Tata Manza Club Class Review
Car Tested: 2012 Tata Manza Club Class EXL Quadrajet
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 10,40,410/-
The additional features on the Indigo Manza Club Class further accentuates the value proposition offered by Tata Motors.
Car buyers are completely spoilt for choice today, with so many options to choose from, especially in the C-segment. One such option is the Tata Indigo Manza, which has been on sale for quite some time now and the company has recently given it a minor update, attaching the the Club Class label on the vehicle. There are no mechanical changes to the Manza and the vehicle uses the same hardware as before. We have reviewed the Tata Manza extensively earlier (here) and will keep this review limited to the changes in the Manza Club Class.
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Exteriors – The changes to the exteriors are very minimal. The Tata Manza Club Class looks identical to the old Manza with the only change at the front being chrome slats on the bumper, right next to the fog lights. On the side, Tata Motors has given the Manza new 8-spoke alloy wheels which look stylish. The Quadrajet badge has now been replaced by a QJet badge. The rear of the Tata Manza remains the same as the old car but a high mounted LED stop lamp has been added on the top of the rear windshield. The roof is now available in contrasting colors (silver colored roof for black Manza and black colored roof for all other colored Manzas). This is inspired from the new Range Rover, which too has a contrasting colored roof. The paint quality is good and the Manza has quite a liberal amount of chrome usage all around, which has been done to give it premium appearance.
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Interiors – The overall layout of the dashboard remains almost identical as the old Manza but Tata Motors has made quite a few changes which has resulted in the Manza’s cabin improving several notches from before. Quality levels have improved and fit and finish levels are very good. The black and plum interior color scheme in the Tata Manza looks nice and the black Italian leather seats offer good comfort. Small yet significant changes have been made to the switches, which feel more robust and lighter to operate from before. The power window switches are now backlit and overall NVH levels have reduced marginally. The Tata Manza does feel like a good place to be in.
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No changes have been made to the instrument cluster. We find the size of the pods to be a little bit small but the crisp instrumentation and chrome surrounds make the console very appealing.
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The Tata Manza‘s centre console gets some significant features. The Manza now gets an automatic climate control system and the AC works very well. A new touch screen system now displays maps and navigation. There is Bluetooth phone pairing to make calls too, although the microphone doesn’t seem to be in the right place and thus you are not very audible at times. You can’t stream songs through Bluetooth and the touchscreen system takes a few seconds to load every time you start the vehicle. There is USB and Aux ports as well. You can operate the audio system using the steering mounted audio controls.
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Rear seat comfort in the Tata Manza continues to be amazing. There is ample amount of space for rear seat occupants, even with the front seats adjusted for tall drivers. Legroom and headroom is generous making the Manza one of the best cars for those looking to be chauffeur driven. Boot space is ample at 460-litres and can gobble up two bags with ease. The spare tyre doesn’t have an alloy though.
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Performance – The Tata Manza is powered by a QJet diesel engine and SF 90 petrol engine. The 1.3-litre diesel engine produces 90 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque, while the 1.4-litre petrol engine produces 90 PS of power and 116 Nm of torque. Both engines have no changes and offer identical performance as before. The diesel engined Manza performs well and offers good performance. The vehicle moves with urgency once the turbo kicks in hard and fast.
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These pair of engines are sourced from Fiat and are well engineered, offering good mix of drive-ability and performance. Both engines are mated to 5-speed manual transmissions. We found shift quality to be average with a bit of rubbery feel on the diesel Manza’s gearbox. The gear lever is leather wrapped which makes it comfortable to hold. With no changes to the engines, mileage is the same as before. The diesel Tata Manza delivers 21.02 km/l, while the petrol version will return 13.7 km/l (as per ARAI).
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Driving Dynamics – The underpinnings of the Tata Manza remain the same, which results in the dynamics being identical as the old car. When the Manza was launched in 2009, the vehicle was a huge leap for the company. Even today, the Manza offers among the best ride quality in its segment. Handling is neutral and steering has decent weight too. However the Manza is not a sharp handling car and is more suited towards comfort. The vehicle feels stable at speed and braking performance is good too, with adequate pedal bite.
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Verdict – Tata Motors has taken the Manza and improved it in various areas. The Club Class version of the Manza has improved quality, additional features and better fit and finish than before. The company is clearly taking feedback and improving, which is an extremely positive sign for prospective customers. The Tata Manza continues to be strong on the value front, offering comfort and features at an attractive cost.
The marginal improvements to the Tata Manza make it a very attractive purchase for the comfort seeking buyer.
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Whats Cool
* Improved all round quality
* New features
Whats Not So Cool
* Bluetooth phone system not very clear
* No audio streaming through Bluetooth