Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
We must be going crazy, but these Indian cars don't look that bad, especially compared to the Suzuki Baleno and a few horrible cheap cars we've been offered in the past few months. The three Tata models being shown in Geneva this month aren't going to rival Opel, but they're at least as good as modern Dacia models.
The newest of the bunch is called Tiago, and it's a little hatchback the Indians buy as the Zica. They had to rename it because of the Zika virus outbreak and all that, plus the Geneva model features a Stepway-style body kit that we haven't seen before.
In India, the Tiago is called a compact, but it's a supermini for us Europeans. Power comes from one of two engines. The basic one is a three-cylinder DOHC petrol, producing 84 PS (83hp) and 114 Nm (84lb-ft) of torque. Alternatively, you could have it with a 3-pot diesel making 69 PS and 140 Nm of torque.
We don't see any reason to be badge snobs, especially since there are plenty of cars made for the Indian market that we buy. These include both of the smallest Hyundai hatchbacks and the Ford EcoSport. Even the UK-spec Duster was manufactured there for a while.
Joining the Tiago on Tata's Geneva Motor Show stand is the Hexa, shown in Geneva last year as a concept. This is a cross between an SUV and a minivan with power coming from a 2.2-liter diesel engine that makes 154 horsepower. This kind of reminds us of the early SsangYong SUV models that had Mercedes engines.
Lastly, Tata is showcasing the Kite 5. It looks like the Bolt they previewed in 2015, but it comes with a sort of shrunken sedan trunk. The Kite 5 was supposed to be called Zica Notchback but had to be renamed at the last moment due to the virus. It looks impressive, a bit like the old Chevrolet Cruze hatchback. Designers changed the doors to make the roof sleeker. With 420 liters of trunk space, it's a decent family car... that nobody in Europe will care about.
In India, the Tiago is called a compact, but it's a supermini for us Europeans. Power comes from one of two engines. The basic one is a three-cylinder DOHC petrol, producing 84 PS (83hp) and 114 Nm (84lb-ft) of torque. Alternatively, you could have it with a 3-pot diesel making 69 PS and 140 Nm of torque.
We don't see any reason to be badge snobs, especially since there are plenty of cars made for the Indian market that we buy. These include both of the smallest Hyundai hatchbacks and the Ford EcoSport. Even the UK-spec Duster was manufactured there for a while.
Joining the Tiago on Tata's Geneva Motor Show stand is the Hexa, shown in Geneva last year as a concept. This is a cross between an SUV and a minivan with power coming from a 2.2-liter diesel engine that makes 154 horsepower. This kind of reminds us of the early SsangYong SUV models that had Mercedes engines.
Lastly, Tata is showcasing the Kite 5. It looks like the Bolt they previewed in 2015, but it comes with a sort of shrunken sedan trunk. The Kite 5 was supposed to be called Zica Notchback but had to be renamed at the last moment due to the virus. It looks impressive, a bit like the old Chevrolet Cruze hatchback. Designers changed the doors to make the roof sleeker. With 420 liters of trunk space, it's a decent family car... that nobody in Europe will care about.
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