India's Best Mainstream Compact Sedan

Tata Indigo Manza

The Tata Indigo Manza continues in the same vein of the Indica Vista - the path of a resurgent manufacturer which has set its sights on making a progressive emergence with intelligently turned out products that are bound to leave an impact on the market. Tata Motors has always managed to snare segments all over the country, but the recent influx of high quality international machines had made its popularity dwindle when it came to the rising urban India. The Manza was the product that effectively and emphatically established the company's new direction - one of modernity without forgetting the demands of the market in that pursuit.

A large part of the Manza comes from Tata Motors' new gains thanks to its alliance with Fiat in India. In fact, besides sharing a bunch of aggregates with the Linea - a segment shaker in its own right - the Manza also seems to have taken all the right design ideas from its hot Italian stablemate. The car's interiors reveal what could be the best visual treatment yet on any Tata Motors product with its simple yet elegant duo-tone use of plastics and fabric. The quality of the materials inside may not be up to the mark, but the use of space is phenomenal - something that we have recently seen from the company's newer products including the Nano and the Vista. 

The focus of most cars from Tata Motors has been on providing relaxed and comfortable transport with lots of added practical bits like space and fuel efficiency. The Manza carries on in this same vein but with one very important addition, which is the focus on making the Manza a car that is fun to drive as well. The 1.3-litre Quadrajet diesel and the 90bhp 1.4-litre Safire petrol engine both have enough grunt to move the car's mass with confidence, but what makes the Manza a rapid all round family car is good ride quality backed up with easy neutral manners and good road holding and precise well weighted steering.

For the first time on a Tata Motors product for the domestic market, we find air bags and ABS as standard fitment on the Manza, two very welcome details which would be appreciated by many especially at the car's price point. The car makes it ever so clear that Tata Motors understands the Indian market in terms of its aspirations better than most of the competition. It would sit well to remember that these products have been delivered without compromising on core Indian values that have always rewarded good value for money. With a direction as firm and assertive as that and with the muscle of the Tata brand backing it, competition from foreign lands could not stand the might of the tour-de-force rising from within.

Quick Facts:

PETROL

Engine: 1,368cc; inline four

Power: 90PS @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 116Nm @ 4,750rpm

DIESEL

Engine: 1,248cc; inline four

Power: 90PS@ 4,000rpm

Torque: 200Nm @ 1,750rpm

Transmission: 5-speed manual

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 2,520mm

LxWxH: 4,413x1,703x1,550mm

Weight: 1,200kg

Variants

PETROL (Safire)

Aqua: '5.15 lakh

Aura: '5.51 lakh

Aura+: '6.27 lakh

DIESEL (Quadrajet)

Aqua: '6.04 lakh

Aura: '6.34 lakh

Aura+: '6.70 lakh

Cheers:

1. Space and comfort on the inside make the Manza a great family sedan.

2. The very capable Quadrajet engine and petrol option appeal to a wide range of buyers.

Sneers:

1. Fit and finish inside could see a big improvement, even for a budget sedan.

2. The overall upmarket feel that buyers demand in this segment is missing.

Honourable Mentions:

Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta finds itself in the mainstream segment because of its compact size and pricing. It is one of the best handling cars this side of Rs 10 lakh, and is easily the perfect choice for the enthusiast. A good mix of petrol and diesel engines makes it our first honourable mention.

Chevrolet Aveo

GM's Aveo has been raking in sales for the brand thanks to its upmarket design and appeal. The option of 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines, and the recently launched CNG variant offer a wide range of powerplants to choose from, which makes this car quite unique in its segment.