In the bustling automotive bazaar of Kozhikode, near Calicut Airport, a rare gem from the 1990s is up for grabs – a 1995 Tata Estate, tagged at a modest INR 1.80 lakh. This white, third-owner relic may seem unassuming at first glance, but it’s a monumental testament to the ambitious, albeit quirky, engineering feats of its era.
The Tata Estate, produced by the then Tata Engineering (now Tata Motors), between 1992 and 2000, was nothing short of a design revolution. This wasn’t your average estate car cobbled together from a sedan or hatchback base; it was a purpose-built marvel. With its luxurious trappings, like power steering and windows, it exuded a charm that its contemporaries, the Premier and Hindustan, could only dream of.
But it wasn’t all glitz and glamour. Under the hood lurked a 1.9L diesel engine, churning out a modest 68 BHP – a mere pittance for its hefty 1.6-tonne frame. As user aryan888o astutely observed, “The engines were really underpowered… Made about 64hp and for a car weighing 1.6 tonnes that wasn’t enough even by a long stretch.” This power deficit rendered the Estate more sluggish than a leisurely Sunday drive.
Despite its heft and lackluster horsepower, the Tata Estate was a trailblazer in many respects, borrowing a hint of class from its collaboration with Mercedes-Benz. Its features list reads like a luxury car’s resume from a bygone era: Hydraulic Rack & Pinion power steering, tilt steering, door and reading lamps, rear A/C vents, foldable rear seats, and the often-elusive power windows (although the quality of these electrical parts left much to be desired).
It wasn’t just about luxury; it was about space – acres of it. The Estate boasted a trunk that rivals today’s cars and seats as spacious as a living room couch. It was a highway cruiser, solid and steady, yet a challenge in the urban jungle of parking spaces and maintenance woes.
In the end, the Tata Estate stands as a colossal testament to the ambition of Indian automotive design – a car that was, in many ways, way ahead of its time. It was a great concept for the Indian family: large, accommodating, and with a sense of luxury. A pioneer in its class, yet a gentle giant struggling to keep pace with the power demands of its era.
