Tata Indica Vista EV test drive

I had the chance to get behind the wheel of the Tata Indica Vista EV and take it for a 10 mile run, driving on a variety of roads encompassing town driving, country roads and dual carriageways.

Tata is a name that may not be familiar to drivers in Europe or the United States. Yet they are the fourth largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in the world and the world number two bus maker. They also own two iconic prestige brands - Jaguar and Land Rover, which they bought from Ford in 2008.

Now Tata have their eyes firmly set on breaking into the fiercely competitive European market with a new generation of small cars. The first of these cars is an electric model - the Indica Vista EV.

Unlike most of their competitors, Tata have not been shouting about their new car from the rooftops. From their research and development centre in Coventry, England, they have been quietly and methodically developing and preparing it for launch. It is light-years away from the approach made by some other manufacturers who shout about their new electric cars and then wonder why the media turns against them when they do not deliver their new wonder-car on time or on budget.

Meanwhile, a fleet of Indica Vista EVs have been running on test in the United Kingdom for over a year, undergoing engineering testing and improvements. Earlier this month, the Indica Vista EV won the RAC Future Car Challenge awards for The Most Economical Small Passenger electric vehicle and The Most Economical and Environmentally Friendly Small Passenger electric vehicle when it travelled 58 miles from Brighton to London using only 36% of its battery charge.

The new Vista goes on sale in the United Kingdom in 2011 with it going officially on sale in the first few months of the year. Prior to launch, 25 cars are to be leased to a selected customers. The first of these customers receive their vehicles in December.

First Impressions of Tata electric car

First impressions of the Tata Indica Vista EV are good. It was styled by Italian styling house IDEA and the result is a smart and modern look with good exterior fit and finish. Inside, the smart dashboard with centre console looks good and the dashboard has modern switchgear and fittings with a solid feel to them. The leather seats are comfortable and supportive and there is plenty of space both front and rear to make yourself comfortable.

All round visibility is good. Interior ergonomics are good with everything falling easily to hand, although some drivers may take time to get used to the indicators and windscreen wipers being on opposite sides of the steering wheel to most European cars.

I first came across the Indica Vista almost two years ago in India. The model I saw was an early version built specifically for the Asian market. I came away impressed but with the feeling that the interior was not up to scratch. Tata have worked hard on it since then with improved plastics, a new steering wheel and various other touches to give it a better quality feel. It may not be a match for a Toyota or a Honda, but the results are much more pleasing than the early model I saw in 2009.

Driving the TATA Indica Vista EV

When you turn on the ignition, there is no engine noise to let you know you are ready to go. You simply put the lever into the forward position and press the accelerator to pull away.

At low speeds, as you would expect, the electric motor is virtually silent and it pulls away promptly. As the car gains more speed, the motor does make itself heard. It still remains much quieter than a conventional engine, yet it provides enough audible feedback to help drivers gauge their speed.

Surprisingly, there is no power steering on the Indica Vista. This makes for heavy steering at low speeds, although it has an excellent turning circle and is easily manoeuvred. At higher speeds, the lack of power steering is not so noticeable and the steering feels nicely weighted and balanced.

Expected range is better than most other electric cars. In tests, the car has been able to drive over 130 miles on a single charge at a constant 38mph. Tata say a realistic range is 80-110 miles depending on how it is driven. Whilst I was not able to drive for long enough to evaluate this for myself, the charge gauge dropped from 90% to around 80% during my ten mile drive (including using the heater and demister to clear the screen and warm the car for the first mile or so of my journey), suggesting that a 100 mile range should be achievable.

The electric motor provides a very smooth drive. Low speed performance is reasonable, with it being quite nippy at around town speeds. At speeds above 50mph, performance is more sedate and whilst the top speed is 70mph, it is much happier travelling along at 60mph.

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