doing that I had the following apprehensions:

(i) The bad reputation TATA has earned in the segment of after sales service.

(ii) Lack of experience of TATA in making petrol cars and also the failure of Indica XETA.

(iii) So many features in such a low price – yes I had and still have some apprehension on this. To what extent the features will last after few years, I still have my doubt. The reason for the apprehension is the low price of Indigo CS eGLX.

Now let me share my experience with this car.

1. I have driven it over 2,800 km of which approx 1,400 km is on highways. Its really a pleasure to drive this car in highways. I have driven up to a speed of 120 kmph and the car was rock steady at that speed. Although there is some engine noise after 110 kmph (or when one crosses 3500 rpm). The FE I got varied from 14 – 16 kmpl (with AC) and 18 kmpl (without AC). One issue that is slightly distracting in highways is – if the speed goes down below 65 kmph then for good acceleration one need to come back to 4th gear. Second issue – the steering wheel is placed in such a position that sometime the wheel obstructs the view of indicators lights.

2. The mileage in city is 8 kmpl (with AC) to 9.5 kmpl (without AC). I believe in modern cars there will not be any improvement in mileage after servicing.

3. The gear shift was bit stiff in the earlier satge. Now it has become easy or may be I have got accustomed with it. The entry and exit in the car is really easy. No one needs to bend and twist to place himself in the car.

4. I am satisfied with the performance of AC till now although it takes at least 10-15 minutes to cool the interiors. However I have my doubt as how effective the AC would be in peak summer in between 11.00 to 04.00 hours.

5. I did not have any problem with the service of TATA motors till now. They are courteous people and till now responded to my full satisfaction. I have to change a bulb (break light) and need to change the cover of break light as well because it developed a crack.

6. One big advantage is the front lights. When one puts on the high beam the low beam does not go off. I first saw this feature in FIAT PALIO & FIAT CIIENA. In night its really helpful. Further the head lamp can be leveled at 5 different levels. The wiper has many many speeds with the scope of customized speed. I mentioned these features as these are not mentioned in the advertisement. In my opinion Indigo CS has been built on FIAT PALIO platform and not on Indica platform.

7. One disadvantage is a big really big blind spot on the right. One has to be really cautious while taking right turn in congested roads.

8. As far the durability of the car along with its features are concerned one can comment on it only after a few years. I have seen and driven 5-6 years old Indigos (Diesel) and they don’t seem to have any problem.

I would be pleased to answer if there is any further query on Indigo CS GLX raised by any of our prospective car buyers.

Amitava Sen; amitavasen@ymail.com

 

 

Space, Price, Features, Sturdy Body, Weight, Stability at high speed & Fuel economy in highwaysPlastic quality, Position of the steering wheel, No space for placing bottles & Fuel economy in city

Exterior:- Nice exterior look, ground clearance is sufficient so we donot have to worry on speed breakers. 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) :- Very comfortable leg space ,A/C is too good ,5 passengers can travel comfortably in this car . Long drive is really comfortable.Nice beige coloured interior is provided by TATA. 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox :- Powerful & less noisy engine ,Fuel economy is better (12-14 km/l). Gears are very smooth for operation (like makkhan)remains steady at higher speed (i.e. more than 100 km/hr)

Ride Quality & Handling:- Fantastic

Final Words  :- Tata has really given us such a nice sedan at an  affordable price .Be Indian , Buy Indian & proud to be an Indian

Areas of improvement  :- External mirrors  are not completely foldable as compared to other cars . Adjustable height for driver  seat can be provided . Provide hand rest for back seat .Provide powerful antenna for FM radio. Backside wiper is also essential.Tubeless tyres to be provided.

Cost, Interior,Powerful air conditionerexternal mirrors are not completely foldable like other cars

Overall a good car to buy and value for money. But lacks the basic feature of Power window. The sad part is you cannot install the power windows as the dealer says that the "Electrical Warranty" of the vehicle would lapse.

I am getting a fuel economy of approx 11 kmpl but this is the 1st  month, so I am assuming that the fuel economy increases after the 1st Servicing.

Overall a good car, no issues faced till date.

Good Style and Excellent interiorsFuel Economy: Getting an avarage of approx 11 KMPL in City with 50% AC on.

I bought CS GLS petrol last year in late July, 2008. I have done 5000+ kilometers. As I am in Bangalore, because of traffic I don't use car for daily office travel. So most of the Kms has been done on long drives and weekend shopping :).

Why should you buy this car?
If you are looking for a car with loads of space but don't want to spend loads of money to get it, Indigo CS is the best you have in market right now. Infact recently they launched an upgraded version, GLX, which has power windows, defogger and some more cool stuff for bit more price.

I bought it because of reliability of TATA vehicles and low cost of maintainenance and running. Otherwise not so many cabs would be Indica! Yes, they have service network across country and spares are cheap (if you need some). I bought a petrol car because I am not great fan of diesel cars. Also since my usage over a month is not that great, petrol vehicle does not hurt. You definitely get smoother ride with a petrol engine. The other thing which I liked about this vehicle is good suspension.

I have driven the car at 130Kmph and it was very stable and response of power stering was pretty good. I have driven the car through hills (coorg and surrounding areas) in bad roads. The suspension responded beautifully, so did the brakes.

If you are looking at mileage, I get around 15 on high-way with AC ON always and in city around 13 with AC ON always. That I feel is pretty decent given that it is a petrol vehicle.

For the price it comes (costed me around 4.5L on road in Bangalore), I guess you get a pretty decent deal. Of course if you more jazzy features, you got to spend more :)

The boot is pretty useful for all your weekend short and long trips. Actually that was one of the good reasons I went for this car. No matter how much space a hatch back offers, it would never be good enough than a full blown boot. I personally don't like carrying luggage in passengar cabin. I was tempted to buy Swift but decided against because of its cramped interiors and being overpriced.

Things which I didn't like!
I felt the engine is bit underpowered at 65 BHP. For a vehicle of this size and weight it should have more power. But it is not so less that I can't do with it. The car comes with exactly same interiors as Indica! Well TATA needs to improve a lot on plastic quality and on the look and feel of interiors.

Overall it is a good car for the price it comes. It does what it is meant to do without much fuss!

http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Tata_Indigo_CS-145864-1.html

Lots of space, Value for money, good suspension, good road grip, decent mileagesame old interiors, sluggish pick up

 

Exterior I purchased INDIGO CS eLX just before a month.Tata had given very good sporty look & exteriors.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) As per my view interior is extremly good.Air condition is powerful but fan at the speed of 4 is some noisy but cooling is very powerfull. I dont like music system.Company fitted Clarion music system is older version.As per me company has to give option to buyer.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Great performance of CR4 engine.Pick up is extremly good even with AC.I can't feel vibrations or noise even at speed of 100 km/hr in cabin,Perfomance of this engine is far better than Dzire. I got average of 18 Km/Ltr with AC.I had drive 1200 km in city & highway & got this average. Gear shifting is very easy.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Ride experience of this car is classic.front & rear shock ups are working well.Riding on highway is very good.

 

Final Words The Best car of its Category!!!

 

Areas of improvement NA.

 

Style,Milege,Engine performance,Comfort.Music System

 

Exterior Dashing exterior looks especially rear style, needs a little change in design of front look to make it more demanding.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Large boot space with comfortable AC and seating. new accomodated features are good but needs change in console design as it looks a little outdated or say 4th generation fighter plane in relative to 5th generation(figo, beat, manza etc.). though enough things are provided at this money to give it a huge thumps up.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Though i have purchased it Dussehra time but i have already taken 3 big tours in my this sweet sedan i.e. noida- allahabad (2 side), allahabad - lucknow and noida - moradabad. and believe me it was really nice to feel the pleasure of a sedan. the maximum overall mileage which i got was from allahabad to noida & that was of 18 kmpl (thats  in petrol) AWESOME.  at the time of selection i was very much confused regarding the final selection. I had checked new wagon R, Ritz, Dzire, Manza, Figo, Beat & Logan. And finally i chose Indigo eCS among all this. my decision was perfect and enjoying my drive.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Smooth handling with good ride quality. though 2-3 times gear was stuck while shifting but i hope the same will go off with time.

 

Final Words Awesome at this price. better to click than going for beat, figo, Uva, WAGON R, Ritz.

 

Areas of improvement Interior plastic & dash board style.

 

good style, fuel economy, space with comfortsometimes slow pick up at 3rd gear

 

Exterior Good looks, decent boot.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Extremly spacious, sofa like rear seat, good driving position.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Extremly refined crdi engine BS IV compliant, good matching gear box, got FE of 23KMPL even before the first service, very decent engine noise for a deisel engine.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Good balance, some rolling, superb ride quality.

 

Final Words I have driven the vehicle for 1500kms till date and found it totally satisfying. Even the service center response was great and customer friendly. I was inclined to purchase ford ikon deisel but now i am happy with my decision of buying elx, my model is limited edition with alloy wheels, remote central locks and leather seats. My car sure is a head turner. even the service part is greatly improved. Tata has taken all the care to make servicing the car a pleasent experience. There is even paragraph dedicated to the rights of a customer at the tata motors website.

 

Areas of improvement Some ergonomics like the position of front and rear power window switches. Cup holders.

 

everythingsome ergonomics

i bought IndigoCS - LS 3 months back and is almost 3000 km run in 3 months. So i can summarize my experiences about the car here. This is my first car - so in a way no previous comparison, i was skeptical to buy a diesel engine but candidly petrol price, didn't allow me to buy a petrol vehicle. After 3 months, i think i have taken a good decision. As you get a sedan in price of a hatchback, the biggest advantage of indigocs is SPACE as compared to any other hatchback. this is one of the reason i didnt' go for swift as well, swift definitely looks more sleek but it is overpriced i think. indigocs looks good, especially that small boot is sexy. interiors though are not that elegant - but i knew i am buying indigo and not honda city - so interiors are just ok. mileage in the city i am getting 16 and haven't got the chance to go to highway. will be going to jammu(native) place from chandigarh(where i live now) in the month end. will let you know about the long drive good/bad things then. over all a great value of money car - it gives you a chance of own a sedan as your first car, which i had not even thought of before. I am facing one problem as well with the vehicle that the boot seems to be not fitting that well. everyday in office security persons need to open the boot for checking and there are quite a few occasions when they are not able to close it even after 4-5 tries. i am gonna get it checked on weekend - will update. Hi All - Dec-2 and i am back after a 750 kms long drive in 3 days. Well a first long drive in first car is indeed exciting. The mileage was 20! yes it gave 20 coz being the first time on highway i was in the range of 75-85. It was really smooth as i have traveled long distances in many maruti cars but this was quite smooth. Also got chance to ride with 5 persons and there you feel like there is some less power but over all journey was good. Now a few words of advice - from experience.. check the car properly inside out.. till now i have faced following issues - though all corrected - and i here i would like to contradict with all the reviews about tata service that they are not good. I always had a great treatment - they were available on sundays. 1. the boot - as written above not getting closed properly.. though had to go a different service center - but is fixed. 2. The break light -was too sensitive that even when you rest your feet on break pedal or when u leave it slowly it used to be on.. got that corrected as well. if you want a good spacious and most important - economical car, then this is the car! drive safely!stylish, economical and spaciousnot so elegant interiors

Recently i made a trip of flat 1800 kms up and 1800 down and believe me the car was driven 19 hrs at a single stretch with AC ON and speeding upto 160 Kmph +. Its a great car, the looks are sporty especially with the rear spoilers and MAC wheels. As for diesel cars the acceleration in slow but not that slow it was able to compete with a scorpio. The car's balance and controlability is good at least i felt it is good. I would recommend to put those MAC wheels for they also improves the car performance. I have not checked the fuel economy.. but it seemed to me that it is near to 19 kmpl on highways. The bad things in the car is the suspension, interior plastics, Head lamps-- well you need to work out with them if you are going for long drives. The car is great some minor things needed to be worked out, to make it greater.

Style - good, Fuel economy - Good, Speed - 160+, AC - Good, Handling - GoodInterior Plastic - Bad ( You can always cover up), Sound - High, Suspension - fair