Tata Indica eV2 in India test drive

')">Finally I can lay claims on driving one such car in India which no one would have even thought of or would have rather dismissed it because of its ubiquitousness. That car is the Tata Indica eV2 in India and yes it’s a new one. Well almost new. While I am writing about this, the other article regarding the tie up with Wasan Motors would already be live on the website. Yes, our special association with Wasan Motors now gives us access to cars from all the four manufacturers (Tata, Fiat, Ford and Toyota) at the drop of a hat. First of all, when I reached that spot, I saw both Wasan Ford and Wasan Tata side by side. Temptations do take over and we could literally check out the cars from both the brands, some which I have actually reviewed or test driven over the months. So finally the car test drive challan filled up by my CEO, since I couldn’t drive due to an injured foot, we were off for the test drive. Since Wasan Tata had only one eV2 at their disposal, we couldn’t have the car for a review. However very soon, there may be a comparison in the offing. Check on Road Price

About the looks of this car, yes, they have made some slight modifications. The Tata smiley has gone and now its replaced by a more somber looking face. Unfortunately since this was the lower end version, there wasn’t chrome slats on the grille but only one on the upper end. Head lamps are now clear lens and feature a tear drop design. The air dams are now more prominent as also is the new apple green color that we had on the test car. There are fog lamp inserts and the top end variant gets fog lamps. The bumpers are body colored for the front and rear however the side mirrors are in black and only body colored for the top end LX/GLX version. The major change which one can notice is alloy wheels, yes the same brushed aluminium alloy wheels as seen on the 90Hp Indica Vista. Moreover, the tyre size has increased from 13 to 14 inchers. Underbody paint quality near the wheel arches seemed a bit iffy. Door handles are also body colored on top end version. The high mounted stop lamp and the somewhat toned down tail lamps make sure that one doesn’t mistake this Indica for anything else. The Tata Indica eV2 in India gets rear fog lamps as well, albeit on the higher end version.

Enough of the looks and now time to move into the interiors of this car. Has anything changed? Yes, pretty much. The dashboard is still of the same design however the quality has improved a bit, though not in the Vista league. The glove box handle and lid looked as if they would just fall off. The door map pockets however don’t bruise one’s fingers and seem a bit deeper than the ones on the older Indicas. For the higher end Tata Indica eV2 LX variant, there is a wooden finish central console. There is a two CD music system which has got USB as well as Bluetooth function. Though I couldn’t check out the music quality due to the lack of the option in lower end trims, the prospect of pairing up my phone with the system’s Bluetooth seems wonderful. There is a power outlet which comes in as standard however power windows come in only the LX version. What the Tata Indica eV2 promises is lots of space and that is for any variant that one buys. Front seats are comfortable as also the rear ones for seating three along. The slight intrusion of the transmission tunnel can cause a bit of fiddling around with feet at the rear however it isn’t a major irritant. Boot space at 232 liters isn’t great however the inclusion of a parcel tray and 60:40 split rear seats (for the LX) gives some flexibility for this small hatch. Ohh! I forgot to mention that the air conditioner works perfectly fine by cooling up the cabin within 34 seconds. However up the blower setting and you would be greeted with the whoosh noise from the AC vents.

As regards the ride and handling, I would say for sure that this car has pretty good ride quality. However the ground clearance of 165 mm would pose a slight problem in our country’s potholed roads. Not that we encountered any problem during the course of the test drive. One thing while you crank up the engine is the absolute lack of NVH. Yes, this diesel engine is very much silent and though we couldn’t do any top speed runs or spirited driving, I am pretty much sure that this engine would hold its guns even for the top speed blasts. Build quality is also up from the previous Indica V2 and apart from the iffy glove box, there wasn’t any other thing which looked as if it would just fall off. My CEO, who was driving the car said that there was no perceptible change in the way the new Indica behaved but then he was quick to add that the 4 spoked steering wheel felt lot more precise now. Ride quality was also stellar with the two or three pot holes that we encountered, dispatched without even a whimper from the suspension.

The biggest change that has happened is under the hood of this car with it now getting BS4 common rail engine with a cubic capacity of 1396 cc. The power figure is up to 70 Bhp from the 53.5 Bhp earlier. Torque has almost doubled at the 140 Nm being produced now. The transmission is a 5 speed unit which does away with the old rubbery feeling from the Indica V2. It slots in precisely but doesn’t encourage spirited driving though. The clutch feeling is a bit heavy though and the accelerator requires a bit more than a prod to keep on moving smoothly. The diesel variant is the one which gets the tachometer for the eV2 series. Keeping in line with the smoothness of the engine and the general lack of NVH, there is a clutch to start feature given. This clutch to start feature prevents the engine from being cranked again when it is on. Then there is the auto drive assist which helps while climbing gradients. This feature doesn’t stall the car even when one doesn’t press the clutch pedal while climbing up gradients. Brake feel is a lot better than the older Indica however with no ABS or EBD, I am sure that panic braking would cause wheel lockup. As regards safety, there are still no airbags as standard however one can get a Tata Indica eV2 in India fitted with airbags on order. The usual 3 point ELR seat belts, child safety locks, collapsible steering column provide some feeble protection in the event a crash were to happen.

Tata Indica eV2 Photo Gallery

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Fuel efficiency is the biggest thing that Tata Motors is banking on the CR4 diesel for. The claimed fuel efficiency for this car is 25 kmpl. Well, I couldn’t validate the claim however going by safe estimates, this diesel engine should be pretty much frugal.

Car handed back to Mohammad Shaikh, the friendly sales person, we set out to analyse this car. One question that my CEO had was whom is this car targeted at and my pat answer was the call center public. What they want is affordable motoring with lots of space and the Tata Indica eV2 diesel in India doesn’t disappoint on that count. If you want a more personalized form of transport, then the Tata Indica Vista awaits you. If you cannot afford the Vista, then the new eV2 is the cheapest BS4 diesel that you can buy now. The Tata Indica eV2 price in India starts from 4 lakhs and goes upto Rs 5 lakhs for the fully loaded variant. The various other variants of the Tata Indica eV2 are Indica eV2 L, Indica eV2 LE, Indica eV2 LS, Indica eV2 LX.

14 thoughts on “Tata Indica eV2 in India test drive

  1. I believe that after all these years, Tata Motors has finally delivered an appealing Indica. Only wish this was the model to begin with. It would have really ensured a stronger fan following. Still their grit and determination to keep coming back and improving the product needs to be applauded. It would be safe to say now… that the eV2 is full paisa vasool. Earlier it was the darling of the private taxi operators. Not it should be the darling of the car buyer who wants more car for less money.

  2. Dear Lijo
    Once again great review-even if you were not at the wheel.
    Are there any plans of the CS4 engine finding their way to the Vista or the Venture?
    Thanks

    1. As of now, no indications by Tata Motors however we at Indiandrives feel that these engines wouldn’t make their presence in the Vista but maybe Tata may slot this engine in the Venture. As and when it happens, we would keep you updated.

  3. there should be still more Space allocation . back view of the car has to little change. and the rate is not the compitative rate .

    the only great advantage is the milage which has to be cross check .

    i am looking for the car .

  4. Indica ev2 LS CR4 neo orange colour– driven 1500 kms and attended first service in two weeks, drove on 70-80 kmph speed got mileage 19.5 on highway with and without AC, engine noise is very low, good overall perfomance still wondering why mileage is not above 20.

    1. If you are comparing the 1.3 DDIS engine of the Maruti with that of the Indica, then the 1.3 DDIS would come out to be the winner with more responsiveness but the Indica attains a higher fuel efficiency and lower NVH.

    2. eV2 engine noise is very low, pick up is very good, old indica and this new one should not be compared. It is advisable to drive maruti and indica ev2 your self and see the difference, ev2 is different and you will like it, technologically it is again better. I stick with ev2 may be a new version of swift would be able to beat the indica engine as of now other than look engine of ev2 is the best.

  5. Hi, i am plining to buy a new car. Plz. Advice from milage and maintanance point of view which car i have to buy maruti ritz ldi or indica evc ls. Thanx.

    1. Seat covers are very individual choice. Some do have it to ensure easy cleaning and want the feel of cotton or otherwise.

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