A car is born

Pune: It isn't easy to follow up an ace with a winner. It's impossible in tennis (because you don't have to), but it's imperative if you harbour ambitions of being among the world's elite carmakers. That's the goal Tata Engineering has been speeding towards for a while now, and the Indigo, the sequel to the trailblazing Indica, is a big step forward in the company's quest for motoring glory.

The Indigo is bigger, stronger, sturdier and more sophisticated than its predecessor. But there are two factors common to this sedan edition and its hatchback sibling: Tata Engineering's vision for progress, and the spirit of a workforce that believes it has hit a purple patch.

“There's a tremendous breadth of talent in Tata Engineering,“ says V Sumantran, the whiz who heads the passenger car division at the company. “We also have an extremely good depth of talent in most areas, but more than anything else, there's this can-do spirit here. This is the sprit that at the end of the day contributes more to success than anything else.“

Standing apart
The Indigo has imbibed plenty of this vital force while drawing on Tata Engineering's traditional strengths. This has resulted in a superior product that has the potential to cruise ahead of the competition in its segment. The essential characteristics that make the Indigo stand apart are many: enhanced comfort, increased space, improved engine performance and smother handling.

“Sedan buyers have discriminating taste,“ says Dr Sumantran. “They expect a more refined car and, whether it's petrol or diesel, they want more peppiness from the vehicle. A lot of them have drivers, so they spend more time in the rear seat. We lengthened the Indigo's wheelbase [the distance from the centre of a car's front wheel to the rear axle] so that the rear seat gets more space.“ New seat contours, fabrics and materials ensure that the Indigo is as comfortable as they come.

The car's suspension and its engine deliver further advantages. “We spent a lot of time developing and tuning the Indigo's three-link independent suspension, in India and in Europe, for high-speed handling and better low-speed drive. We upped the engine horsepower to 85bhp and we added a turbo charger to the diesel version.“