The Indica was an instant success at its launch, and the V2 sorted out many of the original's problems. We find out if the face-lifted V2 has taken a similar leap.

DESIGN & ENGINEERING
CLASSY STYLING BUT BIGGER WHEELS ARE NEEDED
The face-lifted V2 has grown up, and now aims at sophistication instead of simple cuteness. It's successful too: the chromed egg-crate grille, clear headlamps and gorgeous new tail-lights give the car a distinct touch of class. The paint job looks great, and the new range of colours adds to the car's appeal.
However, the new, more pronounced wheel arches do more harm than good. They make the wheels —which haven't expanded correspondingly — look quite weedy in the flared flanks.
Another thing Tata may want to change is the car's raised stance, with the front suspension jacked up too high.
Overall, probably the best-looking car of the bunch but it doesn't exude the same solid feel of the Fiat Palio or Opel Corsa.

INTERIORS, SPACE & EQUIPMENT
SPACE AND PRACTICALITY SUPERB, QUALITY IS UP A NOTCH
The huge, practical interior is the Indica's trump card: there is more space than in most C-segment cars. The India-centric design means ingress and egress are easy, the seats are comfy, and there are plenty of cubbyholes. The revamped cabin has better plastics, nice white-faced, chrome-ringed instruments with an electronic tripmeter, revised air-con switchgear and new upholstery.
The interior is not quite perfect though, with crude bits and pieces like the rubber strips and certain switches which lack a quality feel. Another gripe is the uneven dash lighting, and the distractingly bright blue air-con compressor indicator light which could be spotted by low-flying aircraft. Tata has added more value by incorporating more storage areas and a 60:40 split rear seat, which are pretty useful.

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE
EFFORTLESS PERFORMANCE, BUT POOR GEARBOX
“Hey, this feels nice,” said our editor when he pulled away from the kerb, and his surprise describes the Indica experience quite well. It feels genuinely refined at low rpm, the pedals feel smooth and the engine is very responsive. There's plenty of power and torque and none here perform as well as the Indica. The engine's lack of mechanical balance is obvious though and once you get past 4000rpm it feels raucous and vibrates. Another downside is the gearshift, which feels like the gearstick has been embedded in wet cement. Tata has toiled to improve this, but it hasn’t improved by much.

RIDE & HANDLING
HAS A BIG-CAR FEEL BUT DYNAMICS NEED TIDYING UP
The Indica's long wheelbase gives it good stability, especially at high speeds. However, the ride and handling need to be tidied up and the Indica lacks the cohesive or taut feel of the Palio and Corsa. The steering, which feels vague around the straight-ahead position, needs to be improved. The front end with its tall stance feels light in contrast to the independently sprung rear which is well planted to the road. As a result, the Indica has a certain 'looseness' in the front. A significant improvement has come about in the ride, which is quieter and better damped but not in the league of the Corsa. The brakes had plenty of bite, but felt a tad 'grabby’, and were quick to lock up.

FUEL EFFICIENCY
POOR IN CITY, BUT MAKES UP ON THE HIGHWAY
The Indica's fuel figures are on the low side: 8.9kpl in the city makes it thirstiest in urban conditions but it makes up on the highway with a very impressive 14.9kpl, which is largely thanks to the tall gearing.

BUYING & OWNING
TERRIFIC VALUE FOR MONEY BUT QUALITY ISSUES STILL PERSIST
The Indica is the cheapest of the bunch here and generously equipped as well. Spares and maintenance are cheap too, which adds to its unbeatable value-for-money package.
But judging by the window which popped out of its beading and the ashtray which jammed on a brand-new Indica, long-term quality is still slightly suspect.