Car Articles

The journey of Tata Indica is a road well travelled. Though the car has faced various ups and downs, today it is one of the most successful hatchbacks in the Indian car market. It is one of the first passenger cars from Tata and is also believed to be India's first indigenously developed car.

The first cars in the Indian market were Hindustan Ambassador, Fiat Padmini and then the small legendary Maruti 800. After that few more cars made its debut in the Indian market. Thereafter, Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata Motors, decided to make an ideal car for India, something with the interior space of an Ambassador and the price tag of a Maruti 800. Eventually, one fine day in 1998, the company showcased its first passenger car at the New Delhi Auto Show.

Tata Indica, also known as V1, was the fastest selling car at the time of its launch. In just a span of one week, the company had almost more than 11,500 bookings. Later in 2003, the car was also exported to international countries including the UK, Europe, and Africa. In the UK, the car was imported by the MG Rover group and was sold there as Rover CityRover.

When the first Indica was launched, though the car was popular in the car market, there were some complaints regarding the horsepower and fuel efficiency. In response to the complaints by Tata’s esteem customers, the company decided to introduce a revamped version. Tata Motors then re-engineered the car engine technology and introduced a new version, popularly known as the Tata Indica V2. When this second generation of Tata Indica was introduced in 2001, the first generation Indica V1 was phased out.

In the same year, Indica V2 underwent various modifications and additions to make the car more competitive in its own segment. The launch of the CNG and petrol versions of Indica V2 in 2002 was also part this modification program. The most significant part of the second generation Indica V2 was that the car was truly Indian and well associated to Indian conditions. It was a great success in satisfying customers with its powerful engine, air-conditioner, and other stylish features. The engines used in both petrol and diesel versions were in compliance to the Indian standards.

Gradually, the Indica diesel took over the car segment and surfaced in the private transportation arena in the country. Unfortunately, the car was reported to be underpowered by auto critics. In response to the critics, Tata installed the turbo-kit into its popular car Indica V2 in 2005 and christened it as the Indica V2 Turbo.