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Tata Indigo MANZA

Monday, March 15th, 2010 | cars | bharat7009

What is the first impression that comes into your mind when you think of Tata cars? Most would say a taxi. But one look at the Manza and all those impressions will be out of the window. Instead you start to think of Style, Luxury and the word BIG comes to your mind - especially when you have a look at the boot. It looks like a proper Sedan. It may not be perfect but by no way does it look like a boot that has been put onto a hatchback. And all that’s even before you have a look at the interiors. The car is loaded with safety and luxury features that have probably made its entrance for the first time on any Tata product. Even the Base Variant comes with AC, Tilt Power Steering, Front Power windows, Central Locking, Rear Armrest and, yes, even a 2 DIN music system!

The Vista, the Nano and now the Manza have shown how Tata has matured over the years. Result of about 50 lakh KM of testing between the Vista and the Manza. Quality, finish and refinement is far superior to any other Tata product to date, even the Vista. The Manza is assembled alongside the Linea. The quality of paint and parts (sans a few which have obviously been sourced from an older product) are hence similar to the more expensive Linea and of very good quality.

Exterior and Design

The Manza has a very elegant poise. The clean lines, steep Windscreen angle and loads of chrome all around add to its character. On the top end model, you have chrome above the Radiator Grill, on the Bumpers, on the side moldings, the door handles and even above the back number plate.

The squared rear makes it look much larger then it actually is. The longish three-barreled headlight is inspired from the Vista but not completely taken off it. The famous Indica radiator smile now has more straight lines and looks kind of like an inverted trapezium. Like the Indica, the side indicators are neatly placed just below the OVRMs. The shoulder line on the car is also more pronounced.

The 15” wheels look good and fill up the Wheel Arches nicely. The large wheelbase coupled with the 15” wheels give the Manza good handling manners.

The Manza is 4413 mm long as compared to 4160mm for the Swift Dzire, 4282mm and for the Ford Fiesta. Width and Height is also more than its rivals with 1703mm and 1550mm for the Manza, 1690mm and 1530mm for the Dzire and 1686mm and 1468mm for the Fiesta respectively. Ground clearance is about 165mm and the bottom never scraped the surface anytime during the 350 odd kilometers that I had the car with me. Wheelbase is also the largest at 2520mm. Only the Logan compares favourably to the Manza in dimensions.

Interiors of Tata Manza

Interiors are where the Manza scores highly. The cabin feels airy and there is a sense of space. In fact, interior space is probably one of the main USPs of the Manza. The large windscreen and beige interiors accentuate the space. The A pillar is small and does not restrict much vision, though at times on the ghats while turning right I was not able to spot the on coming cars.

Space – ‘Unbelievable’

There is only one word for the amount of room at the rear ‘Unbelievable’. The wheelbase is now 50mm longer (and a full 130mm longer than the Dzire) and the space is visually evident. (On the drive to Mahabaleshwar, a family from a Honda CRV took turns to sit in every seat of the car and they were truly impressed, especially with the amount of legroom and headroom.) Even with the front seat in their fully back position, the rear seat passengers legs don’t touch the front seat. The angle of the seats are also perfect and make them the best place in the car to be in. The rear can easily accommodate 3 passengers comfortably and the rear armrest with built in glass holders gives the car an expensive look.

The Boot is massive. At 460 litres, Tata claims it is the largest in its class.

Seating

The front seats are pretty firm, and they are quite large and there is plenty of space for the elbows on both sides. Front seat travel is also quite generous, so is the amount of steering wheel height adjust and driver seat height adjust too. Lumbar support has two stages, in and out, and didn’t do the trick for me (having been used to the kind of lumbar support the Octavia offers). However like many other features, it’s a first for a car with this price tag.

With the Manza, Tata has also shown that safety is on their minds. The Manza is equipped with ABS, Dual Front Airbags, Collapsible Steering Column etc. The front Passenger airbag can also be turned off if it’s not required.

Plastics and Storage

Plastics used are of high quality and totally the opposite of what you would expect from a Tata product. The feel of the Dashboard is awesome and I particularly like textured feel and the slightly Grey colour near the windscreen which does well to block the sun’s reflection off it into the driver’s eyes (apart from the Front Defogger Vents which are clearly visible). The two tone fabrics, which are available across all variants, also look and feel very good.

Storage space is pretty good. The door pockets are not too big but each was able to hold two 500ml aerated water bottles. Seat pockets also are just adequate enough to hold a few magazines and some biscuits at most. However the Glove Box is very spacious. It could easily hold my laptop. Tata has put some very nice thought into it. The glove box is lit (though not cooled like in the Fabia and some other cars) and has a slot where you can keep your pen and visiting cards. There is also a Sliding tray under the Front Passengers seat.

Music

A 2 DIN music system from Blaupunkt, 4 speakers and 2 tweeters come standard across all the variants. The Aura also gets the Blue5 Bluetooth System - it can pair upto 5 phones, however can only be used with any one phone at a time. The system has a full keypad for the phone and along with making and answering calls, you can also stream music via a bluetooth enabled device. Also on the Aura there is a provision for an AUX and USB input (Though the ports are covered by a cheap piece of rubber which we have doubts on how long it would stay there). The music player can be controlled via a small remote or via the buttons on the Steering Wheel. You can also answer and end calls via 2 buttons on the steering wheel. The buttons however felt small and made of very thin rubber and I kept switching tracks unknowingly when I used the horn. The steering wheel though is large and has a big hornpad which feels good to hold and use.

Electronics

The OVRMs provided did their function well. View from them was adequate and the Electrical Adjustment knob for the OVRM felt very precise. The mirror’s glass moved slowly and precisely and it was possible to set the exact position that you wanted with relative ease. The power window switches were also acceptable and the driver side glass has a one touch auto down function (It does not come up automatically too). Tata has used a dull gold paint on it but the paint finish there leaves a lot to be desired.

The switch to lock the windows (so that other passengers cannot operate it) is electric as is the switch for the AC and the Air Circulation position. Motors now activate the flap (to control outside air entering the cabin or inside air being re-circulated) rather than the use of cables. Cooling of the AC is good (we only got to test it in chilly weather - how it will perform in the extreme summer heat is yet to be seen) although the blowers could have been a bit more powerful.

The gear knob is wrapped in quality leather and feels good to hold and use.

Dashboard of Manza

The 4 dial speedo console has white backlighting and is small and classy. Looks like one you could maybe see on a supercar (Is Tata inspired by its latest Jaguar and Land Rover Acquisition?). The dials are about half the size you would see on a normal car, with the temperature and fuel gauge being located at the ends and of a smaller size than the Speedometer and the Tachometer. The dials are outlined which chrome (like on the Swift’s). This took me by surprise the minute I entered the car. However, the small odometer does take a while to get used to. The good news is that the meters are back where they belong, in front of the driver!

The turn indicator lights are also small. However the Multi Information Display which provides details like Total Mileage, Instantaneous Mileage, Range to empty, Clock and Outside temperature is quite large. The font though looks like the ones you see on small kid’s digital watches!

Another first from Tata is the Critical Rev limiter. Instead of the normal Red band on the Tach, the needle itself turns red on reaching 5000 RPM in the Diesel and 6000 RPM on the Petrol.

The indicator stalks require more than a slight tap to operate. They need to be pushed up or down quite firmly. The wipers do a pretty good job and can be operated at 7 different speeds (there are 5 Intermediate positions). While using the spray to clean the glass, the wiper makes one extra stroke 5 seconds after stopping the spray to clean up the residual water droplets. While returning from Mahabaleshwar in dreadful rain (people had parked their cars at the side of the road) the wiper operating at their highest setting did a good job. The front and rear fog lamps also helped. Doors require a good push to close but the outside door handles look really good. Wish the same could be said for the inner door handles though – looks like these were being sourced from older products.

Cabin noise is virtually non existent due to the excellent insulation and provided by Tata. Even at high speeds the Cabin is very silent. The only thing that can be heard is a slight tyre noise. This is completely different from the loud engine noise that is evident on the Linea and the Punto. The pedals like the Vista are placed closely together and there is no Dead Pedal. Wish Tata hadn’t ignored that feature.

Features of the Tata Manza

Just to list the seemingly endless number of features that are available on the top end Aura + model, it is equipped with ABS, 2 Front Airbags, Air Conditioning, Tilt adjustable steering with a Collapsible Steering Column, Seat Belt with Pretensioners, Multi Information Display, a 2 DIN music system with Bluetooth and AUX / USB inputs, 4 Speakers with 2 Tweeters, Steering Mounted Audio Controls, Central Locking with Keyless Entry, Driver Seat Height Adjust, Front Seats Lumbar Support, Dual Tone interiors, Dual tone Fabrics, 2 Trip meters, Front and Rear Fog Lamps, Electrically adjustable OVRM’s, 4 Power windows with Driver Side Auto down feature and large 15” wheels.

Another couple of Excellent Safety Features are that if the seat belts (Driver Side only) are not worn, once a car reaches 15kmph a buzzer starts ringing which is irritating and hard to ignore. The doors lock automatically upon reaching 20kmph. You can stop the car and unlock the doors, reach 20kmph again and the doors will once again lock themselves.

click to see 12V plug

Ride & Performance

The Quadrajet Engine (Diesel) / Safire (Petrol)

The diesel engine on the Manza is the same that we are beginning to see on many cars in India. Yes, we are talking about Fiat’s 1.3 Multijet or Quadrajet as Tata calls it. It must be noted that though the same powertrain is used on many cars, each manufacturer has the engine in a different state of tune and refinement. In my view, Maruti-Suzuki has done the best job with it followed by Tata with the Manza. I guess everyone has beaten Fiat in their own game (compared to the Swift and the Manza, the Punto seems to lack power and is very noisy!).

The 1.3 Quadrajet on the Manza produces 90PS@4000RPM (4PS higher than on the Linea). Torque is rated at 200NM @ 1750-3000RPM (both figures easily beating the DZire and the Fiesta).

Even though the Manza is on the heavier side at 1210kgs, its power to weight ratio at 74.3PS/ton is much higher than the DZire (67.5PS/ton), the Fiesta (59.1PS/ton) and even the Linea (66.6PS/ton) hence it takes care of the extra weight with ease. The engine is pretty quiet - trust me, I had a 2003 Octavia and it sounded like a truck - and feels highly refined too. Above 2000RPM it feels like a little rocket. Hit the throttle a little and it zooms past the vehicle in front. Climbing up the Katraj and Wai Ghats was a breeze and we did it in such quick time that we didn’t realize the climb section was already over.

The 1.4 Safire petrol unit produces 90PS@6000RPM and has Torque figures of 116NM@ 4750RPM. It has a ‘Continuous Variable Cam Phaser’ as Tata calls it along with an intelligent port resizing which translates into better power delivery and higher fuel efficiency. The engine is quiet, pretty Rev Happy and has a very linear acceleration curve.

Performance

Where the Tata Manza does take a beating though is the Turbo Lag. Below 1500 RPM absolutely nothing happens. Power starts to slowly creep in after 1700RPM and one can only really feel the boost once past the 2250RPM mark. This can become tricky if you stop on a climb and the clutch needs to be worked hard to build up the revs. Also you don’t want to be overtaking anywhere below 1800RPM. Use the correct Revs and the car handles like a dream.

In the performance test (wet roads thanks to the rain) with the A/C switched off the car did 0-40kmph in 3.1 seconds, 0-60kmph in 7.2seconds, 0-80kmph in 11.5seconds and touched the 100kmph mark in about 17.5 seconds. Needed a few runs though as the wheels kept spinning at the start.

The accelerator is controlled by the Drive-By-Wire system (where a Rheostat sensor converts the amount of accelerator being depressed and passes the information to the ECU which tjem coverts the electrical signals into mechanical motion and it regulates the amount fuel going into the engine).

The Manza comfortably cruises at 140kmph and hit 160kmph though we were able to hold it for only a couple of seconds and felt it had could have done better if the road conditions permitted. Breaking is probably one of the best in its Class again and she comes to a halt from 100kmph in no time. Slam the brakes and the Manza comes to a halt quickly and in a perfectly straight line and you never feel the car going out of control (ABS doing a wonderful job).

Steering, Handling and Mileage

I felt the steering to be pretty precise and the car went wherever I wanted it to. Understeer does creep in if you are accelerating in a corner (did encounter a few on the ghats) but it’s relatively easy to overcome. Body roll is minimum and does not overwhelm you at any point. The 185/60 R15 Bridgestone tyres provided plenty of grip even in wet and treacherous conditions. Potholes and Speed Breakers didn’t create a hassle and the car glides over them without shaking the passenger too much. This is by far the best handling Tata car ever made and also gives the other cars in its segment a good run for their money.

Gear Shifting is precise and though they are not short throws, they slot into place perfectly.

Thanks to the tall gear ratios, the car returns very respectable mileage figures. In the City with the Aircon on at all times the car returned 14.1 kmpl. On the highways at 120kmph and 2400 RPM the instantaneous fuel indicator was hovering between 21.2kmpl and 23.8 kmpl. The overall mileage for around 350kms (City, Highway, Ghats sections all included, and AC on at all times) was 16.1kmpl.

Pricing and Conclusion

So what does it mean? Is it worth it? Will the money you put in it be justified? Well, let’s put it down.

The ex-Showroom price of the top of the line Aura + in Pune is Rs.6.63 Lac. The price of the DZire Zdi is 6.75 Lac, the Fiesta 1.4 Sxi TDCi 8.02 Lac and the Linea Emotion PK is 8.43Lac.

The Manza is loaded with more features than its rivals and is priced well below them. The Manza is a whole 1.7 Lac cheaper than the Linea, has the same features, the same engine and is built on the same assembly line. Plastics quality, ride, handling and performance is also really good. So suddenly the Linea doesn’t seem to make any sense. The Manza is definitely loaded with more features when put alongside the DZire (which is priced more or less the same as the Manza.) The Linea does however have a bit more style and brand name.

All this considered the Manza is definitely the most Value for money car in the segment. It is also by far the most spacious with space that could probably be expected from a Camry or an Accord. Tata cars are known to be very long lasting and the sales figures of the Indica/Indigo and the mileage of the Indicas does prove that.

Yes, there is a lot of scope for improvement but the Manza’s Engine and build quality is leaps and bounds more refined, has better finishing, and an overall better product than any other Tata car. The Manza comes with a 2 Year / 75,000 kms standard warranty which can be upgraded to a 4 year / 1,50,000 kms warranty at a nominal price. At the price and the features provided, its rivals (especially the Linea and the Fiesta) will be a worried lot.

About the author

Based out of Pune, Quraish Umrethi is a die-hard car fan. Just 24 years old, he has driven and flown a range of cars and bikes most people don’t drive during a lifetime.

Vehicles he has driven include Civic, Camry, Hummer, Merc S Class, BMW Z4, Corvette, etc. and various bikes (SV650S, 2008 Hayabusa, R1, R6, Ninja 650, Hyosung 650-etc).

Quraish is an accomplished photographer and competitive kart racer. He is also a licensed commercial pilot.

Comparision Chart:

Specification	Tata Manza Quadrajet Aura +		Swift DZire Zdi		Ford Fiesta 1.4 Sxi TDCi ABS
Ex-Showroom Price (Pune)	6,63,381		6,75,315		8,01,940

AC	Yes		Yes		Yes
Power Windows	Yes		Yes		Yes
Power Steering	Yes		Yes		Yes
ABS	Yes		Yes		Yes
Airbags (D/P)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CD Player / Bluetooth	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No

Length (mm)	4413		4160		4282
Width (mm)	1703		1690		1686
Height (mm)	1550		1530		1468
Wheelbase (mm)	2520		2390		2486
Ground Clearance (mm)	165		170		168
Kerb Weight (kgs)	1210		1115		1150
Boot Space	460		440		430
Displacement (cc)	1248		1248		1399
Power (PS@ RPM)	90 @ 4000		75 @ 4000		68 @ 4000
Torque (NM@ RPM)	200 @ 1750		190 @ 4000		160 @ 2000
Min turning Radius	5.1		4.7		4.9
Tyres	185/60 R15 Tubeless		185/70 R14 Tubeless		175/65 R14 Tubeless
Fuel Tank Capacity	44		43		45

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Chevrolet Beat

Monday, March 15th, 2010 | cars | bharat7009

Hai muscular, hai popular, spectacular…. Well the market is definitely up-‘Beat’. Taking a test drive of Chevrolet Beat had been really one of the things on my wishlist The Chevrolet Beat is here to stay and holds all possible credits to give its competitors a run for their money. A gleaming red Chevrolet Beat was just pulling out of the parking lot when I reached the venue. The first impression was…. Okay…the Chevrolet Beat is not as big as it shows in the promos or advertisement. The Chevrolet Beat is really a small car!

With the Success of Spark in entry level hatchback, offering great competition to the likes of the Santro, Zen Estilo, Astar, Indica, GM India has now decided to take on the mid segment Hatchbacks like Hyundai i10, i20, Swift, Ritz, Indica Vista, Punto etc. The all new Beat is set to take all these head on.

Looks and Style

The Chevrolet Beat is definitely impressive and stylish – in fact, in a word, I would call it ‘stylish’. Bold looks and strong design cues are prominent. Its funky looks have already raised immense interest amongst the Indian customers. The front is inspired from the looks of Cruze, and the front bonnet is extended in front and there is a lot of gap between the front grille and the radiator. In fact, the gap is so large that the front grille is supported by a red bar between the grille and the radiator.

The rear tail lights are bigger than the Spark’s and are flashy as well. They are high mounted tail lamps with chrome finish tail gate handles and rear spoilers. The base model does not come with roof-rails which add to style in higher end models.

Interiors are flashy and complement the exteriors. On the face of it, the Chevrolet Beat may look as if the rear passenger may feel cramped but the car has enough space. The size of rear window has been considerably compromised due to the designing of the car. The rear door handle is also present in the window panel which has further shortened the size of rear window. Now that’s something reckon with! If you have kids and a small family, you would be just as happy as me. Now the kids can easily roll down the windows and you need not bother they will jump out of the window or even put their hand out. But the rear window is small and an adult may feel a little claustrophobic. The rear door has a good height. Check out the pictures from inside of the Chevrolet Beat.

The boot is extremely small. The size of the boot is even smaller than Hyundai Santro. So this means, you cannot use the car if you plan to go on vacation or even drop someone to the airport or railway station who plans to go on vacation. There is only a small space to carry your shopping bags from the mall. However, the rear exterior is quite attractive – and not ugly like the Ritz. Chevrolet has taken care of the rear style and design as well.

The front dashboard is quite impressive. The inspiration from the Cruze transcends to the front interiors as well. Chevrolet has given enough pockets and holding spaces to put your mobiles, etc. The backlit display on the buttons, digital display mounted on the steering and similar features are quite funky and good enough to attract the young car buyers as well. The mobile holding space on the right is quite useful and this time, if you mobile rings while driving, you can easily see in a glance who is calling.

	Chevrolet	Fiat		Honda	Ford	Hyundai	Hyundai		Maruti		Tata Motors
	Beat	Punto		Jazz	Fusion	i10	i10	i20	Swift	Ritz	Indica Vista
Variant	1.2 LT	Fire Active	Fire Emotion Pack	Mode	Duratech	Era	Kappa Asta	Asta Option	Zxi With ABS	Vxi with ABS	Aura Safire
Engine Capacity	1.2	1.2 L	1.4	1.2	1.6	1.1	1.2	1.2	1.3	1.3	1.4
Power	80.5	68	90	90	101	67	80	80	88	88	71
Torque	108	96	115	110	es	99	112	112	113	113	135
Gears	5/M	5/M	5/M	5/M	Yes	5/M	5/M	5/M	5/M	5/M	5/M
Power Steering	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Power windows	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Central locking	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
A/C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Music system	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Fog Lamps	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rear wind shield washer	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Defogger	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
ABS	Optional	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Airbag	Optional	No	2	2		No	2	6	2	No	No
Average fuel efficiency	18.6	16	13	16	11	18	15	15	14.5	15	13
Ex showroom Price Mumbai	4.14	4.19	5.8	7.7	6.23	3.8	5	6.1	5.37	4.63	3.98

Engine, the Technical and the Run

The Chevrolet Beat is noiseless, that’s for sure! It features tubeless tires and all 4 suspensions are gas-filled. Even when the AC was on, you could hardly feel the hum of the Chevrolet Beat either.

Chevrolet has launched only the petrol version of the car so far which is powered by 1.2 L, 1199 cc MPFI engine that delivers maximum power of 80 bhp. The multi-point Fuel Injection engine definitely increases the performance of a small car. The mileage claimed by the company is above 18 kmpl but that’s in testing conditions. It still remains to be seen what the Chevrolet Beat delivers in actual city rides. We experienced a mileage of 14-15 kmpl in urban traffic and 16kmpl on highways.

The base variant PS features only power steering, air-conditioning and rear folding seat. The higher model LS is accompanied with central locking system, rear parcel tray, front power windows, digital clocks, etc. The top end LT model features fog lamps, rear defogger, roof rails, front and rear power windows, body colour door handles and side view mirrors.

I took a long test drive in the most crowded area of the city where people do not walk or cross the road but they just tend to appear in front of your car bonnet. Well, the Chevrolet Beat handling was really nice. Unlike Maruti Swift, I did not have to bother about managing the car while taking extremely short turns around the corners or saving myself from the dense traffic. Although the Chevrolet Beat has bold features and the rear styling is little broader, nevertheless, the Beat is not as broad as the Swift. I seriously did not have to mind the bumps and bangs in such a crowded urban traffic.

When I pulled out of the city to a little greener and cooler areas the picky up was nice and the car did not waver at high speeds. Maneuvering the Chevrolet Beat with its power steering is quite nice and steady.

Other Features

The Chevrolet Beat is available at a base price of Rs. 3.38 lakh. The on-road price of top end model comes out to be Rs. 4.5 lakh. Now that’s a good price for a small car with latest technology, cool features and good interior space but a little compromise on the boot space.
The Chevrolet Beat is available in 7 colours, namely Linen Beige,Green cocktail, Supper red, Caviar black, Misty Lake, Moroccan Blue and Olympic white.

The Chevrolet Beat competes with Hyundai i10, Hyundai Santro Xing, Maruti Ritz, Tata Indica Vista, Fiat Punto , upcoming Volkswagen Polo and Ford Figo.

Conclusion

Chevrolet Beat is a good family car and has been specifically designed for urban rides. If you areplanning to change your car from a Maruti 800 or a Hyundai Santro, Chevrolet Beat can be a new option. If you intend to wait, you can hold your breath till Ford Figo launches next month or VW Polo makes its debut in the Indian market in March first week.

In terms of specifications, style, interiors fit and finish and warranty of 3 years unlimited KM, the Chevrolet Beat offers tough competition. It has all the ingredients to be successful including competitive price, variants and features according to cost.

Pros:

Great colour options, good styling, EXTREMELY competitive pricing, commendable engine performance and the nice sporty look

Cons:

Virtually no boot, small rear window due to big rear door, extended front grille which may get a dent if you happen to bang a little hard.

Variant	1.2 PS	1.2 LS	1.2 LT	1.2 LT Option pack
Engine Capacity	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2
Power	80.5	80.5	80.5	80.5
Torque	108	108	108	108
Gears	5/M	5/M	5/M	5/M
Power Steering	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Power windows	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Central locking	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
A/C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Music system	No	No	Yes	Yes
Fog Lamps	No	No	Yes	Yes
Rear wind shield washer	No	No	Yes	Yes
Defogger	No	No	Yes	Yes
ABS	No	No	Optional	Yes
Air bag	No	No	Optional	Yes
Dual Horn	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
IRVM	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tilt steering	No	No	Yes	Yes
2.5m impact proof bumpers	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Alloy wheels	No	No	Optional	Yes
Average fuel efficiency	18.6	18.6	18.6	18.6
Ex showroom Price Mumbai	3.51	3.72	4.14	4.56

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Mahindra Xylo

Monday, March 15th, 2010 | cars | bharat7009

Introduction

Mahindra had launched its brand new compact MUV model Mahindra Xylo last year in January. The new Mahindra Xylo made quite an impact and was an instant success story. It not only ramped up sales figures for the company but also received rave reviews from the critics and customers equivocally, and allowed the company to tap into a segment different from the earlier Scorpio and Bolero buyers.
To celebrate the Xylo’s first birthday, Mahindra has now made available 1000 special edition models of Mahindra Xylo to celebrate the occasion. This MUV now comes laden with more reasons to lure the Indian customers.

So, if you had been thinking of a good multi-utility vehicle (MUV) but had put off your decision, is this a new occasion to reconsider?

Exterior

The exterior of the Celebration edition has some changes compared to the ‘normal’ model. The car comes in a special pearl white paint with additional graphics. Moreover, the Xylo Celebration has a ski rack and black out on the B and C pillars.

Of course, the overall shape and look of the car have not been changed. Mahindra maintains the Xylo in sleek and compact look. SUV lovers with more inclination towards robust styling cues may however find the model to have a masculine styling.

The front is impressive with a decent grille giving it quite a sporty look and the head lights add to its overall appeal, though it also has a somewhat box like shape with a tall stance – it seems the company has tried to compromise between its rugged, masculine cars, and a more sleek model!

Of course, looks are extremely subjective and in general the model has been quite well received!

Interior

Mahindra is giving some impressive add-ons in the interiors of the Xylo Celebration edition. It comes with a standard DVD player and TV screens with 2DIN music system.

The interior is fully in leather, including the Xylo’s gear knob and steering wheel. Arm rest and digital drive assist are also included in the Xylo Celebration edition.

The Xylo’s Interiors remain something to reckon with. They are definitely spacious and no complaints here. Seating is comfortable and the front and second row of seats come with lumbar support as well. The leg room and the head space are very spacious too. The car is an 8-seater.

Rear passengers may welcome the foldable flight trays as a thoughtful proposition from the company. The air-conditioning of the car also ensures that there is uniform cooling in the car. There are also two mobile charging points in the car – one for the front row and one for middle row passengers.

All in all, the car has a very comfortable interior, and the Celebration edition further increases that.

Engine

Mahindra Xylo Celebration edition features a 4-cylinder, 2498 CC mEagle diesel engine that has been developed on the NEF CRDe platform. The engine is mated to 5-gears manual transmission and delivers a maximum output of 112bhp @ 3800 rpm and a torque of 24 kgm @ 1800-3000 rpm. The car accelerates from zero to 60 km/h in just 5.8 seconds, which is quite impressive for a car of its size and weight.

Drive

Mahindra vehicles are known for their drivability and Xylo is not lacking either. We found the car to be extremely comfortable during the long journey with passengers not complaining about the bumpy potholes and even some off-roading patches of the journey. The suspension is quite good and the car absorbed all the uncomfortable bounces of the journey.

But most impressive was the acceleration of the car which allowed us to keep ahead of the traffic!

We got a mileage varying between 10 (city) and 12 (highway) on the Xylo.

Variants in Mahindra Xylo

The Xylo comes in a number of variants. Below, find one table with the common specifications of the Xylo across variants and the comparison of the different variants.

Common Specs across variant	XYLO
Cubic capacity (cc)	2498
Power	83.2KW@3800
Torque	260NM@3000rpm
Front Brake	Disc
Rear Brake	Drum
Ground clearance (mm)	186
Fuel Tank Capacity (mm)	55
Tubeless tyres	Yes
Flat bed seat	Yes
Engine Immobiliser	Yes
Power steering	Yes
Central locking	Yes
Power windows	Yes
Mileage (KMPL)	10-12

	Comparison of Variants
	E2	D2	E4	E6	E6 Celebration edition	E8	E8 ABS	E8 ABS+AIRBAG
Seating	7 seater	8 Seater front facing	7 seater	7 seater	7 seater	7 seater	7 seater	7 seater
Ski rack	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rear Wash and wiper	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Digital Drive Assist system	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mobile charging point	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Arm rest for driver and co driver	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Height adjustable driver seat	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Intellipark reverse assist	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Surround cool dual AC	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tilt steering	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Keyless entry	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rear Defogger	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pearl White colour	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Designer body graphics	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Black outs on B&C pillers	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Stylish Celebrationedition badge	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Genuine Italian Leather seats	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Leather wrapped steering wheel	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
New attractive door trims	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
DVD player with 9″screen	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
2-DIN Audio system	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ABS	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Airbag	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Ex showroom Mumbai (lakhs)		6.14	6.79	7.31	8.18	7.82	7.99	8.19

More Extras in Xylo Celebration edition

In addition to the items mentioned in the last paragraph, the company is also offering free insurance, free extended warranty, exchange bonus and other freebies. You may need to check out with your dealers about the best offer available in your city.

Comparison with other models

In its segment, the Xylo competes most strongly with the Tata Sumo Grande Mk II, and less so, with the Toyota Innova. Below table compares these different models.

	Mahindra	Mahindra	Tata Motors	Toyota
	Xylo	Xylo	Sumo Grande MKII	Innova
Variant	E6	E6 Celebration edition	GX	GX
Cubic capacity	2498	2498	2179	2494
Power	83.2KW@3800	83.2KW@3800	120KW@4000 RPM	75KW@3600 RPM
Torque	260NM@3000rpm	260NM@3000rpm	250NM@3000RPM	200NM@3400RPM
Front Brake	Disc	Disc	Drum	Disc
Rear Brake	Drum	Drum	Drum	Drum
Ground clearance	186	186	180	176
Fuel Tank Capacity	55	55	65	55
Seating	7 seater	7 seater	8 Seater	8 Seater
Mileage (KMPL)	10-12	10-12	10-12	9-11

Tubeless tyres	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ski rack	Yes	Yes	No	No
Rear Wash and wiper	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Digital Drive Assist system	Yes	Yes	No	No
Mobile charging point	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Flat bed seat	Yes	Yes	No	No
Arm rest for driver and co driver	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Height adjustable driver seat	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Intellipark reverse assist	Yes	Yes	No	No
Engine Immobiliser	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Surround cool dual AC	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Power steering	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tilt steering	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Keyless entry	Yes	Yes	No	No
Central locking	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Power windows	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rear Defogger	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Pearl White colour	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Designer body graphics	No	Yes	No	No
Black outs on B&C pillers	No	Yes	No	No
Stylish Celebrationedition badge	No	Yes	No	No
Genuine Italian Leather seats	No	Yes	No	No
Leather wrapped steering wheel	No	Yes	No	No
New attractive door trims	No	Yes	No	No
DVD player with 9″screen	No	Yes	No	No
2-DIN Audio system	No	Yes	Yes	No
ABS	No	No	No	No
Airbag	No	No	No	No
Ex showroom Mumbai (lakhs)	7.31	8.18	8.86	9.8