10 Forgotten Tata Cars In India: From Manza To Marina

Tata Motors is India’s own automotive manufacturer which has been a prominent industry player globally. Since its inception, the company has made one of the sturdiest cars. After the safety issues arising in India, Tata Motors was the first manufacturer to build the first Global NCAP 5-star rated indigenous car, the Nexon. But as the time passed, there are some legacies Tata has left behind and many of us might have forgotten them. Let’s have a look at 10 such Tata Cars that once had dominion over the market.

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1. Tata Sierra | The Legendary Beast

   

   The ones who follow the carmaker closely might remember the three-door SUV, Sierra, launched back in the 1990s. The SUV was way ahead of its time as it came equipped with a four-wheel-drive system, power windows glass panel in the rear and much more which made it stand apart from those in competition. This beast was not able to gain traction in terms of sales as the segment was new in India and the customers were more inclined towards the lower price cars at that time. At this Auto Expo, Tata showcased an electrified version of the legend, Sierra which the company has hinted to be market-ready soon.

2. Tata Estate | An Attempt
   

   

   Station wagons were never able to please the Indian customers. Tata tried to tap into the wagon segment with the Estate. The car was based on the Sierra platform and used to resemble the station wagons produced by Mercedes Benz back in the 1980s. Like the other station wagons, Tata Estate was also not able to get any hold of the customers thus was not a success, the company planned to achieve.

3. Tata Mobile | The Failed Pickup Line
   

   

   This company has been known for pickup trucks and heavy commercial vehicles. But not all offerings in the pickup segment were able to taste success. Tata Mobile was one of them. Actually, the Sierra and Estate were based on this pickup truck which was powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine which used to churn out 68hp of power. Mobile never took off in terms of sale as Tata’s 407 was a preferred choice of the customers.

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4. Tata Safari Petrol | Diesel Used To Be Cheaper Back In Time

   

   Safari should not be on the list! Everyone knows the SUV. But what you may not be familiar with is that the SUV came in a petrol variant too and that too 20 years ago. It was powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine which used to lend the SUV a 135hp of power. But this power came at the price of lower fuel mileage which was a big issue with the Indian customers at that time and still is. This is why the petro-Safari is on the list of forgotten cars from Tata.

5. Tata Safari 3.0 DICOR | All Hail R&D
   

   

   The flagship SUV of Tata was given a sizeable diesel engine with a common rail direct injection system. But in a time span of just one year, the R&D at Tata found out that a 2.0-litre engine churned out the same power and torque outputs. Version 3.0 was shelved and was kept for commercial sales only.

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6. Tata Indigo Marina | Another Attempt, Another Failure
   

   

   The company was confident about the station wagon segment even though facing reality after the Estate. The popular Indigo was given a steroid and Marina was born. The car was not able to take off due to the stigma of the wagon segment and its failure. It was discontinued soon.
   Fun fact: The wagon used to act as a means of transport for the pet dogs of Ratan Tata.

7. Tata Indigo XL | It’s Not Always About The Size

   

   The automaker is always ready to experiment when it comes to cars. This time, they tried to boost up the Indigo with a superhuman serum and the outcome was named Indigo XL. The name definitely suggests that it was an extended version of the sedan. It had spacious legroom and a commodious cabin. But the timing was wrong. It came into the market when Ola and Uber were not operating. It could have been a hit taxi, but as it is said, it’s all about timing.

8. Tata Indigo Manza | The Premium XL
   

   

   In 2010, Tata launched a premium version of the Indigo XL which was named Indigo Manza. It was no doubt a leap forward in terms of design and features. And to add a cherry on the top of the cake, the car came with feisty pricing, it gave Honda City and Hyundai Verna a run for the money. It was able to get a decent share in the cab segment but again was not able to attract the individual customers.

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9. Tata Spacio | A Rare To Find

   

   This SUV was a canvas top vehicle, which was a very different vehicle at that time. It was launched back in the early 2000s. It shared its 3.0-litre direct injection diesel engine with the Tata 407. But due to unknown reasons, Tata suddenly stopped the production of the car and this is what resulted in such a low number of Spacio which can be seen.

10. Tata Bolt | What’s In The Name

    

    Bolt was a revamped version of Indica Vista with better interiors, ABS and airbags. But the car was not at all a hit unlike the Indica and was only sold commercially with very few individual use buyers.

This is was all in the forgotten section for the Tata cars. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comment section below.

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