Booking, Delivery and Initial ownership report

 

After lots of research through internet, actual dealership visits, Test drive of various makes, finally zeroed on Vista QJD Aura ABS. It is the only car which can satisfy my requirements-

1. It must be a Diesel Hatch- Huge difference in Petrol and Diesel Prices makes sense when you are planning to drive your vehicle around 2000 kms or more in a month. - Toyota Liva out of list.

2. Rear seat should accommodate 3 adults and they should be Comfortable for any length of the drive! Most of the times rear seat passengers are senior citizens. (Swift, Ritz, Figo, Beat out of list)

3. It should have safety features like ABS EBD. Comes only in top variant and the cost difference with other makes is considerable.

4. All four power windows are a must. (With driver override control, kids tend to play with them a lot), Figo out of competition.

5. Should have FE of 20 +.

6. Should have inbuilt features like ICE.

7. Price should be below 6.0 lacks. Not a budget constraint but it has relation with insurance premium which needs to be paid every year. Polo and i20 too much cost for little more refined fit and finish.

8. Decent looks- Ritz out of choice.

9. Should have warranty period of at least 4 years with affordable extended warranty cost.

10. Should have longer maintenance cycles- Lower ownership cost.

11. After Sales Service should have nationwide presence and it should be prompt- was only worried about ASS-this point but got convinced after discussing with friends and sharing their experiences. So the short listing resulted in booking All new Vista Aura ABS Quadrajet Drivetech 4,  I booked for After Glow color and was expecting delivery in 10-15 days time, on 15^th day exactly the surprise came instead of the Car, an email from Tata Motors that they have discontinued the color I had ordered.

I was furious immediately called the dealership I was about to cancel the booking, then calmed myself and asked for alternative and delivery period, fortunately porcelain White was available and I got the delivery in 4 days.

I was happy to get it delivered, but again that happiness doesn’t lasted long, I asked the dealership to deliver the vehicle in the morning around 10, made the confirmation on phone at least 4 times, the sales guy was very confident, I took a day off from office and my better half opt for half day (which was a wrong decision in the end) my daughter skipped her preschool.

We were about to leave home and I got  a call from dealership and they asked me come around 11.00, I asked them what is the reason the answer was They are fitting Mud Flaps and floor mats (which hardly take 10 mins) I agreed and went there around 12.15 instead of 11.00 , but again it was a shocker the vehicle was not there at showroom, the delivery person in charge A lady( Strange!), told me that the vehicle will come within 10 -15 mins, I was very furious, asked her the reason she told me that there was some problem with Engine Hood and they needed to replace the cable, and for that they have taken the vehicle to workshop, it was beyond my control.

Straightly I walked into Showroom Manager's Cabin, asked him the clarification, I was smelling like something fishy is going on, he assured me that there was a genuine problem and promised me that he will personally look into it. In next 15 mins vehicle was there! They started cleaning the vehicle and preparation for Pooja.

One of the guys was cleaning my car with a dirty rough towel as soon as I noticed it I literally shouted on him and asked them to stop cleaning if they don’t know proper method. (I have already purchased chamois leather for her to lean her without any scratches)Finally I checked it by all means, each and every function, found two faults, Fuel tank lid had a Minor problem and the front door also had a very minor problem. The service guy took the photographs of both the problems I Noticed and Promised me to do it Free of cost along with complementary washing and cleaning of the vehicle to my satisfaction whenever I want! I made him call the GM of workshop and confirmed the same.

The next day I got the Number plates fixed dealership people were very polite.

I drove her for 400 kms in 6 days, experience was pretty good par expectation, FE was also good haven’t checked exactly though. Important thing was there was not a single rattling sound inside cabin. Neither any unseal sound from outside the car. AC is extremely good, Beige interiors looks stunning. Everyone else in the family enjoyed the rear seat comfort and they are amazed with it, except me, No one drives in family except me, very rare chances for me to get into rear seat.

Well regarding the overall driving experience, engine is butter smooth doesn’t feel like driving a diesel car, I used to drive Maruti 800 and Esteem for last 5 Mears. It’s the same 1.3L Quadrajet engine by Fiat which installed under the hood of Swift, Ritz, Dzire, Manza, In addition to that New Vista enjoys a all new Drivetech4, 5 speed gearbox by Fiat under the belt, which make the drive really pleasant, ABS and EBD enhances the braking, haven’t done any harsh braking though but normal braking effect is good, I believe it is far superior than earlier version of Vista. Blaupukant ICE with Blue & Me is also very effective though the speakers are not that great, Centrally Mounted instrument cluster feels little odd for few hours of driving once u get used it, it feels normal.Adjustable steering and Height adjustable drivers seat is of some use for city driving, abd finiding comfortable driving position. Two way adjustable lumbar support is good for long drives but its not that great as I was expecting, but its better to have, To summarize it’s a real Value for money car, what else one can expect in Rs 6 lac car. Let’s hope that TATA Improves it’s after sales service.

Huge Space, Great FE, Unmatched list of features in its calssFit and Finish, After sales service