FIRST DRIVE Tata Indigo eCS VX review, test drive

A saloon for small car money, the Indigo CS is really hard to match on sheer value for money. Tata Motors has tweaked the car over the years and the car you see here is a further development of the eCS model launched in 2010.

The majority of changes have been made under the bonnet. For starters, Tata has fine-tuned fuel delivery for improved driveability. Engine calibration has also been worked upon to make it more suitable to typical Indian driving styles. The air-fuel mixture has also been optimised by adjusting the air mass sensor. Fifth gear is now taller than before to enhance highway crusing. Gearing is now identical to the Indica eV2 with which the Indigo eCS shares its 1.4-litre common-rail CR4 diesel engine.

Get the motor started and you will be greeted by a muted clatter at idle. Vibrations on the steering wheel, gear knob and even the seats mean this engine is far from being the benchmark for refinement. However, it is when you get going that you see the Indigo eCS in a more positive light.

There is a drone under 1500rpm, but once past that mark the Indigo picks up the pace. The turbo kicks in at about 2000rpm but even then there is no sudden spike in power, but a nice continual build-up.

It is the combination of the eCS� linear power delivery and good spread of torque that make it such an easy car to amble about town in. Good driveability also means you don�t have to work the rubbery and imprecise gearbox all that often. Cruising on the highway, the eCS feels relaxed with its engine revving at a casual 1800rpm at an indicated 80kph in fifth gear.

The tyres get a new tread pattern for lower rolling resistance and Tata has also bumped up the recommended pressure for the rear tyres by 2psi. In its quest for maximising efficiency, Tata has also reworked suspension geometry (to reduce scrub), but this seems to have also had a positive effect on ride.

The eCS is quite adept at dealing with larger bumps like potholes with the suspension always going about its business quietly. What aids the car�s cruise-happy nature is its good straight-line stability; a result of the car being slightly stiffly sprung. On the flipside, low-speed ride is jiggly and the rear does feel somewhat bouncy at all times.

We also didn�t like the non-linear feel of the steering and vagueness at the straight ahead position; dynamics on the whole are quite ordinary.

What isn�t ordinary is the Indigo eCS� fuel economy. Tata is publicising an ARAI-tested figure of 25kpl, though we got 15.3kpl in city driving and a very impressive 19.6kpl on the highway. The city figure matches that of the Indica eV2 (which is 30kg lighter) and the lower drag of the saloon body shape actually results in a 0.3kpl improvement. Whatever way you look at it, these figures are exemplary and will doubtless be the clincher for many buyers.

Not much else has changed. Styling is shared with the outgoing model and the interiors are the same too. There is plenty of space inside but rear seat comfort remains average.  We feel Tata has missed an opportunity here to rectify many of the Indigo�s ergonomic glitches. The three-spoke steering that mimics the Tata �waterfall� logo is set too high and can�t be lowered. Then there are the awkwardly positioned pedals that are uncomfortable to operate in stop-go traffic. Even the power window switches placed ahead of the gearbox are difficult to access. The list goes on.

Indigo eCS prices start at Rs 5.28 lakh for the base LS variant, which means it remains the most affordable diesel saloon on sale in India. Should you buy one? If value and low running costs are paramount to you, then the Indigo eCS makes a smart buy. Just don�t expect to develop too deep a bond with the car.

Fact File

Price Range (in lakhs)*

Ex-showroom price

Rs 5.8 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Engine

Installation	Front, transverse, FWD
Type	4 cyls in line, 1396cc, common-rail, turbo-diesel
Power	69bhp at 4000rpm
Torque	14.2kgm at 1800-3000rpm

Transmission

Gearbox

5-speed manual

Dimensions

Length	3988mm
Width	1620mm
Height	1540mm
Wheel base	2450mm
Ground clearance	165mm

Chassis & Body

Tyres

175/65 R14

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Volkswagen reveals Cross Coupe concept

Volkswagen has showcased an all-new SUV concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. Known as the Cross Coup� concept, it hints at design themes of all future SUV�s from Volkswagen stable.
The Cross Coup� previews the bold new look of its Volkswagen�s second-generation Tiguan compact SUV. Sitting on
the German carmaker�s versatile new MQB platform, the new four-seater, four-wheel drive petrol-electric hybrid is officially described as a cross between a four-door coup� and compact SUV, which has led many to speculate that Volkswagen is considering a second compact off-roader model in the mould of the Range Rover Evoque.
However, Volkswagen sources close to design boss Walter de Silva have confirmed to Autocar that the Cross Coup� has a broader brief in previewing a new design lineage that will be adopted by all of the company�s upcoming SUV models, including the next Tiguan due out in 2014.
�We won�t rule out the possibility of adding a sportier SUV to the Volkswagen line-up at some time. But the main message with the Cross Coup� is its styling, which stands for the future of SUV design at Volkswagen,� Autocar was told.
The Cross Coup� combines front-end styling elements first seen on the Tex and Go concepts, penned by Volkswagen-owned Giugario, wheeled out at the Geneva motor show earlier this year, with heavily sculptured surfaces throughout. It has a highly defined shoulder � or �tornado line� as de Silva refers to it � higher waistline, shallow side glass, heavily angled tailgate, distinctive wheel arch design and 20-inch alloy wheels shod with substantial 265/45 profile tyres.
The five-door Cross Coup� is both considerably bolder than the current-generation Tiguan, whose design dates back to 2005 and a former Volkswagen design team headed by Murat Gunak.
Volkswagen has provided its latest concept with a classy Audi-esque cabin, with a sweeping dashboard whose various horizontal design elements mirror those of the exterior, and a hi-tech instrument display combining traditional analogue and the latest in computer-enhanced graphics. It also has grab handles incorporated into the centre pod and four heavily contoured seats separated by a high-set centre tunnel which is used to store a battery that powers the concept�s electric motors.
At 4345mm in length, 1868mm in width and 1523mm in height, the Cross Coup� is 125mm shorter, 58mm wider and a significant 177mm lower than today�s first-generation Tiguan. It also rides on a wheelbase that is 26mm longer at 2630mm � allied to tracks that up by 15mm at the front and by 43mm at the rear at 1585mm and 1613mm respectively. Nominal boot space underneath the rear windows is put at 380 litres � or 90 litres less than the Tiguan, rising to 1230 litres when the rear seats are folded away.
Powering the Cross Coup� is a petrol-electric hybrid system capable of providing drive to either the front wheels or all four wheels via a seven-speed, double-clutch gearbox, depending on the driving conditions. It combines Volkswagen�s familiar turbocharged 1.4-litre, four-cylinder, direct-injection TSI petrol engine producing 148bhp and 21.4kgm of torque with a pair of brushless electric motors � one sited up front delivering 54bhp and 18.3kgm and a larger one at the rear with 114bhp and 27.5kgm. The system is calibrated to provide a maximum 261bhp.
Energy for the electric motors is supplied by a battery mounted low down within the centre tunnel of the floorpan. Rated at 9.8kWh and operating at a maximum 370 volts, the lithium ion unit can be charged both on the run through the recovery of kinetic energy (both on a trailing throttle and under braking) and via plug-in means with conventional mains power.
Volkswagen claims an all-electric range of 40km at typical city speeds in front-wheel drive mode, at which a clutch is actuated to disconnect the petrol engine from the drive process when there is sufficient battery charge.
In a move aimed at reducing weight, Volkswagen has replaced the conventional mechanical driveshaft with a newly developed electric driveshaft that sees the rear wheels driven exclusively by the rear electric motor. In four-wheel-drive mode, the rear electric motor is fed electrical energy from the front electric motor, which then acts as a generator powered by the petrol engine. All up, the new concept car is claimed to weigh 1748kg � 128kg more than the heaviest of today�s Tiguan models, the 2.0 TDI, distributed 58 percent to the front axle and 42 percent to the rear.
Despite its relative weight, Volkswagen claims a 0-100kph time of just 7.0sec � placing the Cross Coup� 0.8sec ahead of the most powerful Tiguan model of today, the 2.0 TSI, in outright straight-line performance.
Top speed, however, is capped at just 200kph on a combination of petrol and electric power or 115kph when relying on electric power alone.

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Alfa Romeo Carabo

The Alfa Romeo Carabo is a sports car that first appeared at the 1968 Paris Motor Show. It was advised by Marcello Gandini, alive for the Bertone architecture studio. Carabo name is acquired of Carabidae arena beetle , as evoked by the car's irised blooming and orange coloring.The ancestor was congenital on the anatomy of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33, a mid-engined V8. The Carabo agent fabricated 230 bhp (172 kW; 233 PS) at 8800 rpm, which fabricated it accessible to accomplish a top acceleration of 250 km/h (155 mph).The scissor doors afterwards aggressive the Lamborghini Countach.A replica, congenital on a De Tomaso Pantera platform, was congenital by Sam Foose (father of Chip Foose) afterwards he was clumsy to shop for the abstraction from Bertone.

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