Yet again, we catch the upcoming Indica based MPV being tested on the Pune-Bangalore expressway. To be christened as the Indica XL, the upcoming Indica-based car could very well become the cheapest MPV on sale in India. The rear registration plate of the new car could be positioned on the rear hatch and the car will come with a much flatter roof than the hatchback. The Indica XL will retain the X-mas tree taillight cluster and will be only a little longer than the regular hatchback. On the inside, the new car will share the dashboard and door panels with the rest of the Indica variants and the interiors are draped in a shade of beige.
The badges on the fenders show that the car will be powered by the extremely frugal CR4 motor and Tata Motors might re-tune the engine for a slightly better performance. Tata plans to target fleet operators with the new variant of Indica as it should provide best in class space and maintenance costs. First came the hatchback, then came the sedan based on it and it was followed by an estate. We also saw a stretch based on the above sedan and now comes the MPV. Trust Tata to keep playing with the Indica platform!
Tata had previewed an MPV concept called Indiva in 2002 based on the Indica platform. Could they be validating that model on the test mule being driven around? That might explain the larger tyres or the longer wheelbase or the fact that they are using the older Indica platform and not the Vista.