Nice carpets, good legroom, and gadgets galore at a price so low it looks like a misprint but what seems too good to be true often is.
The Indian-built Tata Indigo sedan and Indica hatchback will test where South Africans really stand on price and whether it's really all about the bottom line or more about value for money.
Tata is gunning for the small, budget segment that accounts for about one-third of the new car market with these two models.
For price and specification, the lesser-specced Indigo and Indica compete with VW's CitiGolf and Toyota's Tazz while the top models are pitched against Opel's Corsa, VW's Polo, Fiat's Siena, Chevrolet's Aveo, Kia's Rio, Hyundai's Getz and Ford's Fiesta.
Cash-strapped motorists have long been begging for cheap cars and that's what India's biggest automaker gave them when it unveiled the Indigo sedan and Indica hatchback here in December.
It followed the launch a few months earlier of the Tata Telcoline range of one-tonner bakkies and, like the workhorses, the prices of the cars are real attention-grabbers.
At only R69 995, the entry-level Tata Indica 1,4 LEi hatchback is up to four grand cheaper than rivals such as VW's Chico and Toyota's Tazz yet have a modern shape, a larger cabin and power-assisted steering.
This price-per-feature advantage is evident throughout the Tata range. The flagship Indigo 1.4 GLX tested here is the most affordable car in its class at R104 995 but is the only one, apart from the R118 280 VW Polo Classic 1.4i Trendline, to have anti-lock brakes.
Add a driver's crash bag, four power windows, power steering, remote-controlled central locking, air-conditioning, the largest boot in its class, and a three-year or 100 000km warranty (a maintenance plan is optional) and the Indigo GLX seems like something you should rush out and buy without further thought.
But beneath a shiny, happy surface often lurks a dark surprise and the fact is that the Indica is not particularly well-built or pleasant to drive. In fact it's pretty nasty in some respects.
The "big car in a small car body" effect of its more solidly built rivals is lacking thanks to inconsistent body panel gaps and a generally tinny, flimsy feel.
The same goes for the Indica's cabin with its rather low-rent, slapdash finishes. It includes an ashtray that, once pulled out, wouldn't fit back into its slot for love or money and eventually became permanently stuck in the half-open position.
That said, the Indica scores high on practicality. The cabin's large for a car of this class and will seat four adults comfortably - five if people don't mind getting a bit chummy.
The class-topping, 450-litre boot has very useful cargo space and can be expanded by folding the rear backrests.
Styling of the sedan, inside and out, is neat and modern despite the cheap finishes and should attract the varsity-going brigade.
Mediocre performance
The steering wheel doesn't adjust but the multi-adjustable driving seat will ensure a decent driving position.
Controls and switches are laid out logically and the car's only user-friendliness faux pas is the short range of its central-locking transmitter - you almost have to be touch the car before anything goes click.
Dynamically, the little Indigo is anything but inspiring. It's a noisy car with mediocre performance and handling.
A diesel version will be launched next year but for now two petrol engines are on offer - each is an eight-valve, single overhead cam 1400 but differing electronic control units produce different power and torque figures.
The standard 1.4 produces 55kW and 110Nm and powers the two lower Indica models; the uprated version in the Indigo GLX on test here makes 62kW and 115Nm.
Around town, if you're not in too much of a hurry, the Indigo feels reasonably zippy. Try and work it harder and the engine feels reluctant to rev to its 5500rpm red line and bellows its protest quite loudly while the noisy transmission whines in sympathy.
The Indigo can cruise at a respectable 120km/h-plus with a couple of passengers and the air-con running and will eventually reach 160km/h.
Not much range
The engine drones along in top gear along without making too much of a rumpus but there's a lot of wind noise. The five-speed gearshift is a bit sticky when the car's cold but loosens up as the temperature rises.
Fuel consumption averaged 8.8 litres/100km quite high for an engine of this size, and doesn't offer much of a range from the 42-litre tank.
The steering is light and convenient in urban traffic jams but taking fast corners isn't the Indica's favourite activity. The handling's sloppy, with lots of body roll and a disconcerting tendency for the weight to shift rearwards under semi-hard cornering.
It's not balanced or confidence inspiring at all.
The ride's not bad, as can be expected from a car designed to conquer Calcutta's worst potholes. The suspension is on the soft side and bumps are soaked up without serious kidney shaking.
The brakes don't lock up thanks to the ABS, which gives the Indigo an advantage in this price category, and the car stops safely on a slippery surface under hard braking. The 3.4 seconds it takes to emergency brake to a rest from 100km/h is on the slow side, however.
SUMMARY
In terms of price per gadget, the Tata Indigo GLX is virtually peerless, but it takes more than a barrage of features to make a good car.
Its cheap build and lack of refinement could be major turn-offs for many buyers.
- Tata SA plans to establish 35 dealers around the country by July. There are currently 20 and if you would like to find their locations Tata's head office can be contacted on (011) 723-1002.