Vista adds flavour to Tata menu

Gone is the dull freezer-box looks of the previous model and in its place is a rather nifty European-styled four-door with a bold centre creased bonnet, petal-shaped headlights, sporty wheels and cocky bum with attractive vertically stacked tail lamps

It won't turn heads, necessarily, but it is rather cute.

The cleverly redesigned interior has a clean, fresh look with the gauges now all embedded in a central console. The cabin looks and feels much classier than the current Indica and has ample space for four big bodies.

Tata ma Vista, tata ma comforts

A handy feature of the living quarters is the practical glove box which is big enough to house a compact laptop. The rear seat has a 60:40 split and power outlets are close to hand in the front and at the back.

The steering wheel is tilt adjustable and other creature comforts include air conditioning with heating and demisting functions.

So, lots of interesting new flavours in the Tata Indica dish. And even a new range name, Vista, available in three variants; an entry level Ini, followed by the Aura, and the flagship Ignis.

There's quite a bit room, despite the Vista's comparatively small dimensions.

Quite a mouthful, the new full model names: Tata Indica Vista Ini, Tata Indica Vista Aura and the Tata Indica Vista Ignis. In practice they will probably quickly be condensed to just Vista Ini, Vista Aura or Vista Ignis.

Peppy, with some grunt

So, the aroma is in the looks, but is there enough flavour and spice under the bonnet?

Yes, there is a nice little bite, more than enough for a car that will probably spend most of its life cruising city streets, but, like a well-balanced curry, it won't set your tongue on fire.

All three models are powered by a 1,4-litre Fiat engine which, in the Indi and Aura versions, churns out 55 kW and 114 Nm. The flagship Ignis engine has been tuned and tweaked to produce a slightly livelier 65 kW and 116 Nm.

The engines are peppy, but high-revving and will need quite a bit of gear lever exercise up on the energy-sapping Reef.

It's fast enough to show this view to many other road users.

But the power comes on quite sufficiently at take-off and progress through the five-speed manual transmission gearbox is smooth.

The engine is a tad gruff at times, but like wind and road noises, not loud enough to intrude or spoil the journey.

On our short introductory drive in the Boland the little Indian wagon galloped along quite merrily up to the legal maximum speed and cruised quite comfortably at even slightly higher speeds.

Overtaking is easy and safe with enough grunt, even in fourth gear, and the car feels confident and steady on the road, even over roughish patches.

Just what you need in congested traffic

Some might find the speedometer's central dashboard location, rather than directly in front of the driver, a little distracting but one gets used to it very quickly.

Here's some handy storage space.

Of course you won't find - or expect to find - razor sharp steering in a car in this class and although the wheel feel is on the light side it's not too vague. The combination of light steering and a small parking circle makes the Vista ideal for congested city life.

The suspension can be a little bouncy over rough stretches but the ride is surprisingly smooth generally. It sits quite sure-footed through the bends although we were not given the opportunity to drive it on trying twisting roads.

All three models have safety features such as central locking with immobilizer, collapsible steering column, crumple zones for energy absorption in collisions, side impact bars for added protection, child safety locks on the rear doors, high mounted stop lamps, as well as a rear window demister to aid with visibility in poor driving conditions.

Only the flagship model has airbags (and its front only) and ABS brakes with EBD (electronic brake distribution).

Pretty… cute

Only the Aura and Ignis have power windows and side mirrors and the Ignis also has a fancy integrated audio with USB, Bluetooth connectivity and steering mounted controls.

No, you're not seeing things... the adjustable steering wheel has quite a range.

The Vista, like most small hatchbacks, is unlikely to draw too many second glances, but it's pretty in its own way. Some might even say it's quite cute.

I think 14-inch steel rims and 175/65 R 14 tyres look too small for the car, making the gaps between the wheels and the wheel arches seem too big.

But it didn't seem to bother any of my fellow motoring scribes, so perhaps it's just me….in the same way some diners love coconut and chutney with their curry and I can't stand it.

Tata - so what?

Of course some people will pull up their noses because it's a Tata and it's made in India, but Tata is a huge company and it has been churning out a wide range of good quality products for many years.

Trim lines, but the gaps between the wheels and the wheel arches seem too big..

Other than outside plastic finishings which are a little tacky in places there is not much to distract from the fair value the Vista has to offer. The three models are reasonably priced at R119 900, R127 900 and R139 900 and all Vistas come with a three-year/100 000km warranty, a three-year/75 000km service plan and two-year roadside assistance.

At the last count there were about 52 brands and models to choose from below R120 000 on the South African market so the new Vista (particularly the entry level Indi model) is in for quite a tough ride against some seasoned opponents.

The off-set speedo needs a little getting used to - but we've already seen this positioning in the Mini.click to enlarge

But it is a brand whose popularity is growing steadily. If Tata continues to improve its offerings in terms of specification and safety upgrades, tighter quality control, and customer care, its sales graph will continue to climb.

Already there are 67 established Tata dealerships spread around the country which is a lot more than many other manufacturers can boast with.

The Vista certainly is a lot more than just a couple of samoosas in a brown paper packet - it's a decent, substantial and well-priced curry meal soon also to be offered in spicier diesel format.