[Gansan]

Originally Posted by amalji

Is it legal to do it that way ? Or they are doing it bypassing the law ?

They are permitted to ply as "share autos", with an all white color theme. These guys have a "Tata Magic owners / drivers association" (similar to Ape' auto owners association!) and a political patron saint! So I guess the rules are bent a little to run them as point to point stage coaches! They are quite popular, and cost Rs 10.00 to Rs 20.00 per stage depending on the distance - usually five to ten kilometres.

[soonya]

The Tata Motors site shows both the front seats (integrated head rests) and two seat belts.

Probably the seat had to be removed to accomodate within the existing law for 3 wheeler autos I guess.

I do see the mini truck versions and the passenger versions.

It does look cute - hats off to the designers - often low cost products are given step-motherly treatment by designers.

It surely is a good replacement to Bajaj autos and Ape with their rear engine. The ape cargo version is a nightmare on roads - with its weight in the back (rear engined) it tends to do a wheelie type 'trick' scaring the day lights of people driving behind it (especially with our tendency to over load)!

For the life of me I could never understand the way the brakes are fitted on a Bajaj auto! TVS King seems to have done a better job of the brake pedal and seems to score a bit on ergonomics.

IRIS seems to be a few eons ahead of the 3-wheeler transport.

I think it has great potential as it can carry a family of four in comfort and probably a shade better where safety is concerned with the rigid frame and structure (though I have no data but the looks of it gives more confidence) - the 3-wheeler auto tends to 'fold' in case of accidents where the front bends inwards - very dangerous!

[jacs]

They have succeeded to ply as autos in Kerala high-range belts also. Only problem is the union issues which do not allow them to park in auto-stands. In Idukki, they charge the same auto fare and can run intercity which a boon for people living in district borders.

I firmly believe this is the start of a revolution which will eradicate the 3 wheelers over a period of 10 years! Which means safer roads and travels. Whats say?

[sridhar24]

Good review of the Auto taxi, i feel these kind of autos should one day replace all the three wheeler ones. This is much safer in my opinion even though it lacks basic safety features like the seat belts et all. 3 wheeler autos are so dangerous and my relatives had an accident in that and that thing topples with the slightest of the hit.

[srinath34]

Took a ride in one of these a couple of days back when I was in Cochin. The journey was from Lulu Mall in Edapally to Ernakulam Shiva temple. The trip was around 10-11 kms. Mom, dad and myself were seated in comfort in the middle row. The noise level was a little high though. Sounded like one of those Piaggio Ape vehicles. But it has good boot space, ride quality, seating for 4 and minimal chances of getting wet during the rainy season. The rate was exactly the same as auto. The min rate is Rs. 20.

Impressive and highly recommended to replace aging autos plying in Bangalore. Considering diesel being cheaper than LPG, there could be a possible shift to these in the near future but Magic being expensive than auto by a good margin, the no. of potential buyers might be less too.

[urzdeepu]

Once i too got a chance to hitch on a ride in the Ace zip. The ride was from Aluva to Paravoor. At first when i saw the vehicle i was not that impressed. But the way the puny engine picks up, the smooth shift, soft suspension, airy cabin and of course the Tata's trade mark of Huge dispensable space made me a fan of this one.
The driver said that he enjoys riding it and people are more leaned towards the ride in this one than a regular autorikshaw.

[jacs]

Found an Iris Taxi in Tripunithra Railway Station with Reverse Camera and multimedia. Also equipped with fans for passengers. I am delighted to be treated like a king! Way to go.

[teamveevee]

Iris (Both passenger and CV versions) started to sell in large numbers in Kerala, ACE is also doing good. This may put lot of pressure on Tata service centers. Hope they start separate service centers just to service ACE and Iris with out affecting the bigger vehicles service. Otherwise the Heavy and Medium vehicle service will suffer. Since ACE and Iris are not so sophisticated vehicles, probably a street side workshop can do the maintenance also.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by amalji

Even Maruti 800 didn't use to have coil springs on the rear. They only gave coil springs from Zen onwards and then the same made over to Alto.

M800 did have coil springs at the rear. I guess the pre-MPFI versions didn't have the coils, but starting with the 5-speed M800s, which I believe were the first MPFI M800 models, the rear suspension had coils. Later these M800s were discontinued and the Alto was launched, and then the M800s returned to a 4-speed gearbox.

[naveen.raju]

Awesome thread Amal. Have started to see many auto taxis in Cochin and it's becoming the favourite. Ape and other autos have started to feel the heat I guess. A place where Auto's are named after wife’s and kids, started to see many interesting names showing their concerns

Few names spotted
1) "Budget Auto"
2) "Rice Problem"
3) "Wherever you go, am there"

Let's see if we can find more interesting names.

[jacs]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

A place where Auto's are named after wife’s and kids, started to see many interesting names showing their concerns

Few names spotted
1) "Budget Auto"
2) "Rice Problem"
3) "Wherever you go, am there"

Let's see if we can find more interesting names.

Many of them spot funny malayalam liners too. In Idukki, I spotted an Iris named "Malayannan" which means Malabar Giant Squirel for the benefit non Keralites.

Another one between Vazhakulam and Muvattupuzha had a funny liner "Eee nalla savarikku....Kashu kurachu mathi" which means you need not spent too much for this wonderful journey

[SAE40 in veins]

Originally Posted by teamveevee

probably a street side workshop can do the maintenance also.

This is the biggest difference between Ace and the Maxximo. Maxximo's electronics warrant visits to authorized service stations which the customer in this segment despises whereas Ace can be repaired anywhere. Here in kerala, the typical IRIS/ ZIP customer prefers to buy the spares from 'Popular' and take it to Rajan's or Mohanan's workshop to fit it. In this segment, the vehicle should be rugged, simple and with minimal electronics.

[jacs]

Originally Posted by jacs

Found an Iris Taxi in Tripunithra Railway Station with Reverse Camera and multimedia. Also equipped with fans for passengers. I am delighted to be treated like a king! Way to go.

Here is the click of the LCD in the Iris mentioned in the quoted post.

[itwasntme]

Saw numerous goods carrier versions during my recent Bangalore-Trivandrum-Bangalore trip. All managing decent speeds (60+) on the NH7/47 without any 'natak' or seeming to be driving on the edge. Very silent too at cruising speed.

Only issue I noticed is that they suffer heavily in crosswinds and can swerve all over the place if caught unawares. Between Salem and Dharmapuri, we experienced a 'Apocalypse Now' type of wind-storm followed by very heavy and gusty rain. ALL these Iris-type vehicles had stopped and some had even taken shelter where possible.

[MaxTorque]

Good Review Amalji. The vehicle is good too.

Now what I don't understand is, when this product is available why Tata is opposing the Bajaj's new four wheeler..? They can market Iris and gain decent volumes.

Any idea about how the term "Auto Taxi" came..?

On another note, In Kerala there is an another interesting name, Mahindra Loadking LCV is known as Nissan Mahindra don't know from where that name came. May be due to it's similarity with Allwyn Nissan.