I am writing anything on my blog after a long time and I have been inspired by the Indigo Manza to do it.
The thing that I have noticed about Tata cars is that their smile is becoming bigger with every passing model. While first Indica just grinned at you the Manza is positively laughing.
Another thing that strikes you about Manza is the Name. Most cars are named in obscure Spanish and Italian sounding words or are plain numbers, or do not mean anything at all. Manza seems to be in the last category but seems to overtly suggest its ‘Manly” affiliations, as in ‘Man-za’. The advertising tagline also exhorts you to move straight to the top, which by the way may not be the best way to move to the top at all.
This was a car which I got into my hand by accident as I was without a set of wheels for some time and my dear friend asked me if I can use his Manza for the time being, to which I gladly agreed as this was one car which I was meaning to test for a while.
The drive in the car gave me a lesson in what a decent saloon should not be. The fully loaded version comes around 7.5 lacs in Jaipur, which is actually jaw dropping, for Fiat Linea with the same features and near identical creature comforts retails at well over 1.5 lacs more. The more you drive more it becomes clear why cheap is some times actually cheap.
The looks of this car are pretty unconventional as you might have realised by now. The massive Boot overhanging the rear wheels and the overly bulging bonnet over the front wheels actually make the 15 inch rims appear too small for this car. The whole design is somehow disproportionate and irritates the eye. The older indigo comparatively had more symmetry and proportion. The lumbering body rides on thin 165 mm wide tyres which makes the whole package look like an elephant with polio.
Given the bulging proportions of the boot we would have expected it to be over 500 ltrs but somehow the specs only tell us that it is 460 ltrs, which by the way is adequate for all common uses.
Once inside the cabin you are greeted by vast expanses of beige and tan plastic with a golden powdered center console. The power windows switch housing is also similarly golden powdered. All give a feeling that the Tatas tried very hard to appear BMWesque with as little money as they could possibly spend. The seating is high with very little lateral support for the thighs so it is not possible to rest your thigh laterally while operating the A pedal. The steering wheel is adjustable for reach and rake, but I was unable to find a comfortable setting even after much trying.
The clutch pedal is too close to the center console/ exhaust well so that your feet actually rest below the clutch pedal and if there is any need to quickly reach up and press the clutch, the foot actually fouls on the pedal first, thus delaying the response. When almost all cars worth there nuts can have such a basic sense of purpose, how did the Tatas miss out on this. Oops sorry they were busy fabricating the “cheapest car” in the world.
Once you turn the ignition, Fiat takes over and you leave the Tata experience far behind. The 1.2 Ltr Variable Geometry Turbo charged engine is a breeze to drive. It is not pushy and do not expect to win drag races at the red lights, but is adequate for all civilised driving situations. Due to variable geometry the turbo-charger kicks in pretty early and the response to throttle is nippy. Gear changing speeds are touched at mere 1500 rpm and engine does not need to be pushed at all. 80 kmph can be touched at engine rpm a shade less than 2000. Talking of rpms, the instrument cluster carries the same Laurel & Hardy theme of the whole car. In that huge dash board Tatas have gone and stuck a instrument cluster that would have made a bike feel proud. The indicator/ headlight switch combo is sticky and sometimes the headlights switch off if you give the indicator. Maybe a problem with this particular model, but very disconcerting and dangerous at night. The audio controls on the steering are on the right side, which again fouls with your hands as you turn with one hand and manage the gears with the other.
The gear lever is not spring loaded at all and does not return to center of neutral if left free. If you lightly shift from 2nd to 3rd it is expected that the lever comes and rests at the gate of third and fourth on its own. This does not happen. You have to manually move the lever to the middle of the gates and push for finding the 3rd gear, which can be a very notchy experience if you are used some of the better Marutis and Hyundais. Push too hard and you can end up engaging the 5th. With sufficient practice it is not too difficult to do it, though again it reduces the response time and can be tricky in expressway over-takings.
The car is not the one to be pushed around. A large bulk sitting on bike tyres ensures that even a slightly hard cornering will unsettle the rear end. God help if the corner road is potholed and patchy. If the vehicle is fully loaded expect it to roll a bit more and even lose the grip on the rear if pushed too hard. Each and every rut in the road can felt as the 165 mm wheels get stuck in them and try to take the vehicle in the direction of the rut and and not where you would like it to go. This is felt in frequent direction changes and jerks on the wheel while driving on the well used roads of Indian cities.
The build quality is trashy with cheap switches and levers all around. Even the power windows housing was coming lose. Odd clicks and clacks can be heard from all corners of the car on encountering any pothole or speed breaker. This in a car which had covered only 10000 Kms in 6 months.
On the whole the only saving grace of this car is VGT 1.2 Ltr Multijet engine. Only those who cannot wait to move up in life should buy this car. I would really save 1-2 lacs more or if you are financing it would not make much of a difference to your down payments and EMI and buy a car in 8-9 lakh bracket. I would buy a linea or any other model in that bracket than just buy a three box sedan because the marketing wants me to “move straight to the top”. As if moving up in life only meant driving big assed lemons.
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