Tata's new Vista D90 has a re-tuned, more responsive engine.

Vista D90 is a hightech hatchback with more power.
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 4^th and 5^th 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

Honda joins diesel party with Amaze.

Launch of Honda’s first entry-level sedan also marks the company’s entry into diesel segment. The test drive experience shows Amaze will be a hit if priced aggressively.

 

Like most countries in the world, historically petrol cars for obvious reasons dominated the car industry in India. Compared to diesel, petrol was a cleaner fuel, petrol engines were much quieter, smoother and were less polluting. But this practice changed, or rather began to change, from the beginning of 2007 when industry leader Maruti Suzuki introduced the new generation diesel engine technology, the common rail direct injection (CRDi) for the first time in Indian cars. The rest is history. Year after year the share of diesel engine went up as today nearly 75 per cent of all cars sold in India feeds on diesel. Two things changed the game: much superior fuel efficiency from diesel due common rail technology (resulting in much lower NVH -noise, vibration and harshness- factor) and much lower price of diesel compared to petrol.

Though the diesel frenzy became a din in India, the Japanese car giant Honda Motors was only watching it from the side line. Now, at last, it has decided to jump in and join the party. Around the middle of April Honda is launching its first diesel car in India Amaze, a entry-level sedan based on its hatchback Brio. The car will also be available in petrol version with a 1.12 litre i-Vtec engine currently being used in Brio.

To give a first-hand experience of its performance, Honda recently organised a two-day test drive in Goa for the media where this writer tried out both petrol and diesel versions over a six-hours driving session. Amaze has been priced aggressively, as the starting price is at 5.09 lakh, ex-showroom in Bangalore. For various variants under petrol and diesel engines, pricing is competitive with models like Swift Dzire, Chevy Sail, Tata Indigo CS, etc. The drive started in the morning and I drove off in a diesel car, to begin with.

Peppy response

The first thing that struck a car enthusiast like me in Amaze diesel is the peppy engine. Honda officials told us that the 1.5litre i-DTEC engine (common rail diesel engine) has been developed exclusively for India considering Indian driving conditions and is based on the Honda’s latest ‘Earth Dreams Technology’. To reduce the weight and improve mileage, Honda has mostly used aluminium for the diesel engine. But, as a result, one may find the engine a little less quiet when revving up in low gears.

The engine has been tuned to produce more power along with strong torque at low rpm. The car offers a class-leading maximum power output of 100PS@3600rpm and 200 Nm of torque @1750 rpm. This, in turn, the company claimed, gives the highest fuel economy in the Indian passenger car segment of 25.8 km to a litre as per the data in ideal test conditions. (Be sure, the actual mileage on road will be lower and vary according to the driving habits and driving conditions.)

To explain in simple terms, Amaze diesel produces a lot of power in low gears and zooms when you fully press the accelerator pedal. But the pick-up flattens once the engine reaches 3600 rpm. The fixed turbo charger is tuned in such a way that car creates a balance between delivering power up to a limit without guzzling too much of fuel. One will enjoy the quick acceleration in city driving on an empty road ahead and on the highway while overtaking a speeding vehicle.

The other important feature of the diesel engine is the powerful torque of 200 at low rpm of 1750. On congested city roads this feature will come handy as one can drive without down-shifting the gear even at a lower than the normal speed. For higher efficiency of this engine Honda has developed an ultra-low viscosity diesel engine oil and it assured that there will no premium pricing for the special oil.  

The petrol option, though less powerful than diesel, was also good to drive. The 1.2litre i-VTEC petrol engine delivers maximum output of 88 PS @ 6000 rpm and torque of 109 Nm@ 4500 rpm. Under ideal test conditions, the fuel economy is 18 km per litre. Amaze is available in 5 speed manual transmission and the drivers will find gear shift is short and smooth, a typical Honda finesse in its cars.

For the comfortable driving position Amaze has added a seat height adjuster to the driver’s seat which allows adjustment of seat height position up to 50 mm. The speed sensitive electronic power steering makes driving easier and safer as at low speed it is soft and at high speed a little tighter. Amaze will also be available in automatic transmission only in petrol option. Though men normally prefer manual transmission, these days many women drivers prefer automatic option despite the price being higher and mileage lower.  

Interior feels good 

Though developed from Brio platform (it is an extended version of the small car with a boot space), Honda engineers have worked hard to give Amaze a different look from all angles. Despite the similarity with Brio, the front view of the car is sleek with distinctive character lines. The front grille design concept and aerodynamic body colour bumper gives Amaze a sporty image. The headlights too have contemporary design and the rear of the car has large sedan-like headlights with resembling the new City.  

To create more legroom inside the cabin, Honda has extended the wheel base by 60mm compared to Brio to 2405mm. The Amaze’s total length is 3,990mm, width is 1,680mm and overall height is 1,505mm. The increased dimensions have improved the space inside the cabin making ample space for three persons’ comfortable seating. There is enough knee-room at the back even for a moderately tall person. Honda has created a lot of storage space inside and used good quality plastics and upholstery inside. The 400 litre boot space is big enough for a family vacation. Amaze will offer airbags and ABS (anti-lock braking system) at higher end.

Honda Amaze: Technical Specifications
	Petrol	Diesel
Engine (cc)	1198	1498
Power (ps @ rpm)	88 @ 6000	100 @ 3600
Torque (Nm @ rpm)	109 @ 4500	200 @ 1750
Overall Length (mm)	3990	3990
Overall Width (mm)	1680	1680
Overall Height (mm)	1505	1505
Wheelbase (mm)	2405	2405
Ground Clearance (mm)	165	165
Kerb Weight MT (kg)	950 - 965	1060 - 1075
Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres)	35	35
Boot Space (Litres)	400 ltr	400 ltr

The writer is a business journalist and a freelance writer writing test drive reports on cars / SUVs for the last 10 years. Can be contacted on dilipmaitra@gmail.com. (Any unauthorised copy and reproduction of images are prohibited. Please write for permission.) 

All pictures by the writer.