I am not familiar with Tata’s heavier vehicles nor with the JLR side of things, nor am I an engineer, but I am a consumer. I love driving. I love cars. I read vehicles as I do people. And, with a focus on Tata-proper passenger cars, I will tell you this: that every Tata vehicle will give you the following:
Comfort. Tata passenger cars’ cabin space is unmatched, and I mean unmatched, in their respective segments. Ditto for their air conditioning. The sound systems of those that come equipped with them are top-notch. They’re also just generally comfortable for both driver and driven - you could call the Manza the baseline of automotive luxury, and indeed the Indigo CS too is fast approaching that baseline; no matter your definition of luxury, though, you will, in a Tata, be comfortable.
Reliability. Tatas are solid; they’re tangibly strong. They’re generally heavier than other passenger cars of comparable size, and as such give you the feeling of being surrounded by metal. Even the smaller cars’ ground clearance is excellent, granting them that little bit of offroading capacity one needs to safely traverse our country’s pseudo-roads. They can be crashed, soaked, broken, patched with internal components that were never meant for them, and somehow they will still contrive to hold themselves, and you, together.
If something goes wrong with your Tata, the first thing to do is this: turn the ignition off. Breathe, Calm down. Then start her up again, and ten to one she’ll be back to running smoothly as butter.
They will support you physically, and by extension emotionally. Treat them badly and they’ll tough it out. Treat them well, and they will respond in kind.
Value for money. See both’comfort’ and’reliability’ above. If you do need to get your Tata repaired, it is likely to be at a significantly lower cost than you would one of any other make - except perhaps Maruti - and in the case of a Tata you are at least certain you won’t need to have the same repair job done again for a good long while. Their fuel efficiency’s great, their running costs low, they drive pretty damn well, are confident, stately, happy companions, and are just all-around worth it.
Class. Simple class. No frills, no fuss. I’ll just quote myself here, from the blog post linked above: Every Tata is a confident car, perfectly aware and proud of the foundation of reliability it’s built on. There is no fuss about any of them, no frills, no pretence, no unnecessary complication. What you see - simple, elegant lines, good ground clearance, regal carriage, eternal smile - is what you get. They are no-nonsense cars, for the no-nonsense consumer.
And that, I think, is what Tata Motors is all about. Eliminating nonsense, cutting to the chase, and giving the Indian automotive consumer what he or she really needs.