In 2018, the Tata Indica completes 20 years in India with the sales being at their lowest level in the past year.
Showcased at the 4th Auto Expo held in 1998, the Tata Indica was a thoroughgoing product of its time offering tons of space and an affordable price tag. It was the Mumbai-based manufacturer’s first small car and offered features such as power windows and AC. With a total of over 14.69 lakh units being sold, Tata Indica completes 20 years in our market but has seen its popularity falling over the years with the arrival of modern offerings.
Being a domestic manufacturer’s offering, the Indica was received well in the Indian market with the company gathering around 1.15 lakh bookings in the first week itself. The manufacturer even offered an 18-month unlimited kms warranty at the time of launch. Exports started in three years time and the Indica was also rebadged as the CityRover in Great Britain in 2003. After launching cosmetic updates in 2003 and 2007, Tata Motors rolled out the second-gen Indica (Vista) in 2008.
Sales for the Indica were at their peak in 2007 with 1,42,440 units being sold. Its performance on the sales chart has been declining since then and the past year saw the hatchback clocking mere 5753 units. In comparison, the sales in 1999 when the Indica was a new player in the market stood at 38,734 units. In December 2017, 97 units were dispatched for the car which is known to have sold over 15,000 copies a month in the past (March 2007).
While the Indica Vista was discontinued in 2015, Tata Motors still sells the Indica eV2 in diesel guise. The car is powered by a 1.4-litre diesel engine which develops 69 BHP of power and 140 Nm of torque. Mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, this four-cylinder engine is claimed to offer an excellent highway fuel economy of 25 km/litre. Since the brand’s portfolio is now being occupied by improved and upmarket products, it remains to be seen how long the company continues to produce the ageing Indica.
20 Years Of Tata Indica
– Tata Indica completes 20 years in 2018
– Total sales of around 14.69 lakh units, over 9 lakh in the first 10 years
– Sales have fallen drastically over the years, only 5753 units sold in 2017
– Currently sold as Tata Indica eV2 with CR4 diesel engine
