*Summary
Review updated on: 28 May 2007 / **Purchased in: March 2007 from M/s Autolinks, New Delhi / Kms clocked: more than 6, 500
Comparisons
*In past, I’ve always been Maruti loyal & freek out on their products and have owned Maruti 800(twice) / Alto 1.1 & currently own Swift Vxi - ABS(my liking for Maruti is still not over) but XETA is in different class and by all stretch of imagination,
this one wins THUMBS UP… cause of
1) Great pricing
2) Superb space
3) Good ride quality
4) Decent overall package
Initial Cost of Ownership:
Excellent - which other company shall give you Car @
3.23 Lacs on road in Delhi(including extended warranty, Road Tax, Insurance,
Parking Charges and all other expenses with mud cover and floor mats for free)–
given discount of Rs. 23, 000/-with Power Steering, Front Power Windows, Central
Lock, Rear defogger, bumper painted body etc. Whole lot of goodies at great price.
Purchase Experience / Post Purchase Support
Very Bad - TATA Dealers have earned an enviable reputation of not being
friendly with their customers & they work overtime to retain the
reputation. I’ve had my share of woes, whereby I was EDUCATED that CNG fitment
is approved by TATA Motors and my warranty shall remain valid along with the
warranty of Vehicle. I learnt, after my purchases that CNG for 1.2 L XETA has
not even been approved by Delhi Transport Authority leave alone the TATA Motors
warranty.
Post Purchase Support
This has been good till date after writting a few e-mail to TATA Motors, dealer has woken up and they have reponded really well on a few issues that I’ve faced with till date. I’d like to mention that post sales team / customer satisfaction team headed by lady called Nisha @ Autolinks have been an important factor, who have chased problems with my Vehicle and have responded well till date on all queries / issues that I’ve had with my Car till date. Boy. they have courtsey and heart to listen to all issues & follow-up effectively on the matters that concern me most as an owner.
Important UPDATE* **- I’ve made a few noises through e-mail and have TATA’s have ensured that the local dealer wakes up. and boy they have. returned back all my queries and have been good since last couple of weeks.CNG Fitment is now apporved by TATA and Delhi Transport Authorities and should start by on 2nd June 2007(as per last update). But please do not rush for it, let the whole thing settle down and my opinion is should wait for 2-3 months before right feedback comes along. also remeber CNG kit installation through TATA is costly affair(all put in shall cost something to the tune of 47k). so let the final report come on how this CNG kit after all that engineering by TATA people behave
*Interiors &
Comfort*
Great – simply superb, lots of space and beige colour
interiors gives you feel of a BIG car, which is unmatched in this segment. Dashboard
looks refreshing and boasts of better finish that ever before. Seating is
perfect especially for long drives; you’ll never get tired feeling of driving
this Car on long routes. Not to mention the freebies like Central Locking,
Power Steering, Front power windows, rear defogger, Air Conditioner+ Heater,
body coloured bumpers etc. that comes along with this Version of Car.
AC of the Car is top of the line and have to switch it off
often even in this real HOT month of May.
However, there is a let down on the storage space aspect in
the Vehicle, only on this account, the Car looks unpractical.
*Ride &
Performance*
Indica Xeta
is the answer to Delhi governments answer to mismanagement on roads
including bad flexible roads, potholes.
She works like magic even in the traffic ridden Delhi with ease and have
answers to all the problems that you might have driving on such roads. The ride
is great with a few exceptions that Car drags a bit on lower speeds and often
threatens to give you a rough feel, though it becomes more than perfect when
driven on 30+ speeds.
Mileage with AC has been variable from lows of 11.2 to 12.5
Kmpl in City, which is pretty acceptable to me as an individual. Have not been able to check on highways, though have already done some 1000 Kms on Delhi - Gwalior trip.*
Overall
Go buy it… no car can be perfect and Indica XETA is not an
exception, but overall a practical Car with 5 adults to sit in comfort, great
power and decent mileage to get along with overall low cost of ownership.
Word of Caution: I’m
not a Car expert but I owe a lot to people writing Car reviews and helping me
to take Correct & most practical decision, which has compelled me to key in
my own thoughts and share my experience.