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. Prior to this new thinking, Tata did need a new car desperately if it was to stay competitive in the already overcrowded C-segment.
In terms of design cues, 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.
Manza’s silhouette is derived from the Vista along with stretched overhang at the rear for more boot space and side indicators, like the Vista are placed in between the mirrors and the A-Pillar; and the larger greenhouse shows modern styling. The rear end of the Manza is chunky and strives to appeal to customer with the combination of the wedge-shaped tail lamps and chrome strip on the bumper and boot.
Inside, 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. Comparatively, Manza and Vista both had different design teams and the interiors of both cars are completely different.
When you look at the driving dynamics, Tata cars have been known for their handling and stiffer ride. But 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 bang compared to the older Indigo which crashed through potholes.
At the moment, the steering 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 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.
Tata Motors has aggressively priced the Indigo Manza considering the overall package that it offers. Considering the budget price at Tata African Services Nigeria Limited, the main competitors of the Indigo Manza are the Renault Logan and Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire.
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, it 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.
It 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.
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 engines have been borrowed from Fiat’s powerplant stable and the same engines are used to run the Fiat Linea for Manza, Tata has remapped the engine and redesigned the gear ratios for better performance.
MIKE OCHONMA
