I went and bought myself a brand new Tata Indica V2 LSi in March 2003 after using a November 1999 Maruti Omni E (carb - also bought new) for almost 3 1/2 years. The only reason for my selling the Omni was - Chennai summers can be real killers and the lack of an A/C was sorely felt. The choices before me were - Tata Indica & Fiat Palio. No diesels for me, please. I’m a die-hard petrol head and I’m not too worried about fuel consumption as long as the performance is good. The LSi has been with me for 1 1/2 months now and I’m really happy with the car. Engine: Amazingly silent from the inside. Can be quite loud from the outside. Sometimes sounds like a vacuum cleaner when the fan switches on. The engine doesn’t have the smoothness you would associate with any Japanese engine. Chassis: Amazing. Gearbox: Good overall but sometimes can be hesitant to shift into the gear you want. But I knew this before I bought the car and so, I’m not complaining too much. Performance: The pickup is fantastic both in the city as well as on the highway. Shift up a little later than you normally would and you are definitely rewarded. Driveability is also very good Fuel consumption: City: 10-11 kmpl Highway: 120-130 kmph: 13 kmpl, 90-110 kmph: 15 kmpl Fuel used: Bharat Petroleum Speed. Engine Oil: I always top up with Castrol GTX Magnatec. Comfort: Great. Feels more spacious than the Palio. My parents (both over 60) find it easy to get in and out. The power steering is great but I must mention here that above 130 kmph, the steering felt a little lifeless. Air Conditioning: very good. I keep it at 1 usually and occasionally at 2. The car has done around 3000 km so far including 1 trip to Bangalore. For city use, the Indica feels a little big but that’s probably because I’ve driven an Omni for so long. For the highway, it feels just right. I drove from Chennai to Bangalore and back with just 1 halt at Chittoor and felt no strain whatsoever. I bought this car at the right time - after the excise duty cuts and before the Tamilnadu Govt. hiked the road tax. Paid Rs. 3.64 lakhs (all inclusive) at Concorde Motors. The car also came with the new Indigo control stalks which are easier to use and are definitely better than the old Indica stalks but not as comfortable as the Maruti stalks (yet to recover from my Maruti hangover!). If you like driving with great performance and also want great comfort, you have to choose between the Indica and the Palio. The Palio is also a very good car but when you look at the price differential, the Indica comes out on top. The Palio 1.6 GTX is way too expensive. The LSi is absolute value for money. And this doesn’t mean you’re a cheapskate if you buy one.
Edit: on September 20, 2009 - odo crossed 100000 km
Car is still running OE clutch assembly. Engine and gearbox are untouched.Tyres were changed at ~64K (front) and ~74K (rear). Battery changed at 39 months / 60000 km. Replacement Amaron going strong after 39 months / 40000 km.
Specs:Fuel: PetrolMax. Power: 75 BHP @ 5500 rpmMax. Torque: 110 Nm @ 3000 rpm
Overall FE: ~11 kpl 100% A/CBest highway FE: 16 kpl 90 kph 100% A/CTop speed achieved: 165 kph (speedo indicated).
Details at:https://gearheads.in/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=59