Driving The Tata Winger

A unique offering in the Tata Motors’ CV line-up, the Winger has grown to be more versatile, efficient and profitable.

- Bhushan Mhapralkar

A pleasant surprise it is to find the driving position of the Winger so much car-like and comfortable. A large windscreen at the front, lower dashboard height and large windows make for a commanding driving position. Quite unlike a CV, it is the ergonomics of the new 15-seater Winger that strike. Switching a red master switch at the right corner of the straightforward yet stylish dashboard gets the power flowing into the system. The engine comes to life with an amount of diesel clatter. It does not sound intrusive or annoying however, and indicates that much has changed in the Winger. Gaining in refinement, the panel van has become a bus almost. Despite its 5458 mm length, the Winger 15S surprisingly proved easy to manoeuvre out of a narrow parking area at the far corner of the Tata Motors’ test track at Pune. A light clutch, well-assisted steering and smooth gear shifts contributed to the car-like feel. The 98 hp 2.2-litre (Dicor) common-rail turbodiesel engine borrowed from the Safari (sans the variable geometry turbo) has not only help the vehicle to gain in the area of refinement, but also in the area of performance. With nary a sign of lethargy, the Winger 15S picked up speed well. It got up to a sprint, aptly indicating how far it has evolved. Tracing its roots to an earlier generation Renault Trafic, the vehicle, perhaps the only monocoque offering in the Tata Motors’ passenger CV line-up, the Winger started life in 2008.