A number of cars claim to be India’s first national car, and the Indica arguably had less foreign influences, though the original engine was derived from a Peugeot design. No hand-me-down bits here as Tata commissioned I.DE.A to style it, creating a roomy package that found favour in the hire car industry more than with private buyers. Quality was never anything to write home about, which makes it all the more strange when the Indica donned CityRover badges for the UK market. A second-generation model complemented the first from 2008, with improved quality but never capturing the imagination of Indian buyers as well as the Maruti Swift.

• Tata Indica (1998–2018)
• Tata Indica Vista

Marque: Tata | Successor: Tata Bolt

q.v. Tata Indigo