With the Indigo getting rather long in the tooth in the face of more modern competition, Tata Motors has finally launched a replacement for the car. Despite a few facelifts post its 2002 launch, not to mention a garageful of variants over the years, Tata did need a new car desperately if it was to stay competitive in the already overcrowded C segment. Called the Manza, this fairly large mid-size sedan is based on the same platform as the Indica Vista and shares the same powertrain and other components from the common parts bin. This time however, the Manza does look a little more grown up than its hatchback sibling when put side by side. That said, the boot design is again a question of personal taste and still doesn’t look as integrated and fluid as it could have been. A classic case of function before form – since the Manza has a massive boot. Tata have also packed in more consumer-friendly and safety features than ever before into the car and have tried to tick all the boxes as best they could for this demanding segment and ever more value conscious Indian consumer.

TATA INDIGO MANZA VIDEO -PART I (PART II on Page 4)

The Indigo Manza is based on the Indica Vista’s platform. The sedan retains the Vista family look, however the crisp lines and the chrome inserts on the bumpers and chrome-plating on the waistline adds to the look of the Manza. The more prominent hood strake, three-barrel headlamps and the new trapezium-shaped grille on the bumper add to the stance of the Manza.

The Manza’s silhouette is derived from the Vista along with stretched overhang at the rear for more boot space. The Manza’s greenhouse is the same as the Vista; however the greater windscreen rake, more prominent crease line running along the length of the car and the chrome-plated waistline adds to the appeal. The side indicators, like the Vista are placed in between the mirrors and the A-Pillar (known as the cheater panel); and the larger greenhouse shows modern styling. The rear end of the Manza is chunky and lacks appeal with the combination of the wedge-shaped tail lamps and chrome strip on the bumper and boot.

One may expect that the Manza will retain the Vista’s interior styling and space, not to mention the plastic quality and noise insulation. However, step into a Manza and your view will change. The Manza and Vista both had different design teams and the interiors of both cars are completely different. The sedan has a 50mm longer wheelbase, however, the headroom and leg room in both rows is more than the Vista and Tata claims it is the best in its class. The aluminum bedplate and better insulation have reduced NVH.

The Manza has ergonomically designed dual-tone interiors with ample room. The plastic quality is much better than older Tata vehicles and with no similarity to the Vista. The car sports a white-backlit four-dial instrument cluster, wherein the tachometer needle’s backlit changes from white to red at higher revs; the steering wheel has audio controls; an integrated six-speaker 2DIN audio system that offers good sound quality and with features like USB and auxillary inputs, Bluetooth with a Number pad (which we found difficult to pair with our mobile phone) and digital driver information system, all of which are being featured for the first time in a Tata vehicle.

The driver’s seat has height adjustment with lumbar support and a tilt-adjustable steering which makes fine-tuning your driving position easy. The car has good front visibility at its front due to slimmer A-pillars, however due to the higher bootlid and thicker C-pillar, visibility at the rear is reduced. The outside rear view mirrors are small and therefore visibility through them has reduced.

The Manza has been engineered well for space and the engineers have utilized every bit of the space like the under-seat storage. Jump to the second row of seats and you will find ample space. The boot of the Manza has a storage volume of 460 litres, which Tata again claims is best in class.

Our few complaints were, the speedometer needle isn’t steady even at constant speed, the plastic covering the high-mounted tail-lamp’s faint rattling noise, complicated audio system and Bluetooth setup, not-so-powerful air-con blower and the beige coloured windshield defroster that reflects light into the driver's eyes.

Engine:

The 1.4-litre SAFIRE (petrol) and 1.3-litre Quadrajet (diesel) powerplants are available as engine options for the Manza. The engines have been borrowed from Fiat’s powerplant stable and the same engines are used to run the Fiat Linea. For the Manza, Tata has remapped the engine and redesigned the gear ratios.

The 16-valve 1.3-litre DOHC Quadrajet engine churns out 90bhp (5bhp more than the Fiat Linea) and a torque of 200Nm in a range of 1750-3000rpm. Slip in behind the wheel and you won’t find much of a difference between the Linea multijet and the Quadrajet. The more power is needed below 2000rpm, before the variable geometry turbo spools up. This could be frustrating in slow moving traffic. However, keep the engine revving above 2000rpm and you will be rewarded with a quick car. This chain-drive Italian powerhouse is vibration-free, but the engine gets a little noisy above 3000rpm.

The 1.4-litre double overhead cam SAFIRE produces 90bhp like the Linea’s FIRE and similar torque of 116Nm@4750rpm. This Fiat engine has been designed for maximum efficiency. To add to it, the Manza SAFIRE sports continuously variable valve timing which Tata calls “Continuous Variable Cam Phaser” for better power and efficiency, and while cruising the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve is opened, where some amount of exhaust gases flow back into the engine increasing efficiency, engine life (via reduced engine temperature) and reducing pollution. At about 90kph, in overdrive the engine revs at approximately 2400rpm which is good enough for a quiet, efficient highway cruise.

The Manza’s throttle is controlled by Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) on both its cars, which makes the accelerator pedal very light reducing driving fatigue. However, passionate drivers will like the pedal to be a little harder because the ultra-light throttle pedal feels dead and reduces the confidence to dive into a turn, however, the car handles well if once used to the right-most pedal. The gears mesh quietly but don’t slot smoothly (which we suspect was a one-off problem in our test car, we will find out more during our actual test).

Drivetrain:

The Indigo Manza Quadrajet has a fairly well calculated gear ratios, with the first three lower gears being short and the fourth and the fifth being tall gears. In our tests, the Indigo Manza Quadrajet clocked 6.4 seconds from 30-50kph in the third gear and clocked 50-70kph in 14.0 seconds. For fuel efficiency lovers, the engine cruises at 90kph at about 2100rpm in fifth gear which could help get more out of the car.

Fuel Efficiency:

The Indigo Manza Quadrajet's powerplant is a highly efficient engine as seen it doing duty on other cars. The Quadrajet returned us an overall effieincy of just below 16kpl.

Tata cars have been known for their handling and stiffer ride. Times are changing; the Manza rides smoothly at low and high speeds. This design revolution took birth with the Vista and has further evolved in the Manza. The car goes through potholes with a muted thud compared to the older Indigo which crashed through potholes.

The Manza isn’t just about comfort, the car will make driving enthusiasts smile as well. The car’s longer wheelbase adds to its stability, boosting the driver’s confidence. The Manza sports lower wishbones; McPherson struts with coil springs at its front and a semi-independent twist beam with coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers at its rear like the Vista, however, the 50mm longer wheelbase improves the ride and stability.

The steering of the Manza is responsive both around the centre as well as around the corners and weighs up well at higher speeds. The car does have body roll but the roll is well controlled by the semi-independent suspension at the rear. The Manza’s driving characteristics reminded us of the Linea’s brilliant handling and steering abilities.

The Manza grips on 185/60/R15 tyres, and our test sedans had Bridgestone B250 tyres. The tyres gripped well, and the tyre profile suits the Manza perfectly considering its gross weight and engine power. The Manza has ventilated disc brakes at its front and drums at its rear. The brakes have good bite, are progressive, and the feel is good. This is the first time Tata has provided ABS (anti-lock braking system) on any of its Indian cars and we’d like to see them on more Tatas as soon as possible.

Tata Motors has aggressively priced the Indigo Manza considering the overall package that it offers. The Indigo Manza is available in a price range of Rs 5.01lakhs to Rs 7.01lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai). Considering the price, the main competitors of the Indigo Manza are the Renault Logan and the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire. The Swift sedan has been the market leader thanks to Maruti Suzuki’s after sales service; the diesel variant of the DZire has the same Fiat engine block as that of the Indigo Manza. However, the Manza is a size larger on the inside and the outside when compared to the duo. The ABS, airbags, Bluetooth connectivity, steering mounted controls and most importantly the rear seat legroom and the boot space with decent quality plastic makes the Indigo Manza a complete value for its money.