Tata Motors has been extensively testing the 2014 Vista, while road tests of a sub-4 meter version of the Manza have also commenced recently. The restyled Vista and the sub-4m Manza were expected to be shown at the 2014 Auto Expo in February.
Autocar India now reports that these vehicles have been codenamed 'Project Falcon', and that the unveiling will indeed take place at the Auto Expo. Further, the report highlights that these vehicles would be comprehensively redesigned and would bear little or no resemblance to their predecessors (donor car in case of the Manza CS).
Tata could also drop the 'Vista' and the 'Manza' nameplates, using new names for these cars. The new Vista has been codenamed the Falcon 4, and has been designed and styled in Europe. While it will retain the same 1.3-liter Fiat-sourced MultiJet diesel engine, Tata could upgrade the 1.2-liter petrol engine for a higher power output.
The compact Manza has been codenamed Falcon 5, and Tata aims to position it above the Indigo eCS. While the diesel Manza CS will be powered by the 1.3-liter engine, the petrol variant is rumored to receive a turbocharged version of the 1.2-liter engine producing 100 bhp.
We think this change could be like the previous generation Ford Fiesta-Ford Figo transformation: Though the Figo is essentially the old Fiesta, Ford restyled it in such a way that it looks far more youthful than the previous generation model.
