[Sridhar K]

Apologies for the back to back post. Clicked submit by mistake due to a pointer problem in my office laptop, before I finished typing the post and being a newbie can't see it to edit it.

Checked out the Elan in the showroom when I went to collect my RC book.

1) The Elan is almost the same as the existing Manza with improved interior. The burgundy dash makes it much richer than the current version. However the beige parts of the interiors (lower part of the dash, seat covers) will be hard to maintain in Indian condition whereas the older manza had limited beige portions.

2) The power window switch housing which had a bad fit and finish is replaced by a new assembly that looks rich and good.


3)The chrome inserts looks more pronounced than the earlier one. The plastic beading on the windows have chrome on them


4) Alloys are good too but wonder why they did not continue with the earlier OE optional alloys which also looked good.


-Also the dealer messed up a bit on the insurance. The chasis number was incorrect on the insurance policy that got delvered to me. The chasis number was correct on the cover note. They have asked HDFC ergo to correct it and send it accross.

[vignesh_ny]

Super updates on the Elan. With every step Tata is moving close to matching the quality levels of the rivals. The alloys are probably the best looking OE alloys.
Another few extras on the Elan are
1. The Power window switch works till 30 seconds after the ignition is off - Uber Cool!
2. DIS - Driver Info System
3. 2 Din Music System with Blue 5 to pair upto 5 phones.
4. The exclusive colour Tyrian Wine.

Tata seems to be using/reusing a lot from the Fiat stable and is a net gainer from the deal, I feel.

[Maverick79]

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

My 2 Cents on 2 DIN...
"DIN" is an industry standard for head unit size (ie, the radio/CD player that's mounted in the dash). The DIN standard is for a radio that's 7" wide and 2" tall.

A 2 DIN is two DIN units stacked, or a single unit that's the same size as two DIN units. That means 4" tall and 7" wide.




Read more: Answers.com - What is a 2 din music system

Cheers!

Thank you for this valuable information Soumobakshi. Also, the most sought after thing in a two DIN is the preouts which are absent in Manza. Now this is causing a further confusion on the Two DIN definition mentioned above and in Tata's site.
ICE gurus need your further gyaan on the same.

[Maverick79]

Originally Posted by vignesh_ny

Super updates on the Elan. With every step Tata is moving close to matching the quality levels of the rivals. The alloys are probably the best looking OE alloys.
Another few extras on the Elan are
1. The Power window switch works till 30 seconds after the ignition is off - Uber Cool!
2. DIS - Driver Info System
3. 2 Din Music System with Blue 5 to pair upto 5 phones.
4. The exclusive colour Tyrian Wine.

Tata seems to be using/reusing a lot from the Fiat stable and is a net gainer from the deal, I feel.

Dear Vignesh,
Options 2 and 3 are already available in the earlier versions. Pls find attached a new brouchure of refresh Manza. This will further give you a clarity on what is exclusive for Elan.

[rki2007]

Congrats Sridhar. Welcome to the Manza club. I also own the same variant. Happy motoring and many more miles to go.

Do you find any drop in power when A/C is switched on.

[RGK]

Congrats Sridhar.. The comfort ride is unmatched.
Happy and safe motoring.
@rki2007 - If there is a power drop then have a check with SC. The engine is a powerful gem, that it should behave normally.

[Sridhar K]

RGK: Thanks.

RKI2007.Thanks. Pictures of your Manza was what I used to show as sample for Gothic Olive Manza to friends and relative during the waiting period.

I don't find any noticeable power drop with A/C but have to admit that I have driven it only in Chennai and not on up & down roads like in Bangaloru. However, the NVH level does seem to go up slightly when the compressor comes on.

One concern that I have is the mileage. Ever since the first service, I am getting mileage of only 14KMPL with a 100% a/c on and mix of city and free roads (mostly 4th gear and occasional 5th). Use to get 15-15.5 before with the difference being
1) I used to drive below 2k RPM earlier and now upto 2.5K
2) The clutch play/plate gap was adjusted as it was a bit jerkier earlier at lower gears

Have seen other people report better mileage on their manza. I have a driving style and practices that should get me decent if not great mileage. Wondering whether the mileage will improve as the car clocks more miles and if yes, what is the typical odo reading where we start to see improved mileage.

[rki2007]

Originally Posted by Sridhar K

RGK: Thanks.

RKI2007.Thanks. Pictures of your Manza was what I used to show as sample for Gothic Olive Manza to friends and relative during the waiting period.

I don't find any noticeable power drop with A/C but have to admit that I have driven it only in Chennai and not on up & down roads like in Bangaloru. However, the NVH level does seem to go up slightly when the compressor comes on.

One concern that I have is the mileage. Ever since the first service, I am getting mileage of only 14KMPL with a 100% a/c on and mix of city and free roads (mostly 4th gear and occasional 5th). Use to get 15-15.5 before with the difference being
1) I used to drive below 2k RPM earlier and now upto 2.5K
2) The clutch play/plate gap was adjusted as it was a bit jerkier earlier at lower gears

Have seen other people report better mileage on their manza. I have a driving style and practices that should get me decent if not great mileage. Wondering whether the mileage will improve as the car clocks more miles and if yes, what is the typical odo reading where we start to see improved mileage.

Thanks Sridhar.

Actually speaking there is no typical odo reading when you can see improved mileage. Right from the initial running period itself you can observe good mileage of 15 Kmpl + and close to 18 kmpl on free highway roads. Offcourse after a running period and once the car clocks close to 3.5 K and the second service completes, you can expect better mileage.I think you need to get your manza checked for fuel efficiency. May be cleaning of Air filter or other small technical works will improve the mileage.

I have to get my manza checked for the drastical drop in power when the A/C is swithed on and more as you said the engine noise is very audible inside the cabin when the A/C is switched on.

I seriously find it very difficult to drive the car when the A/C is switched on especially when the blower is in speed 2. The engine feels very tired and literally crawls.

[harimakesh]

Sorry for being OT:

Cannot understand TATA's dumb execution while the whole effort is to help Manza to overcome indigo image, TATA guys should not have given same vista anniversary alloys on ELAN.

TATA guys proves yet again that their skills on brand positioning is typically dumb & in-efficient.

[Sridhar K]

HariMakesh:

While your point is somewhat valid, but to be fair to the Tata's, they are not adopting this alloy design from their old Indica/Indigo, but rather from a Manza sibling i.e. Vista drivetech 4/vista 90, which is their current generation. There are trying to get some standardization with the Vista 90, on the alloys & the dashboard colors.

Like other folks here, I personally like the Elan alloys as it was something I was considering even before Tata launched it on the Elan. Intially was looking at the OE alloys (similar looking to the Linea alloys) that Tata was selling as an accessory but found the Vista AE/Saffire 90 model better suited for my car color as it gels well with the chromes, the reflective sun films, the black tyres and black window beadings on my car. The Linea model is a bit of greyish silver similar to my wheel cap which is the odd color out.

Few more updates on my Manza

At Motozone in Sembakkam Chennai

1) Installed LED bulbs for the front cabin light to give a brighter look. Cost Rs. 500

2) Got the full PVC mat/carpet over the car carpet for easier maintenance. I was planning to do it before the monsoons, but my original mats/carpets were getting dirty due to mud/slush on our street on account of the unseasonal rains in Chennai. Cost Rs. 2000. Though slightly expensive, found their fit and finish better than other jobs that I have seen. They also did the same on my earlier Getz.

3) Also got the problem with the HU key pad backlights, which came up during the reverse camera installation, checked by the technician at Motozone. He was able to trace the problem to blown fuse on account of faulty wiring. The earlier installer had mistook the wire coming for the parking light switch to the HU *as the ground* instead of the actual ground wire.

The fuse was changed, the wiring corrected and the problem resolved. Just fyi, the team at Motozone was working earlier with Haute Car Zone in OMR.

4) Off late, the rattling noise in the dashboard that I encountered earlier had began to raise its ugly head when driven on uneven road surface. Suspected the screw getting loose again and wanted to check it out. The screw was indeed tight. Then remembered a rubber pad (that looked like the ones used in dashboards for padding), that I found below the seats of the car during delivery. Figured that the padding perfectly fitted the open slot between the back end of the HU and the HU housing .i.e the space behind the loose screw shown below



Placed the pad in the slot and then fitted the HU. Test drove on a piece of road with craters and humps and did not notice the rattle. Will watch it for a few more days before I can confirm that the rattle is fixed once for all. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Sridhar K]

Adding pictures of the PVC mats post installation. Choose the grey color, which is similar to the color of the original manza carpet.

[vahss_11]

can you post pictures of the LED lights that you have installed in the car??

Also, will it void warranty ??

[sharma_sanjeevi]

Hey Sridhar, liked the way the PVC carpet has been done, it is quite a good fit as can be seen from the pictures. I have few questions for you:

1. How much did it cost you ?: Oops..!! missed, that you already stated Rs. 2000/-.
2. Were the front seats and plastic cladding on the Gear lever were removed to fit the carpet ?
3. If the water is spilled on to the PVC, by any chance does it seep in to the Original Carpet ? if yes then can it damage the Original carpet & can cause rusting ?

[Sridhar K]

Originally Posted by vahss_11

can you post pictures of the LED lights that you have installed in the car??

Also, will it void warranty ??

Forgot to click the pictures. Will do so and post. Hopefully shouldn't affect the warranty as I just replaced the stock bulb with the LED ones. No changes to the harness/wiring.

sharma_sanjeevi

Originally Posted by sharma_sanjeevi

Hey Sridhar, liked the way the PVC carpet has been done, it is quite a good fit as can be seen from the pictures. I have few questions for you:

1. How much did it cost you ?: Oops..!! missed, that you already stated Rs. 2000/-.
2. Were the front seats and plastic cladding on the Gear lever were removed to fit the carpet ?
3. If the water is spilled on to the PVC, by any chance does it seep in to the Original Carpet ? if yes then can it damage the Original carpet & can cause rusting ?

Thanks.

2.The front seats were removed. The plastic cladding on the gear lever was loosened and not removed. Have some pictures taken during the install on a different phone. Will try to post the pictures.

3. Ideally if the finishing and the pvc material is of good quality, it shouldn't seep into the original carpet. Something similar happened on my earlier Getz and did not face the issue.

[Maverick79]

Sridhar,
Pls suggest based on your experience. Shall I go for LCD and camera for reverse parking aid or the reverse sensors kit for my Manza? I am getting it delivered in a weeks time. Hence trying to shop around for a good deal.

regards,
Maverick79