Had a test drive of Vista Aqua, felt good. As with any car, it had its own pros & cons. Vista comes with three variants:
1) Terra - 1.2 Safire Petrol & 1.4 TDi.
2) Aqua - 1.2 Safire Petrol, 1.4 TDi & 1.3 Quadrajet.
3) Aura - 1.2 Safire Petrol &1.3 Quadrajet.
Well the first look was good, a change in overall outlook. The petal-shaped headlamps, dynamic flowing lines and the central character line gives it a change in look from the Indica. Sides are quite similar to Indica with minor changes which does not flash across during the first look.
First look:
- Swept back headlamp cluster, peeled-petal shape: nice.
Full length tail lamp cluster, giving the car an overall sleeker and smoother look - good.
- Centrally mounted instrument cluster - a change, however increases anxiety among fellow passengers, since the speedo, etc is visible to all.
New bumper design: good with (F/R) fog lamps
Pre-installed Music system: did not like the output, since all the 4-speakers are in the doors :(
Feel good cabin: amicable interiors, more space compared to Indica
- Height adjustable driver seat: Very helpful
Good thigh support: Descent seating
3-Step folding of the rear seat for more luggage space: cuts down on seating
Under-seat storage: good
Adjustable steering-wheel: good, felt the lock handle might break
Plastic Quality: Poor, I noticed that the plastic arounf the windshield was coming out!!
Test Drive:
Quadrajet Engine: Really good. you hardly feel the difference in power when AC is on. Very smooth, less noise inside (ofcourse close the windows!)
Hydraulic Steering: Pretty good.
Gearbox: Smooth, thanks to Fiat
Suspension: You do get the ’Thud’ noise, bit hard, less body roll
Power/Acceleration: Linear, no sudden thurst, ideal for city driving
Drive: pretty good.
Engine:
1. 1172cc Petrol Safire
Max Power: 65bhp
Max Torque: 96Nm
2. 1248cc Quadrajet Diesel
Max Power: 75bhp
Max Torque: 190Nm
3. 1405cc Turbo Diesel Injection (TDi)
Max Power: 71bhp
Max Torque: 135Nm
I really did like the quadrajet engine, perhaps one of the best configurations. Anticipated to give a mileage of 15 Kmpl +/- in city and 19 Kmpl +/- in highway.
Warranty: 24 months / 75, 000/- kms
Price, well around 3.5-5 lakhs, pretty ok, looking at the market.
Tata has done a good job (10 years...!) & I am sure Vista will be a strong competitor for others in the segment.