Tata Aria

The interiors have also been immensely improved in terms of quality when compared to other Tata vehicles. There is planet of room and the seats are made of good quality. There are essentially three rows of seats so you can fit in almost 7 people with plenty of space to spare. Even the dashboard looks modern, fresh, smart and functional with the cleverly laid out design and the use of strong materials. Although it is not as good as the Toyota Innova, it is still well appreciated by us. Even the instrument cluster and the steering wheel have a completely new plush design and the colour scheme is also very attractive. The driving position is also very nice and the ergonomics are very decent.

The Aria borrows the engine from the previous Safari Dicor. It is a 2.2 litre DiCOR engine that has been further refined and you can hardly hear it as you would in the Safari. Tehe engine has been updated to add 10bhp more and now you get around 150bhp from the engine and 320Nm of torque. The engine is also mated to a newly designed all wheel drive 5-speed manual transmission. There is also the option of a rear wheel drive variant.

The new engine is quite brilliant and the initial turbo lag which the older Aria had is no longer existent with this new engine. The car accelerates smoothly and is a great performer, especially on the highway. The gear level is positioned well and the clutch is nice and sturdy so changing gears is not a problem. The overall ride quality of the car is also very good. The suspension is set up to absorb ever kind of bump or dip you encounter, and it can really take on bad roads without a problem. Even at higher speeds the car is very smooth, but it does feel like the suspension is very light, so it doesn’t feel too well planted. Nonetheless at high speeds the Aria doesn’t make any sounds and there are not many vibrations inside the car. There is a bit of body roll and the steering response is quite light and could be a little better weighted.

You can expect to get a fuel efficiency averaging around 14kmpl in the 4x4 variant and around 15kmpl in the 2x4 variant.

Yet again Tata has surprised us by putting in some modern features into the Aria. There is of course power steering, power windows and air conditioning with climate control, but then the higher end variant also get an infotainment system that includes an audio system with steering mounted controls and Bluetooth. Then there is also an in-dash satellite linked navigation system preloaded with maps. There are also rain sensing wipers and cruise control.

There are also some very up-to-date safety features. These include Electronic stability program and traction control. The there is also ABS with EBD front, side and curtain airbags as well as keyless entry. These are very good features to have on a vehicle like the Aria.

The quality of the car overall is very good. Of course it is not as good as a Toyota or a Skoda, but the attention to good components and parts has been a very big USP for the Aria. The interiors are comfortable and look good and clean. The exterior parts and panels are also sturdy and well polished. The car seems very reliable and is built on a strong chassis than is rugged. Spare parts might be a little costly but nothing to worry about much since the car seems like it has been built well.

The lower variants are priced reasonably well but they come without the bonus features some people might say that the top end variants are too expensive for a Tata, but that is because Tata had invested a lot into the development of its interior quality and comfort and in-cabin entertainment. Of course the car is great value for money and you get your money’s worth, but most customers wouldn’t go for a car made by Tata and that is more expensive than a Toyota Innova.

The Aria is a great car. It has a better ride quality than the Innova, it has more power and it looks better. However in terms of space it is not much different but the Aria does not meet the same standards of quality as the Toyota Innova. That would be the deciding factor, plus an expensive car with a Tata badge is not very appealing. But you do get a lot of nice features in the car and you get a car that is more fun to drive.