My last week’s drive on the Bangalore-Honnavar national highway to Shimoga and Bhadravati reservoir from Bangalore was a pleasurable experience though the temperature shot up to 37 degrees during the day. What made the 650 km drive memorable were the nicely maintained roads and the cool comfort of Tata Vista D90, the new Vista from the Tata Motors’ stable. The hatchback added new excitement in the compact segment as it came with a powerful 90 PS diesel engine and a host of new features.
Of course, one of the reasons for
adding Vista D90 was to regain share in the market which recently saw many new
launches in the compact segment. Despite the hatchback segment being extremely
price sensitive, the new Vista D90 boasts of high-tech features like navigation
system, automatic climate control, touchscreen multimedia etc, which we
normally see in the expensive sedan cars. By adding a sporty look in Vista D90,
Tatas are also trying to attract young customers who prefer power, technology
and contemporary look. The ex-showroom price of Vista D90 VX is Rs 6.09 lakh
and for ZX+ is Rs 6.91 lakh.
The
raw power
The most important change in the
new Vista is under the hood as the old 1.25 litre Quadrajet (common rail direct
injection) engine has been majorly re-tuned to deliver 90 PS of maximum power
@4000rpm and 200Nm of torque @ 1750-3000rpm. (Tatas will continue to sell the
earlier version of Vista that has 75 PS of max power and 190Nm of torque.)
Vista D90 is also the second diesel
hatchback (the other one is Punto 90) to have a Variable Geometry Turbocharger
(VGT) technology, which makes the engine very peppy. The benefit of VGT as
against fixed turbocharger we see in most small cars, is that the engine has a
fairly good pick up even at 4th and 5th gears. This feature
is a big advantage while driving on the highway and overtaking speeding
vehicles. The only issue I faced is more-than-normal noise levels when the
engine is revved up at low gears for quick acceleration. But, considering the lower
price of a hatchback, one need not complain of inadequate sound proofing of the
cabin. Higher torque also helps in the congested city driving condition as it
allows driving without gear shift on a wide range of speed.
The company claimed an ARAI
certified fuel economy of 21.12 kmpl. But I found that in a combination of
city, highway and hilly terrain driving I got close to 18 kmpl of mileage, not
bad considering the fact I did 120 on several stretches. The car’s ability to
do 0-100 km in 15.5 seconds was also testimony of the raw power of the engine,
though in actual driving one would rarely be in such a hurry. The D90 engine is
also mated well to a Euro-tech 2 gearbox, for smooth and comfortable
gearshifts. The power assisted steering though slightly stiffer than electronic
steering, it is best suited for high speed highway driving.
High-tech
edge
Tatas claim that Vista D90’s many
high-tech features are firsts in the hatchback segment. It has a touchscreen multimedia, with a
multi-colour TFT interface and an inbuilt GPS system that combines the
entertainment, navigation and communication needs. The touchscreen offers GPS
navigation features like adjustable day & night mode, saved destination
database, voice instruction guidance and optimal route mode. It also comes with
a multimedia DVD player and Blue5 technology that can pair up to 5 mobile
phones through Bluetooth connectivity.
The Fully Automatic Climate
Control (the airconditioning system) provides 3 modes -- Normal, Auto and Economy mode. The Normal mode
ensures that AC temperature in the car is as per the temperature set. The Auto
mode senses the outside temperature and with the help of its sensors,
automatically conditions the car below the outside temperature. The Economy
mode saves fuel and increases mileage, automatically changing the AC compressor
cycle to run in economy mode.
Another very useful new technology
in Vista D90 is the Advanced Driver Information System and Fuel Computer. A
small digital screen on the dashboard provides an instant update on mileage,
average fuel consumption, distance-to-empty, ambient temperature and a digital clock. The mileage data on a realtime
basis is extremely useful for drivers to get the maximum number of kilometres
from every litre of petrol.
Driver’s
comfort
Since hatchbacks are mostly
self-driven, the D90 has taken care to make it comfortable for the driver. It
has aligned instrument cluster just behind the steering and has mounted audio
controls on the steering. The 6-way height adjustable driver seat with lumbar
support, intelligent rear wiper, electrically adjusted outside mirrors and all
4 power windows provide a comfortable driving experience in Vista D90. The car
has good cabin space for comfortable seating for 5 persons but the boot space
is just good enough for luggage for a short family vacation.
The Tata Vista D90 has been
designed for the young and trendy customer. It’s new sporty front and rear
bumpers, lavish chrome pack, aerodynamic spoiler, triple barrel headlamps,
infinity contrast roof and 2-tone alloy wheels, add vigour to the exteriors,
making the Tata Vista D90 a sporty and stylish hatch.
Sporty
look
Vista D90 has been designed
keeping in mind the young and trendy customers. It’s new sporty front and rear
bumpers, lavish chrome pack, aerodynamic spoiler, triple barrel headlamps and
2-tone alloy wheels, add dynamism to the exteriors.
It has also added many safety
features in the top-end variant. It has a high strength steel frame for extra
strength and protection. The VX and ZX+ variants have safety & security
features like dual front SRS airbags, engine immobilizer and central locking
system. The car comes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic
Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) technology as a standard fitment. This
anti-skidding feature allows steering of the car in case of panic braking.
All pictures by the writer.
The writer is a business
journalist writing test drive reports for the last 10 years.
He can contacted on dilipmaitra@gmail.com
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