The Real Turbo Comes To India

In the wake of Abba and Boney M came the turbo stickers. Yes, stickers, not the real-time turbo. Even so, the word had a magic to it, an inextricable, umbilical connection to speed. Abba and Boney M came and went, and so did the passing fad for turbo stickers except for a small handful. For this band of the faithful, who still listened to Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Frida long after the rest of the world thought they were passe, that sticker on the flanks of their cars was a necessity.

The oversized, bold Cityboy , and Billboard stickers reproduced and printed locally so that they cost only a few rupees were very popular with Ambassador and Padmini owners. While Turbo written in bright orange flowing italics with flames breathing through it was a must if you wanted to scream to the world that you were modern, driving a fast car, young, part of a new generation in short, everything you never were!

 

Admit it, the first Bajaj scooter you bought sported a small sticker that shouted Turbo, right? I remember spending Rs 3 out of an allowance of Rs 10 to buy one that fit my bicycle chain cover.

Even if you never bought one yourself, Im betting that your sons friends did. Or that the neighbour had one on his Luna. Or that you saw it on a brand-new Mrooti in the parking lot. Or that every second autorickshaw you spotted had this sticker right above a poster of Madhuri.

But thats all in the past. For those whove arrived in life, how about owning the real thing? Its here, after all. The first ever turbo-charged passenger vehicle made in India. The Tata Sierra Turbo. (The Rover Montego brought in by the Sipanis had a turbo-diesel power plant, but what the Sipanis sold in India were fully-built cars with minor post-shipment assembly done here.)

The Sierra Turbo

Sierra was the second passenger vehicle developed by Telco and it was based on the 207 platform. While developing a passenger vehicle totally inhouse is a commendable operation, it makes perfection a little difficult to achieve.

While the engine was refined, the gear box was a mess and the Sierra was way too heavy to be powered by a 68 bhp engine. The weight issue still remains to be sorted out, but Telco has improved the engine and the gear box in the Turbo version. Telco has it that the 90 bhp 483 DL Turbo diesel is faster, and the all-new gearbox is much improved from the old version. But thats on paper, and theres nothing like a test drive if we want to get to know the Sierra Turbo better.

Looks matter

The Sierra Turbo benefits from the headlamps adopted from the Tata Estate and new side indicator lamps. This change has made it a handsome automobile, and the effect is accentuated by its size. Its a treat to see it in the parking lot from a distance. Get any closer and youre bound to see those ungainly plastic wheel arches that can only be described as ugly. If the Tata Sierra is a flagship model largely meant for the export market, this should not have been left unattended. The sooner Telco swaps these plastic add-ons for quality stuff, the better. Other than that, the Sierra has an all-new rear bumper, twin rear screen wipers and an understated Turbo tag on the tailgate to differentiate it from the first model. Perhaps dealers should introduce a set of bolder turbo stickers for those who want re-live a bit of nostalgia in the real thing. One you have it, it makes sense to flaunt it, right?

Behind the Wheel

The first thing that greets you from that commanding driving position and a firm seat is a brand new steering wheel, which would have been at home in a Mercedes Benz E-class. The instrumentation couldnt have been more comprehensive, with an accurate tachometer or engine rpm meter flanking the large speedo. But the pre-tensioned seat belt harnesses are not fitted to the seat and one has to reach out to the floor-mounted units. Getting into the rear seat is a trifle difficult but once you are there, the leg room could make a limousine blush. While everything about the interior is ergonomically designed, what annoys one is the lack of detail. Being an export quality car, one naturally expects better plastics and fabrics and it wouldnt cost much to provide that either.

Turn the key and the glow plug lamp stays on for six seconds before youre ready to go for a spin in the turbo. The diesel clatter is surprisingly low and the sound deadening in this car is a classic example of what Telco is capable of doing, and doing right. The turbo has been geared for highway cruising and hence the first and second gears actually offer very little in performance terms. But the Sierra is definitely quicker than the normally aspirated version. Standstill to 60 kph is possible in under eight seconds and a neat 100 kph in just about 22 seconds. The figures would read 12 and 34 seconds respectively in the normal Sierra.

The turbocharger comes to play noticeably only at around 2200 rpm and even with the car idling faster than usual (a fast idle knob fitted inside the car can help you with this), life in Sierra Turbo is dull under 2500 rpm. But engage the car in the third cog, find a decent stretch of asphalt and just revel in the power of turbo. The exhaust pressure mounts and the clean surge of power is inimitable. The whole engine feels like a different animal and the taut, controlled and torquey feel is enough to quicken the pulse.

With the perfectly articulated and adjustable power steering, the Sierra can be driven with precision once youre above that magic rpm figure.

You can just about live with this car in a city, but every time you drive the car in low gear, it is begging to be unleashed in a highway. (In fact, freeways and motorways in Europe are what this car is geared for.) The test car achieved the maximum speed of 140 kph without much drama and thats what its supposed to do in faster moving traffic in Europe.

But it meant that I started leaving for work at seven in the morning so that I could find clear roads in Mumbai. Let me assure you, getting stuck in a three lane traffic jam in Mumbais Western Express Highway is no way for any road tester to evaluate the Sierra Turbo. But most of the guys who would spend the hefty sum of Rs six lakh to own one wouldnt mind a slightly city-friendly gearing for this automobile.

The outright performance dished out by the turbo-charged motor is considerably negated by the overall weight of the car. At roughly two tonnes plus, the Sierra is overweight and should be put on a strict diet for those horses to work well. Imagine, if this car can be as fast as a Ford Escort Diesel, what would its performance would be if it could shed a few hundred kilos?

The ride and handling is as plush as it ever was in a Sierra. Passengers are bound to appreciate the way it tackles most of our road conditions, pot-holes included. The double wishbone front and coil spring rear suspension of the Sierra assisted by gas-filled shocks needs to be stiffened to reign in the additional horses released by the powerpack. Cornering above 60 kph becomes a scary affair theres excessive body roll accentuated by the height of the car. The two forces that can hamper the overall handling of the car (at speeds it is capable of) are pitch and roll, and the Sierra needs some work at both these ends.

A word of caution to those intending to buy and drive the Sierra Turbo. While the brakes are good at providing stopping power, they dont work too well with the soft suspension set up. The result is a tendency to nose-dive every time one slams on the brakes. This can prove dangerous if you have to stand on the brake pedal while cornering at speeds. To put it more bluntly, a nose-diving Sierra at cornering angles seems to have a front end that is beyond the control of most drivers. This is not a car to be thrown around the bends.

While the Sierra showed no limitations in difficult climbing angles, it is no off-roader. The ride height and clearance are excellent and in fact better than some of our very own four-wheel drive machines. The sore point though is the gearing, which is too tall for the first and second gears. Forget it if you intend to get mud all over this car it can ford a small stream or two on sheer momentum, and thats about it when it comes to off-roading.

We attempted an off-road stretch and were not amused to see the engine (revving too fast and hitting the peak fast) stalling twice. Keep it to the asphalt if you want to get the best out of the Sierra Turbo. The engine produces a class-leading torque of 19 kgM at 2500 rpm and while that can be used to haul a trailer, the gear ratios prevent the car from achieving that figure in the first two shifts. Elementary, Mr Telco, all you have to do is change the gear ratios for the Indian market and give the car a bit more start-up punch to compliment that superb mid-range.

A bundle of contradictions

BS Motoring had the car for 700 km before filing this report. At the end of it, we have to say that we have mixed opinions. The car was frugal to the point of covering average of 11 km for every litre of diesel and it seemed to be consistent with figures around 10 even in dense city traffic. Its a terrific automobile between cities, and is equally terrible within city limits. The air-conditioner earns top ranking while the car that retails at Rs 6,27,000 (on-road Mumbai) begs for a standard music system. It is the most powerful car this side of the Mercedes twins (E 220 and E 250 D) but handles like a boat at high speeds. It can blast the tarmac out of highways but comes a cropper off the road.

I was in the UK last month when I came across a What Car magazine. I was briefly thrilled to see a Telco advertisement. Briefly, because then I read the catchline. It went: Tata Sport (as it is called in the UK) Cheaper than a used four by four. Let me be honest, even if the fit and finish is not great, even though the turbocharger in our test car failed when a rubber hose came loose, even if the price is on the steep side, this car does not deserve that kind of advertising in another country.

For a car that is built completely in India, from a manufacturer which is still in its infancy when it comes to passenger car making, the Sierra Turbo deserves praise. It has some solid engineering behind it, and with some proper maintenance, it should give an owner who knows its limitations long and reliable service.

I have a request to Mr Ratan Tata. How about feeling proud about the car that carries your name, the only one that truly reflects the automobile developing and manufacturing capabilities of India? And how about revoking that ad campaign and coming up with a kinder, better catchline to sell Tata cars abroad?