Tremendous entry level VFM sedan (diesel) for a family

A month & a half back was looking forward to buy a sedan (diesel ofcourse) with a budget around 5.5 - 6 lacs. And after studying the available options zeroed in on the Indigo LX TDI. And a month back (8-May) bought a 'Sparkling Gold' color Indigo LX TDI from Manipal Motors. Got the first recommended servicing done couple of days back. Yet to take the car on a long trip but the car has come up extremely well.

 

Would like to share the following about this car:

 

Style:

*) It may not be the best looking vehicle around but is more than good as far as competition goes. Twin front headlamps are very helpful & good looking. I would say that car is neat looking. No real blemish. However build quality could have been better.

*) Many reviews mention that the rear lamp assembly is too big & bulbous. But my feeling is that it is extremely useful and from a distance, especially, looks extremely attractive, more so at nights.

*) Boot design looks as if slight modification would be great for the car's looks, especially from the side. However that does not mean that the car is odd looking.

*) Ground clearance is decent enough and most of the potholes & road humps are dispatched with ease.

*) Bought artificial leather for the seats and the car looks great with it.

*) Only real hitch is that driver (no matter what height) can't really tell where the front bumper would end and get to see the bonnet. This may not be an issue as with couple of months of driving one would learn. But in city bumper to bumper traffic it becomes slightly difficult to guess bumper clearances and maintain the car free of incidents.

Comfort:

*) Indica & Indigo forte has been great comfort in terms of cabin space. Even the seats are very comfortable. 3 adults could very conveniently share the rear seat. Legspace is pretty good as also the head room.

*) Luggage space (boot) is extremely good. So accomodating baggages on the longer travel is no problem. Well placed & effective boot lamp.

*) Air Con is extremely powerful and effective. Beige interiors not only make car feel more spacious but also ensure that cabin doesn't get heated too much when kept exposed to the sun and cools off quickly when air con is switched on.

*) Doors open wide and getting in and out is extremely easy.

*) Higher speed comfort over slight road humps/pot holes is better. Lower speed comfort over slight road humps/pot holes could be better. In my opinion driving with decent boot load lends more driving comfort.

*) There is not much noise entering into the cabin from outside.

*) The pedals seem to be slightly high set.

 

Performance:

*) Great pick up on first & second gear. Fourth & fifth do their job exceedingly well. Felt slightly sluggish only in the third gear at below 1500-1600rpm. Once beyond 1800rpm no issue with acceleration/pull. Ofcourse can't compare with a petrol vehicle. But very nice for a diesel.

*) There is a slight telling on the engine performance when the Air Con is invoked. But this seems to be only in the 3rd gear at below 1500-1600rpm. Beyond that there seems to be no problem at all.

 

Value for Money:

*) No doubt this is a fantastic VFM car. Great price, decent mileage, great space & pretty decent style & looks. What else would one ask for when looking for a VFM car?

*) Increasing fuel prices makes this diesel hearted variant all the more economically sensible and viable.

*) Bought the car when there was a good cash discount on it to make ownership all the more sweet.

 

Fuel economy:

*) Only a month into running this car. Getting city mileage of 12/12.5 kmpl. This is with Air Con always on. I think this is pretty good and would only get better in the next couple of months.

*) Haven't tried driving on highway as yet. Maybe in a later review would add on this.

 

Over all:

Excellent VFM car. With decent TATA service network, don't foresee any problems in ownership & maintenance. Definitely recommend buying.

Pretty Decent performance & style, Good fuel economy & comfortBuild quality could be better