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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.