Modern throwback: The Tata Indigo

I know what the Tata Indigo reminds me of—the Isuzu Gemini of the late 70’s and early 80’s. Early 80’s to be exact because that’s when the little Isuzu became available with a diesel engine and it suddenly became the omnipresent taxi in Metro Manila as well as many parts of the country.

That’s no knock on the Indian-made Indigo. Thousands rode in those Gemini taxis or even owned one as a private car. It even came as a two-door coupe. I was, and still am, a big fan of those spritely Opel-based Geminis. But I digress.

The reason why the Tata Indigo reminds me of the Isuzu Gemini is not just because they’re both diesel-powered sedans that are often used as taxis, but because the Indigo seems small compared to modern sedans the way an old Corolla seems tiny compared to a new Corolla Altis. Park the Indigo in one of those tight parking slots in malls nowadays and you’ll marvel at how little space it occupies. It’s not just short, it’s also narrow—much like the sedans of yesteryear. Even the tires are smallish 175/65R-14 size.  

The Indigo gives off an old-school vibe, not only in terms of size but in terms of styling as well. It doesn’t look old or aged; but it has the traditional proportions of those small Japanese sedans of the 70’s and 80’s before they morphed into the ultra-sleek cab-forward shapes we’ve grown so familiar with nowadays. Today’s cars have headlamps that wrap around the fender or sweep up all the way to the hood or have low sweeping rooflines that extend far to the front and almost all the way to the rear, leaving a very tiny trunklid.

In contrast, the Indigo has that simple three-box design for the engine, cabin, and trunk. But what it loses in terms of sexiness, it more than makes up for in terms of headroom (because of the high roof) and an incredibly cavernous trunk. Two or three tournament-size golf bags will easily fit in the Indigo’s trunk—something that cannot be said for today’s subcompact or even compact sedans. Legroom and elbowroom are what you’d expect from most modern subcompact sedans.

That said, the Indigo isn’t a literal throwback to the 70’s and 80’s with their big chrome or big black plastic bumpers.  The Indigo sports contemporary details like seamlessly fitted and body-colored plastic bumpers, large headlamps with integrated signal lamps, and even foglamps neatly set into the bumper. It has modern conveniences like power windows and door locks, keyless entry, rear defogger, dual front airbags, ABS, and a third brake light.

Power, particularly torque, is surprisingly abundant, thanks to the Indigo’s common-rail direct-injection (CRDi) 1.4-liter turbodiesel motor. I’m not sugarcoating this engine—I’m talking near-best-in-class levels of torque here (only the Hyundai Accent CRDi beats the Indigo in the torque race). The impressively smooth engine is mated to a five-speed manual, which offers easy (albeit a tad notchy) shifts and a reasonably light clutch pedal.

The Indigo has hydraulic power steering, front and rear MacPherson struts, and a front-disc/rear drum setup like many cars in its class. Ride quality and handling are both average for a subcompact sedan, meaning that you won’t have any negative comments about it but will not necessarily be raving about it as well.

Interior fit and finish are likewise par for the course. Even cynics won’t have much to complain about, especially considering the car’s very affordable price of P525,000. It’s not a you-get-what-you-pay for deal. The seats are reasonably comfortable and the view out the tall, vertical windows is great. You may not have power side mirror adjusters (just a toggle switch for both side mirrors) and the power window switches may be located in an odd location at the leading edge of the center console, but, hey even Mercedes-Benzes of the 70’s and 80’s had their power window switches there, too.    

All things considered, P525,000 is cheap—even for this car. If you’re not really into sleek styling and you’re not brand conscious (and especially if you plan to get into the taxi business), then the Indigo may actually be perfect for you.