Tata Motors India has the ability to churn out newer variations of its existing model. Check out the Indigo Manza’s for example. The earlier generation ones would have some uneven panel gaps and even some iffy quality bits however post the launch of the Tata Aria, every new Indigo Manza has even panel gaps and no bad quality bits in the cabin. This is the result of striving for excellence in its field. Note must be made that this quality revolution started as early as from the Indica Vista days. Speaking of Tata Indica Vista and coming precisely to the point, the Tata Indigo Manza’s 90 Hp engine has been now shoe-horned into the Indica Vista and christened the Tata Indica Vista Safire90 in lines with the Fiat Punto 90Hp.
The Tata Indica Vista Safire90 has some changes visually to give it a separate stance from the regular Indica. The car gets a new body paint and eight spoke alloy wheels now. The alloy wheels are the same ones as were found on the Indica Vista anniversary edition. It also gets fog lamps as standard. The side indicators have been moved from their position just above the wheel arches now to in the same plane as the outside rear view mirrors. Such a positioning puzzles us as it renders the turn indicators useless. The tail gets a 90 Hp badging along with the variant name. This is for all the visual differences between the regular Tata Indica Vista and the Tata Indica Vista Safire90. Safire stands for the name of the engines derived from Fiat Motors.
Inside one would certainly notice the new black and beige them treatment for the dashboard. The speedometer console as with the rest of the readings are centrally located and present a nice look. There is seat height adjust for the driver now and you would be hard pressed to notice any panel gaps in the Tata Indica Vista Safire90. Quality has really gone up and is at par if not above rest of the competition. There are no steering mounted controls though and we didn’t miss them as well since they would tamper with the operation of the steering wheel. Traditional Tata Indica Vista virtues like spacious cabin and good all round visibility remain the same. Getting into a comfortable driving position is also quite easy now with the rake and reach adjustable steering column. There is a fully integrated 2-DIN stereo system with Blue&Me and USB port to enhance the entertainment as well as communication part. Safety aspect for which Tata Motors have been always criticized has been taken care of in the Tata Indica Vista Safire90 with ABS, EBD as well as 2 SRS airbags in the top end version. This should put to rest the tongues wagging about Tata Motors India not too keen on safety aspects in the Indica.
The major change has happened under the hood. The Tata Indica Vista Safire90 now gets the 1368cc, 16 Valve, DOHC, FIRE engine putting out 90 Bhp of power @ 6000 rpm and 115 Nm @ 1600 rpm. Performance on the lighter Tata Indica Vista Safire90 was much improved than the earlier version. The 0-100 kmph mark was breached in 13.8 seconds. Sound insulation could have been better as anything above 5000 rpm was audible inside the cabin. The gearbox has been also changed from the previous Indica Vista and has made way for a Drivetech4 unit which feels good to grip and also offers smooth gear shifts. Overtaking maneouvre doesn’t require any planning now on the new car and it is just a zip and tuck affair. The Tata Indica Vista Safire90 feels at home both in the city as well as on the highway. The braking is also upto the mark with the ABS factor playing a major role and safely hauls the car to a stop without any drama. That saying, the performance isn’t a patch on the much smaller 1.2 liter K series engine of the Suzuki Swift as the 1.4 motor in the Indica isn’t too keen to be revved.
Fuel efficiency hasn’t taken a major dip with the bigger engine and the Tata Indica Vista Safire90 returns 10.6 kmpl in the city and 14.8 kmpl on the highway.
Overall, the Tata Indica Vista Safire90 is for those looking for a fuel efficiency yet fun to drive spacious hatch and one available at a low price. Combine it with a segment first 24 months or 75,000 km warranty, whichever comes earlier. For this, Tata Motors India have fulfilled their promise of delivering more car per car. The car is now priced from Rs 4,50,000 {ex-showroom, Mumbai} for the base model and Rs. 6,00,000 {ex-showroom, Mumbai} for the top variant making it fantastic value for money.
Technical Specifications of the Tata Indica Vista Safire90
Displacement: 1368cc, 16 Valve, FIRE DOHC
Engine Type: Petrol
Maximum Power: 90 Bhp @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 115 Nm @ 1600 rpm
Gears: 5 Manual
Length: 3794 mm
Width: 1698 mm
Height: 1552 mm
Tyre Size: 175/65 R14 alloys
Steering: Hydraulic Power assisted
Brakes: Front Disc, Rear Drum with ABS and EBD
Ground Clearance: 165.00 mm
Suspension: Independent McPherson Strut/Semi independent coil
Kerb Weight: 1247.00 kgs
Fuel Tank: 38.00
Seating Capacity: 5
