Tata Motors have tasted runaway success from Indica ever since its launch in 1998. But off late, the company is trying hard to cater to not just commercial customers but also project it as a family car. The Chevrolet is still a struggling brand in India but luckily for them, the success of Beat has given them a much needed boost. While Tata Motors have tweaked in the regular Indica to come out with the Indica eV2, Chevrolet has an interesting proposition to offer with its Beat Diesel variant. Let’s see.
Related : Chevy Beat Diesel vs. Ford Figo Diesel Comparison
PERFORMANCE
The Indica eV2 is fitted with a Common Rail CR4 Diesel engine which gives out 70 bhp, but puts out only 140 Nm of torque from its 1396cc engine. It is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission with widely-spaced gear ratios. The Indica isn’t quick to accelerate compared to many of the other hatchbacks as it was built keeping in mind fuel economy and cruising ability.
The Chevrolet Beat on the other hand has a smaller 936cc diesel engine but it has higher torque of 150 Nm from and gives out 58 bhp of power and is
coupled with a 5-speed manual box. The Beat’s lighter kerb weight along with its modern multijet derived 3-cylinder engine makes it quicker on the road. The engine is better refined than the Indica’s engine and the handling in the Beat is superior also to the Indica.
COMFORTS
There’s hardly any car in this segment that beats Tata Indica when it comes to space. And that’s one reason why it has become so popular among cabs. The Indica can comfortably seat five adults with adequate legroom and moderate luggage space. The car feels like a big car from inside too.
The Beat, on the other hand, has comfortable front seats, but the rear seats are a let-down because of the use of dark upholstery and small rear windows. Luggage space is quite minimal in Beat.
STYLE
The Tata Indica never won any award for its looks and even though Tata Motors have revamped it with new Headlamps with Amber blinker, new front grille and rear spoiler, but its design looks pretty outdated. The Beat, with its sharp lines and contemporary styling, looks refreshing and its fit and finish is several notches better than Indica. Indica also offers Shad beige interiors with Wooden finish.
For some reasons, the Indica has never really been a shining example of fit and finish. In fact, that’s the major reason why it’s not so popular with the individuals. Poor quality plastics are used throughout the vehicle. When you step out from Beat and get into the Indica, you’ll really feel disappointed by Tata’s quality. The Beat has better fit and finish, be it plastic quality, shut lines or build quality or its noise dampening levels.
All these makes the Beat a superior product when compared to the Indica eV2.
FEATURES
The Chevrolet Beat has a lot more to offer compared to the Indica. While Indica’s base model doesn’t even have power steering and AC while the base model of Beat is equipped with both power steering and AC. The top-end version of Beat comes fitted with integrated audio systems, climate control and rain-sensing wipers, rear wiper, as well as airbags and ABS. The top model of Indica also has a Blaupunkt music system and power windows, but lacks all other funky features. And Beat also offers ABS, which is absent in the Indica.
FUEL ECONOMY
The Indica always had a decent mileage and it has been further improved to give an ARAI-certified mileage of 25 kmpl, a claim that makes it India’s most fuel efficient car. Keeping in mind the fact that Indica’s engine is bigger than of the Beat, this is a commendable feat. The Beat diesel comes with an ARAI certified claim of 24 kmpl. Actual figures are expected to be around 5kmpl less in real life driving conditions. Even though it has a smaller capacity engine, the Beat gives less mileage as it uses shorter gearing to extract better pulling ability from its smaller capacity engine.
COLOURS
The Tata Indica eV2 comes in 5 colours- Sea Blue, Spice Red, Mint White, Neo Orange and Jet Silver. All the models comes with funky decals. The Chevrolet Beat, on the other hand is offered in as many as 9 colours. They are Super Red, Cocktail Green, Blade Switch Silver, Linen Beige, Caviar Black, Misty Lake, Summit White and Sandrift Grey.
PRICE
Chevrolet has been cleverly priced the Beat even below the comparable version of the Tata Indica. The base diesel model of the Beat is priced at Rs. 4.29 lakh and offers power steering and AC. The comparable version of the Indica eV2 is the LE model, which is priced at Rs. 4.34 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. Though the Indica eV2 does offer a little more space, but it’s really hard to beat the Beat on pure price value.
VERDICT
The Indica is a better car to be driven for long journeys but and the Beat happens to be your everyday compact car, one you’ll love to drive around in the city. The Indica, undoubtedly makes a great value car as far as space is concerned, but its build and refinement are a big turn-offs. The Beat diesel, with its compact looks and futuristic design, is a much more modern product in comparison, and definitely a better car to own and drive for an individual or someone with a small family. Personally, we’d recommend the Beat for you because it is a ‘value for money’ buy with for it has upmarket interiors, more features and stylish looks, all at a very aggressive price too.
TECHNICAL SPECS
