Clash of the Diesels

The fascination for small cars in India began with Maruti Suzuki bringing in their version of the 800 in the market and then began a chain reaction where Indian car manufacturers joined the bandwagon to make a car that was not only compact but one that catered to the needs of the Indian customers. With the launch of the Tata Indica, the small car industry saw a wave of change and then began a tussle between the top guns to bring to life a quick, economical and a safe diesel hatch. But then again, everybody eyes the price that it is being offered at and the kind of features the car has. In the Indian car industry, every new car launched is competition for the others in that segment and the competition is increasing by the day.

The latest offering in this segment was from the Nissan stable. The Nissan Micra diesel was launched on the 10th of December and though it is the identical twin of its petrol cousin the fact that generates a lot of interest about this car amongst the potential customers is the fact that it returns 23 kpl. There are in fact a lot of things about this car that attracts the attention of the customers and we have discussed them at length in our roadtest But then again, does it have the potential to give the others in the segment a run for their money? We pitch it against the latest iteration of the car that kick started the diesel hatch wars, the Indica Vista Quadrajet Aura +!

To begin with, there are a lot of similarities between the two cars and there are bound to be a lot of differences, but at the end of the day both the diesel hatches are vying for peoples’ attention. Under such circumstances, it would be an easier task to segregate the pros and cons of both the cars, thereby understanding which car suits you the best.

Design

The Micra diesel is identical to its petrol cousin and hence there is no change in the exterior design but for the rear spoiler which is an addition in the XV premium variant. The top-end model also gets alloy wheels while both of them go missing in the XV variant. The design is fresh and definitely is in tune with the new generation. The third generation of the Indica, the Vista, has rejuvenated looks and with larger headlamps than the earlier versions, looks simply stunning. The Vista is a tad bit taller than the Micra and also has a longer wheelbase.

Powertrain

The Nissan Micra diesel is powered by the same 1.5-litre engine as the Mahindra-Renault Logan’s. It is an eight-valve 1.5-litre dCi engine (code name K9K). This engine produces a maximum power of 63bhp and a torque of 160Nm@2000rpm. Unlike most modern diesel engines, the K9K doesn’t have any turbo lag even at a lower rpm. The dCi engine is refined and quiet at lower revs. But when the tacho needle crosses 3000rpm, the motor does sound harsh.

The Indica Vista on the other hand boasts of a 1.3-litre Fiat multijet engine (branded Quadrajet by Tata Motors). The engine produces a maximum power of 75 bhp and torque of 190Nm@1750rpm. The improvement in the engine is evident as the car pulls very easily at low revs. The turbo lag too is at a minimum and once the turbo spools, there is no stopping the Vista. The engine too is silent and NVH is at the minimum.

Clash of the Diesels

Features

The Nissan Micra XV premium has a lot to offer. The XV Premium, for starters, gets alloy wheels, fog lamps and a rear spoiler. Apart from this the car boasts of an in-dash music system which has a CD/MP3 player, Radio and an Aux-In outlet. The orange backlit instrument cluster looks good and one cannot forget the main feature of the car; keyless ignition. The Centre console of the petrol variant makes its way here too.

The light in the boot too comes in handy and a great addition is the electronic mirror adjustment. There are a few things that we go missing in the car. It does not have the twin glove box that the petrol variant had and the passenger side airbag too is done away with and no ABS. There are certain things we miss in the Nissan hatch and a comparison with the Indica Vista made us understand what both the cars could have done with.

When it comes to the Indica Vista Qaudrajet Aura+ you get a lot more when it comes to features. An in-dash CD/Mp3/radio player with Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy for you to access your phone not only for the music but the handsfree helps you to make or receive calls. One also gets an Aux-In outlet and a USB port in the car as well. The Vista also gets the driver as well as the passenger side airbags and also comes in with ABS.

The driver side seat also gets a height adjuster which goes missing in the Micra. The Vista gets 60-40 split seats which were first seen in the V2 generation of Indica which again one does not see in the Nissan diesel hatch. The Vista does not get the alloys and nor does it get the electronic mirror adjustment. The Vista does not get the light in its boot but it does get a mirror on the sun wiser on the navigators side which we did not get to see in the Micra.

Conclusion

As said earlier we have just placed the facts in front of you so that your purchase decision is smoothened out. The Micra diesel is power packed and for a 63 bhp hatch. It is fun to drive and a great city as well as highway car. The fit and finish in the car is top notch and altogether is a well-packaged hatch. The Indica Vista on the lacks quality finish, there are a few loose ends and though the car has the power and the agility like its counterpart, the cherry on the cake goes missing.The feature list in the car is extensive and Tata Motors should receive a pat on its back for making such features available at a good cost. The price of the Micra XV premium is 6.33 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai) while the on-road cost of the Vista is 6.37 lakh.

The difference in the cost does make the Vista a VFM car. Nissan India has to not only work on the cost but also has to work towards expanding their Sales and Service network. While Nissan has 21 dealerships all over the country, Tata Motors is pretty well established in the Indian market. Though the odds are against the Japanese car manufacturer, one product from their stable can change the course of the Automobile Industry in India (the Ford Figo being a live example). Nissan India with the refined engine which delivers 23kpl is trying to woo the Indian customers into buying a fuel efficient car but we think that at the price that it is offered at, there would be less takers. But only time will tell the success of both the diesel hatches and the clash between them will continue as the years pass by.