Tata Manza Report

Firstly, this review was not written by me. I found this review on www.teambhp.com. Credit to the original author.

Don't discount this Tata product. Think about it, at Rs 4.8 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, you don't get any better space than this. And come to think of it, the competition looks overpriced. Consider this, the base version of both the petrol and diesel come with a 2-Din stereo with all the necessary aux-in(s), power windows, steering, central locking and decently finished interior trim. Besides, Tata isn't even shoving the regular Indigo down your throat anymore - so what if you have to live with the CS, Marina and XL!

Everything on the inside feels a generation up and is better built. There's acres of space, the dashboard has a nice soft-touch material and the Blue5 system works very well. The 5 in Blue5 means it can pair up to 5 phones at a time. Of course it will only engage one at a time, so don't get other ideas. Sound quality from the system is what one has come to expect from OE systems these days with sorted out treble and half decent bass. Our friends in the ICE section will be better able to dissect the system for us.

What matters most in a Tata car is the seating and seating comfort. On that front, the Tata continues the tradition well. You get lumbar support of some sort for the driver's seat that doesn't really aid much, but the seats are comfortable and large. The rear seat exceptionally so with its deep recesses for the seat squab and a comfortable position to place your feet on, unlike the predecessor where the front seat's rails would impinge on space.

Now, I can give you a good lowdown on the diesel, since I never got the opportunity to tell you about the petrol. The diesel is the same unit as on the Linea. There are marginal changes to the ECU programming and gear ratios, but the rest stays the same.

So to the most delicious part - it drives well. There's turbo lag, or at least my test car was afflicted with it. At 50 kmph, I shifted into 5th, the needle just ticking over at 1100 rpm. So I stepped on it, and for the next 20 seconds there was.... er, nothing! In the meanwhile, India could have engaged with a war with one of its neighbours, have planned out another green revolution, asked for three more commissions to be setup - and then I was sitting at 1800 rpm, the turbo boost kicked in and everything was as it should have been.

A small hiccup then. So why do I still insist on being a decent driving car? Well, if you know your Lineas, you know that the Multijet with VGT delivers most of its power at the upper reaches and when it does, there's no looking back. I saw a genuine 170 kmph (and am not talking odo here!) and it didn't feel strained at all. When was the last time you saw 170 on a Tata, folks? The metres are pretty accurate too, with the needle hovering at 175 kmph or so. Pretty impressive.

While the engine does lack low down grunt, correct use of gears prevents a repeat of what happens at 50. But the reason why I did that test was because most Indians go into top gear by 50-55kmph and even if they overtake, say a slow moving truck, they won't bother downshifting. Which is why, the nicely spaced ratios do the trick and one must learn how to use it to prevent yawn inducing moments.

Meanwhile, the steering is large and uses good quality materials, but is vague at some speeds and completely devoid of feel at others. Tata Motors insists they've tried their best, but I think they need someone who can tell them what a 'feelsome' steering is about. The gears engage quite well, and notchiness is on a lower scale than before.

Ride is extremely well settled at all speeds, while handling is more dependent on the good tyres rather than steering feel. Body control is pretty good for a car that weighs nearly 1200 kilos and has a tall and wide stance. And yes, these are the best brakes you will find on a Tata, with the Aura+ that I tested braking without a fuss. The ABS never felt intrusive or had a staccato feel to it.

I wish I could tell you more, but since the drive was kept to a fixed loop with limited kilometres to drive, so there are things that are better left for a much longer drive.

But for now, all I can tell you is, if you want something spacious, with lots of kit and features and at a price that doesn't shake you off your chair, then the Indigo Manza is the car for you. Add a more reliable diesel engine and decent fuel efficiency, impeccable ride and good braking ability to the equation and it seals the deal. For under Rs 7 lakh, this car is great value and makes the Linea feel a bit overpriced in the bargain. Tata really have yet another winner on their hands, which they promise to not sully by launching a Manza CS or XL. A Manza Marina perhaps, can't be ruled out.

Segment leading room, a proven fuel efficient engine and a much improved product (in terms of qualitToo early to tell