Author: Ritin Paul
Tata has created a new segment of compact trucks with the launch of the Intra. It is a small commercial vehicle developed on a modular platform. It’s been 14 years after Tata first came into the compact truck segment with the Ace.
Compact trucks have a large consumer base, and with the launch of the Intra, Tata will phase out the Ace’s elder cousins Super and Mega. Tata has been the market leader in the sub-compact vehicle business. The Intra which comes as a BS 4 will be available as a BS 6 from April 1, 2020. Tata officials will be eager to see the Intra drive high amounts of sales like it had done with the Ace. The Intra will be stacked up against the Piaggio Porter 1000, Mahindra Supro, and the Mahindra Bolero Pickup
Much like a passenger Car – The Intra will be out in two variants – V10 and V20, they will be priced at Rs. 5.35 lakh and ₹ 5.85 lakh (ex-showroom India) respectively. The Intra will be equipped with features not found on the Ace mini truck. The Intra is aimed at those customers who look for stylized commercial vehicles. Many passenger car bits come onto the Intra, for instance it gets a large front grille with a chrome slab, a set of nice-looking headlamps and integrated turn indicators. The Intra also gets a bumper with a wide central air dam. It comes with a set of 14 inch wheels with an option of dual tone wheel covers. Adding to the stye quotient of the Intra are the ORVM’s and dual wipers
Comfy and sophisticated inside too –
The cabin is a decent place to be in, with very car like ergonomics for instance the steering, low cabin noise and comfy seating. It comes with a host of features like – mobile charging point, electronic instrument cluster, big headlamps, large windscreen, lockable glove box, storage on dashboard & door trims, headrest for comfort while driving, pre-fitted music system and AC in the premium version. The dashboard mounted gear lever makes long drives comfortable. The air cons also have a very car like design. Other features include a charging socket, lockable glove box, a standard music system with Radio, AUX-IN and USB connectivity, and a fully digital instrument cluster, offering read-outs for speedometer, odometer, time, fuel gauge, and a segment-first gear shift indicator, or as Tata calls it Gear Shift Advisor (GSA).
Larger size calls for heavyduty –
Dimensionally similar to the Ace Mega XL, it has a total length of 4316 mm, a width of 1639 mm and a height of 1918 mm. The Intra does come with one of the largest loading bay areas in the segment, with a 2512 mm long load deck that is 1602 mm wide and comes with a standard depth of 463 mm. The Intra also comes with a segment-best payload capacity of 1100 kg, 100 kg more than what the Ace Mega XL offers. The vehicle also offers best-in-class grade ability of 45 per cent for easily negotiating steep hilly roads & flyovers, compared to the Ace’s 30 per cent grade ability. The Intra also gets semi-elliptical leaf spring suspension setup with 6 leaves at front and 7 leaves at the rear, offering heavy duty performance.
Drive –
The Tata Intra V20 is powered by a brand new 1.4-litre Direct Injection (DI) diesel engine, whereas the V10 is powered by an 800 cc engine. The V20’s engine churns out 69 bhp at 4000 rpm and develops a peak torque of 140 Nm at 1800-3000 rpm. The V10’s engine churns out 39 bhp at 3750 rpm and 90 Nm at 1750 – 2500 rpm. The V20’s engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox with cable shift mechanism and the V10’s engine is mated to a 4-speed.
Should you have one – Tata with the Ace proved to be a vehicle to rely on, with the new and improved Intra customers will look for improved performance and a low cost of ownership. In the SCV segment, the Intra does come with class leading features setting high standards in the segment. Time will tell whether this will be the game changer for Tata in the SCV segment
