The truth be told, the Indica Vista which was launched last month seems to have come the closest to ending Tata Motors' drought in terms of producing cars that exude quality, refinement and performance. These issues have been perennial obstacles that have plagued Tata's famous hatchback, the Indica since its conception a decade ago. The Vista which Tata claims to meet European standards is an improvement of the highest order over the older Indica. It's showcasing to the world at the Auto Expo might have been a tad subdued thanks to the Nano, but there is no mistaking the fact that Tata Indica Vista has all the makings of a winner!

Design
The Indica Vista's look is a study in evolutionary design, having been developed on the Tata Indica it looks like a bigger and more tightly skinned Indica. It's a good example of European design with subtle catchy details. The styling is a reflection of noted European five-doors and three-doors like the Peugeot 307, especially the front fascia with the large and sharp-looking headlamps. The Tata Indica trademark smiling grille now gets a sporty honeycomb structure and a thick chrome strip on the top. The bumper is an all-new design, with a blacked-out air-dam incorporating two circular fog lamps. Creases and lines are omnipresent on the new Indica, starting right from the bonnet which is separated at the middle by a ridge running its length, all the way from the grille's chrome bar to the steeply raked windscreen. A crease also runs across its flanks before disappearing and reappearing on the boot, just below the waistline. The Vista's posterior is not much unlike than that of the older model but looks more sculpted and retains the trademark Indica tail lamp, which now stretch right from the roof to the chunky bumper.

The interior is a massive contrast to the dull grey world of the first generation Indica. A new two-tone soft touch dashboard with centrally mounted display is the focal point of the interior. The general quality of plastics and material used in the Vista cabin has taken a leap forward, but some areas like the door handles still feel flimsy and remind us that this is a Tata car after all. But this doesn't in anyway overshadow the fact that the new Indica offers tremendous amounts of space, be it headroom, legroom or knee room. That's not surprising considering the fact that at a wheelbase of 2470mm, it betters the Indigo's wheelbase by 20mm! Not just wheelbase, at 3795mm length, 1695mm width and 1550mm height, the Indica Vista is much bigger than the car it replaces and can easily seats five adults comfortably. Yet the increment to over all size hasn't resulted in increase of boot size as was expected. At 232 litres, Indica Vista's boot is not by any means the largest in the segment.

Furthermore, apart from the huge lockable glovebox and the cleaver passenger seat under tray, there aren't many storage spaces in the cabin. Even more surprising are the puny door pockets, so small and narrow that they can hardly be used to store anything bigger than small knick-knacks. On a brighter note, the seats are just about the best seats one can ask for; large in size, very supportive and with sofa-like comfort.

Comfort
The Indica Vista's reworked suspension setup features all-new semi independent twist beam suspension at the rear with gas filled shock absorbers and independent, McPherson struts with coil springs, at the front which give the car improved steering precision. The suspension system is also very efficient in negating bumps and jerks when driving over not the best of roads, awarding the passengers with a perfect ride quality.

The steering wheel is also mounted on a separate sub-frame to better isolate steering vibrations and award the driver with improved responsiveness and drivability.

The top-of-the-line Aura among other comforts & convenience features, gets an integrated 2 DIN CD/MP3 player with an aux audio port for connecting to an iPod, height-adjustment for the driver's seat and a height adjustable steering column. The features that are available in the Vista are at par with the standards set in the segment and therefore high-end additions like climate control don't make an appearance. However basic conveniences like power windows, air-conditioning with heating and air circulation and power steering all come standard.

Engine, Transmission and Performance
The Indica Vista is available in a total of seven variants that come equipped with a choice of three different powertrains. Sitting at the bottom of the pyramid is the Fiat sourced 1.2-litre SAFIRE petrol. With a maximum power of 65PS and a torque of 96Nm, the Safire kitted Indica is a modestly powered but refined and efficient performer.

The Vista's diesel bandwagon comprises of the 1.4 TDI and the 1.3 Quadrajet. Tata made in-line 4 cylinder 1405cc TDI diesel comes with a direct injection fuel supply system and a turbocharger. With the power of 71 horses and a torque of 135Nm, the 1.4 TDI can notch up decent speeds and like the SAFIRE petrol it also has very decent mileage.

Christened the Quadrajet, Tata's 1.3-litre diesel unit, is the same that powers the Maruti Swift and the Fiat Palio but with even better low-end torque. The refinement of the engine makes this variant the most accomplished car in the Vista line up, and not only that, it is also the most powerful and responsive unit of the lot. The 1,248cc 4 –cylinder, 16-valve common-rail turbo diesel engine produces a decent 75PS and an astounding 190Nm of torque! The torque is available from an rpm as low as 1,750, right till the redline, making the Quadrajet powered Indica an immensely pleasurable car to drive in the city. The Fiat sourced C510 gearbox used in the Safire petrol and the Quadrajet diesel Vista has been set in short ratios and makes life easier for the driver while driving in the city all the more.

The Vista being a heavy car is not as brisk as the Maruti Swift Diesel, taking 17.41 seconds to do the 0-100 dash. But it is quite possible for the Quadrajet to notch up speeds in the region of 162kmph, thanks to its robust nature. The Vista Quadrajet is quite a decent car to drive, although not as much fun to drive as the Swift diesel. Its engine has been tweaked to the tune that it can pick-up even when in the fourth gear giving the Indica Vista good overtaking capability. In the midrange dash of 80-120kmph, the Quadrajet is actually faster than the Swift while taking 14.5 seconds and there is also considerable reduction in noise and vibration. Although the latter does make its presence felt at speeds in excess of 100kmph.

Fuel-efficiency has always been an aspect which Tata excelled in and the Quadrajet gives the Indica Vista 5 stars for fuel-efficiency. An overall mileage of 19.48kmpl easily makes it one of the most if not the most economical car in the segment.

Safety
Tata Indica Vista's body is twenty five percent stiffer than the car it replaces thanks to the use of hi-tech tailored steel blanks that vary in strength from section to section to make its panels. It has also been put through and has passed a series of comprehensive crash tests and can thus claim to stand its ground in the event of an unfortunate accident. However to supplement its safety further ABS and airbags are surprisingly missing, but they might make an entry 6 months down the line when Tata starts exporting the Vista. As for now, its owners will have to make do with rudimentary safety features like side impact beams for all four doors, a full compliment of seat-belts and child locks on rear doors.

The Indica Vista retails from Rs. 3,49,951 (ex-showroom Delhi) to Rs. 4,88,001 (ex- showroom Delhi). With the new Indica Vista, Tata can now hope to attract more private car users than just taxiwallas. To borrow a line from Tata Indica's TV ad campaign, the Tata Indica Vista, is simply "more car per car", so competitors watch out!