Is Tata Indigo the next Philippine taxi?

Pilipinas Taj Autogroup (PTA), the official importer and distributor of Tata products in the Philippines, made a bold statement when it said that the next Philippine taxi standard model would be the Tata Indigo. It’s quite ambitious, considering that the title is currently held by the seven consecutive year local bestseller, the Toyota Vios. But, how does this new stalwart compare to old reliable? During its official presentation to the public last September 26, the Indigo (diesel variant) was presented in the typical yellow and green colors of a public taxi. And their claim seems to be backed by its low sticker price and adequate cabin space. Not to mention the car’s low carbon footprint and significantly low fuel consumption. While some may look down on a car model because it has been turned into a taxicab, we beg to differ. Once a vehicle is used as a public transport vehicle it simply shows that the unit has a proven reliability and low maintenance cost, which is what most Filipinos look for in a car.

Performance driven

The Indigo uses a 1.4 liter inline-4, TCIC diesel engine that propels this sedan with 69 horsepower and 135 Nm of torque. While under powered compared to some of its group mates in the subcompact segment, the Indigo is still considered one of the most fuel efficient cars with 20 km/L consumption. Mated with a 5+1 speed manual gearbox, this unit has proven on Indian soil to be a robust workhorse. Tata claims that the Indigo has the lowest carbon footprint in its segment with 0.251 g/Km.

Special features

The Indigo is a 4-door sedan with a unibody construction with a front-engine, front-wheel drive layout. It is paired with an independent, lower wishbone, McPherson strut type front suspension and an independent 3-link & McPherson strut type in its rear. This sedan’s exterior is highlighted with a chrome accentuated smiling grille and elegant teardrop headlamps on its front fascia. Standard features include power steering, power windows, child safety locks, front and rear fog lamps, remote central locking, adjustable head restraints for front seats and side impact protection beams.

Taxis in the Philippines

When commuting around the urban places in the country such as Metro Manila, taxicabs are one of the best ways to get around the city. Taxis have a flagdown rate of P40.00 and an additional P3.50 for every 300 meters the cab travels. In airports, however, the flag downrate is set at P70.00. Other car models that are used in taxicab operations include the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio. Two weeks before the presentation of the Indigo taxi, PTA also presented the Tata Vista and Tata, as part of its local vehicle fleet.