Indian manufacturer Tata is the latest entrant to the South African passenger car market with the arrival of their Indica and Indigo range.
All models are powered by a 1 405cc, eight-valve motor, and all boast power steering as standard, which itself is an attractive offer, and definitely gets one over its competitors.
The Indica, a five-door hatch, is rather spunky looking, while the four-door Indigo boasts more space, especially for rear passengers.
In the case of the Indica, there are four model derivatives available, which are defined by the specification level fitted to the vehicle as standard.
Typically the entry level Lei (55kW), which retails for a low R69 995, has no electric windows, air conditioner, radio and so on, while the top of the range LXi (62kW) comes with all the bells and whistles, and includes airbags for driver and front passenger.
The Indigo models are powered by either the GLS (55kW) or the GLX, which has been tweaked slightly to produce 62kW, and have a claimed top speed of 160kph.
The external appearance of all models is rather good, especially the paintwork, which could easily match the quality of certain German rivals.
And while one cannot expect earth-shattering performance, one could not help but notice the lack of mid-range grunt during our brief introduction to the models.
Handling is average, thanks to a soft suspension, while understeer was apparent during the launch when we were let loose on the race track for a few laps. Going slower into corners, or lifting one’s foot of the accelerator, helps.
Certain areas in the Indians’ build quality will need to be addressed if the product is too succeed, and that, Tata’s local management assured us, they would. There’s nothing wrong with a budget car, and small imperfections could gladly be overlooked.
But South Africans are a fussy bunch, especially when it comes to vehicles and their pricing, and some buyers might be swayed to spend a few bob more and buy a slightly more established product.
Typically, dash fitment appeared to be a little cheap, particularly around the instrument clusters, while the doors had a rather tacky feeling. Upholstery and seat comfort is acceptable, while the actual seating position is quite high.
The range
The full range in Tata’s line up are:
Indica LEi — R69 995
Indica LSi — R73 995
Indica LX — R84 995
Indica LXi — R87 500
Indigo GLS — R92 995
Indigo GLX — R104 995