2011 Tata Aria in India


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Introduction – Tata Aria India Review

The Tata Aria is the first car by Tata Motors to target the crossover segment and this full time four-wheel-drive vehicle is one of the latest cars launched in India. Being a crossover the Tata Aria has salient features of both an SUV and a sedan and will also feature a whole host of luxury features. The Tata Aria comes equipped with a 2.2 liter, DICOR engine that produces a maximum 140 PS with a maximum torque of 320 Nm.

Tata Motors is planning on launching the Tata Aria in three different trim level – Tata Aria Pleasure, Tata Aria Prestige and Tata Aria Pride. The Tata Aria will be one of the first offerings from the Tata stable to have a whole range of internationally acclaimed technologies to help drivers and  keep its passengers safe.

The Tata Aria has been on the drawing board for a while now and was first shown off at the Geneva Motor Show way back in 2000. The Tata Aria in India is hoping to become the flagship of Tata Motors and for that Tata has loaded the car with lots of extras. It is priced between 13 and 15 lakhs and for the Indian market this could be a bit steep when compared to its direct rivals the Toyota Innova and Chevrolet Tavera.

Performance – Tata Aria in India

The Tata Aria gets its acclaimed engine from the best selling and ever present Tata Safari and is the 2.2 liter, DICOR, 4-cyl that also incorporates a dual flywheel. Although the engine is sourced from the Tata Safari it is a heavily refined version. It uses VTT (variable turbine technology) which enables it to perform better while driving on the road or when driving off-road. The engine puts out a maximum 140 PS along with 320 Nm of torque.

The Tata Aria also features some improved specifications on the engine and these are the introduction of an aluminum cast stump along with rubber mounts; dual mass flywheel both of which give the performance of the engine a massive boost. The Tata Aria also features an improved suspension which is now Independent wishbone and makes the Tata Aria much smoother to drive even on uneven or rough roads.

The Tata Aria has good power and acceleration and many will be taking by surprise with its response and agility. The new refined engine helps with all this and moves the Aria from 0-100 kmph in under 14 seconds. Top speed of the Tata Aria tops out at 162 kmph. Handling of the vehicle is also good and drivers will be happy whether driving it in the city or cruising on the highway.

2011 Tata Aria Styling

Tata has not been known for its style or aesthetic looks so people will be surprised by the latest offering by the leading Indian car manufacturer. The Tata Aria is probably one of the most stylish cars produced by Tata Motors and recent reviews tend to support this. The 2011 Tata Aria is styled quite aggressively in the front with sharp curves and lines defining the hood and bumper.

A short glance at a passing Aria and you could easily confuse it to be an MUV. The long sloping hood and the wide wheel wells give it a broader look and further accentuate its SUV look. The look of the front of the Aria is further improved with the wide grille that reminds of the Indigo Manza. The large air intake is positioned low in the front bumper which also incorporates the two fog lamps.

The headlights of the Tata Aria slope along the hood and house the turn indicators. The outside rear view mirrors are automatically adjustable and electrically powered. The Tata Aria gets its stance from the wide wheel arches which incorporate the very sporty looking 17 inch alloy wheels. These alloy wheels come as standard with the Tata Aria, another of those extras thrown in to entice buyers, and these wheels are wrapped by tubeless tires.

The interiors of the Tata Aria fit in with the image that Tata is trying to achieve of the Aria being a luxury vehicle that will fit a large family. The cabin is very spacious and the feeling that one gets when you step in is of a much more premium segment vehicle. Tata seems to be following Hyundai Motors’ concept of provide more for less and this is a very good way to go forward especially in the Indian market as a majority of Indian buyers prefer spending less for a whole lot more even if some of these are unnecessary.

The center stack of the Tata Aria houses the climate control and navigation screen but their scattered positioning seems as though they have been placed as an afterthought by engineers. The center of the dashboard is fitted with the LCD screen that displays the GPS and other navigational tools and this undoubtedly is the best part of the car.

2011 Tata Aria Pricing and Recommendations

The 2011 Tata Aria is a very comfortable crossover vehicle and seats seven easily even allowing for ample storage of luggage. It is available in the choice of three trim levels – Tata Aria Pleasure, Tata Aria Prestige and Tata Aria Pride. The Tata Aria starts at a base price of Rs.12,90,901 for the Pleasure with fabric upholstery; Rs.14,13,001 for the Prestige in fabric interiors and Rs.15,50,000 for the Aria Pride.

The Tata Aria has a very good fuel efficiency of 10.2 km/l while driving in the city and 14.5 km/l driving on the highway and this is due to the improvements made on its 2.2 liter, direct injection common rail engine. It has superior styling and is probably one of Tata’s best designed vehicles in its current line-up.

The Tata Aria features a range of safety features normally found in cars higher up the price range. These safety features include dual function front airbags, rear side and top airbags, traction control, ABS and ESP, which Tata offers for the first time in any of its vehicles.

It also has all the other standard features like dynamic cruise control, automatic climate control, music system that is CD/MP3 compatible and darkness sensing headlamps. A couple of drawbacks of the Tata Aria are the rear legroom and the fact that Indian specifications mean fewer airbags.

The Tata Aria is no doubt the standard that will define Tata vehicles, but could still find it difficult to make inroads and capture a good share of Toyota’s market. Tata Motors has done really well in including loads of creature comforts that are meant to entice the Indian buyer. Positioning the Tata Aria as a luxury level vehicle could come as a double edged sword for the company as some may feel it is overpriced.

For those loyal Tata fans though this is a very good response to the crossover segment and will do well on Indian roads while giving some tough and well sought out competition to the likes of the bigger manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan and Chevrolet.

2011 Tata Aria India Specifications and Price

Vehicle Category: Crossover vehicle
Engines (standard): 2.2 L, full time four-wheel-drive, DICOR, 140 HP, 320 Nm torque
Drivetrain: 7 passenger, Front engine, 5-door, FWD
Transmissions (standard): 5-speed manual
Curb Weight: 1896 kg
0-100 kph: 14 secs (est.)
Mileage city/hwy: 10.2 / 14.5 kmpl
Tata Aria Price: Rs.13 – 15 Lakh (est)

One thought on “2011 Tata Aria in India

  1. I am looking around for THE Indian car to buy so naturally I have been to every showroom of every dealer in my city.

    When I set eyes on the Aria, I was totally impressed. The outer coat was immaculate and very high quality gloss red. The interiors were luxurious with oodles of space and storage. You could take your entire family (extended) and the neighbor’s dog on a camping trip and I think you would be rather pleased by the space and comfort.

    The only things that put me off were as below:
    1. Body panels don’t align in many places. Wheel Arches are disjointed at the door area. The front and rear door trims did not line up. By now you would think they would get these things right, but TATA have not learnt from the Safari experience about these things.

    2. The rear windshield trim was bent out of shape, probably because the trim was longer than the length available to fix it in. So it awkwardly arched out of its location. Dealer rep bashed it in several times but it kept popping out.

    3. Small panels in the boot were made from rather flimsy plastic and one panel was not holding in place at all. It kept popping out.

    4. Too box is in a styrofoam case. This helps keep out the rattle but may perhaps be destroyed within the year. Have seen this in most cars and the logic of using thermocole defies any explanation. Metal and thermocole just don’t mix.

    5. The front wheel arches abruptly come inside and towards the radiator grille. This exposes the front tyres from the front and will possibly lead to mud and water splah out from the front. At higher speeds this WILL coat the headlamps just above it with mud. Plus it gives the car a “FROGGIE” look when viewed from the front.

    6. The final cruncher came from the Price. At 18L+ on road, I thought it was just too much. If this was a tad lower @ 13-14 ON ROAD, I think the others would have had their work cut out, flapping hard just to keep afloat.

    At this price one expects perfection. The Aria is several bricks short of that.

    Excellent car and concept, bad execution on the finishes, REALLY BAD PRICE.

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