2015 Tata Zica Review : First Drive

The Zica appears to herald a new beginning for Tata Motors. But does it really?

I need to start this piece with a disclaimer. In the past, along with many of my colleagues, I’ve been guilty of turning a blind eye to some of the basic faults in many of the passenger cars built thus far by Tata Motors. If the pedal spacing wasn’t quite right – well, it was okay because it was a Tata. If the driving position, or the steering angle, was a bit off – well, it wasn’t bad for a Tata. If the build quality was a bit iffy – well, you get the picture…

But mind-sets have changed. The Indian consumer expects the very best. He or she takes no prisoners and accepts no compromises. There are no longer any second chances. And it appears that Tata Motors has got the memo – because the Zica certainly looks the part. It has no blemishes whatsoever, and aims to stand toe-to-toe with the very best that the industry has to offer.

Pratap Bose, and the design team at Tata Motors, have done a great job with the overall design – both inside and out. The shapely body appears quite mature and sophisticated, while being interesting and edgy at the same time. On the inside as well, the cabin appears to be beautifully executed with premium materials and excellent fit-and-finish. And, as you can see, I’m not ending any sentences here with the phrase, ‘for a Tata!’

The Zica (which is a happy blend of ‘zippy car’) has a mild shark-nose front end, with a nicely detailed honeycomb front grille finished in gloss black. The headlights have a three-dimensional look to them, and beautifully connect the grille with the bumper. Even the logo on the front is larger and more three dimensional to hint towards a newfound confidence for the company. And there are more little details to marvel at – the arrow-shaped recesses for the door handles for instance, or the two little winglets at either end of the top of the tailgate, which work to clean up the airflow without running the full width of the boot. And the overall appearance of the Zica is of a machine that’s planted and purposeful – not to mention contemporary and modern. Nicely done!