Tata Manza Review

I found this review on www.teambhp.com. Credit to the original author.

Don't discount this Tata product. Think about it, at Rs 4.8 lakh,
ex-showroom Delhi, you don't get any better space than this. And come
to think of it, the competition looks overpriced. Consider this, the
base version of both the petrol and diesel come with a 2-Din stereo
with all the necessary aux-in(s), power windows, steering, central
locking and decently finished interior trim. Besides, Tata isn't even
shoving the regular Indigo down your throat anymore - so what if you
have to live with the CS, Marina and XL!


Everything on the inside feels a generation up and is better built.
There's acres of space, the dashboard has a nice soft-touch material
and the Blue5 system works very well. The 5 in Blue5 means it can pair
up to 5 phones at a time. Of course it will only engage one at a time,
so don't get other ideas. Sound quality from the system is what one has
come to expect from OE systems these days with sorted out treble and
half decent bass. Our friends in the ICE section will be better able to
dissect the system for us.


What matters most in a Tata car is the seating and seating comfort. On
that front, the Tata continues the tradition well. You get lumbar
support of some sort for the driver's seat that doesn't really aid
much, but the seats are comfortable and large. The rear seat
exceptionally so with its deep recesses for the seat squab and a
comfortable position to place your feet on, unlike the predecessor
where the front seat's rails would impinge on space.


Now, I can give you a good lowdown on the diesel, since I never got the
opportunity to tell you about the petrol. The diesel is the same unit
as on the Linea. There are marginal changes to the ECU programming and
gear ratios, but the rest stays the same.


So to the most delicious part - it drives well. There's turbo lag, or
at least my test car was afflicted with it. At 50 kmph, I shifted into
5th, the needle just ticking over at 1100 rpm. So I stepped on it, and
for the next 20 seconds there was.... er, nothing! In the meanwhile,
India could have engaged with a war with one of its neighbours, have
planned out another green revolution, asked for three more commissions
to be setup - and then I was sitting at 1800 rpm, the turbo boost
kicked in and everything was as it should have been.


A small hiccup then. So why do I still insist on being a decent driving
car? Well, if you know your Lineas, you know that the Multijet with VGT
delivers most of its power at the upper reaches and when it does,
there's no looking back. I saw a genuine 170 kmph (and am not talking
odo here!) and it didn't feel strained at all. When was the last time
you saw 170 on a Tata, folks? The metres are pretty accurate too, with
the needle hovering at 175 kmph or so. Pretty impressive.


While the engine does lack low down grunt, correct use of gears
prevents a repeat of what happens at 50. But the reason why I did that
test was because most Indians go into top gear by 50-55kmph and even if
they overtake, say a slow moving truck, they won't bother downshifting.
Which is why, the nicely spaced ratios do the trick and one must learn
how to use it to prevent yawn inducing moments.


Meanwhile, the steering is large and uses good quality materials, but
is vague at some speeds and completely devoid of feel at others. Tata
Motors insists they've tried their best, but I think they need someone
who can tell them what a 'feelsome' steering is about. The gears engage
quite well, and notchiness is on a lower scale than before.


Ride is extremely well settled at all speeds, while handling is more
dependent on the good tyres rather than steering feel. Body control is
pretty good for a car that weighs nearly 1200 kilos and has a tall and
wide stance. And yes, these are the best brakes you will find on a
Tata, with the Aura+ that I tested braking without a fuss. The ABS
never felt intrusive or had a staccato feel to it.


I wish I could tell you more, but since the drive was kept to a fixed
loop with limited kilometres to drive, so there are things that are
better left for a much longer drive.


But for now, all I can tell you is, if you want something spacious,
with lots of kit and features and at a price that doesn't shake you off
your chair, then the Indigo Manza is the car for you. Add a more
reliable diesel engine and decent fuel efficiency, impeccable ride and
good braking ability to the equation and it seals the deal. For under
Rs 7 lakh, this car is great value and makes the Linea feel a bit
overpriced in the bargain. Tata really have yet another winner on their
hands, which they promise to not sully by launching a Manza CS or XL. A
Manza Marina perhaps, can't be ruled out.