Remarkably similar to the Xover concept, Tata have managed to create somewhat of a showstopper here. The Aria truly stands out from other SUVs and MUVs. Even though it’s built on a traditional ladder frame, they’ve been able to pull off the crossover look quite successfully. The front stance is especially imposing, and provides the impression of a Sumo wrestler squatting and readying himself for battle. This angry appearance is accentuated by long horizontal slats on the grille, and multi-barrelled head-lamps. Plus, the large wheels and tires reaffirm its strong stance on the road. The rear end fails to excite in comparison to the front, but gives the Aria a clean, albeit unique, look.

The rear also carries forward the Tata tradition of having a vertical tail lamp cluster. And to break the monotony of the rear, it has a chromed horizontal slat above the number plate, which also houses a reverse camera – an extremely useful feature in a vehicle of this size. The rear bumper, which has a nice set of chromed dual exhaust tips incorporated into either side, also quizzically has what appears to be a square panel inserted right in the middle of it. After debating its purpose, we discovered that it provides access to the mechanism to lower the spare wheel.

Visually, all said and done, the Aria certainly makes an impact – and that can be gauged by the enormous attention it drew from curious onlookers. I felt like I was in a supercar, with a supermodel in the passenger seat.

At first, the interior design of the Aria seems pretty basic. It has a large steering wheel, expansive dashboard, and a large center stack in the middle. But, as you spend time in it, you begin to realise that a lot of thought has actually gone into the design.

The stalks and knobs have an engineered feel and are extremely good quality. There are about two dozen cubby holes around the cabin – the many small compartments on the roof are lined with felt, and the cold storage box on the dash has a soft-touch self-sprung lid. The visors have side extensions to block the sun from any angle. As you flick the stalk for the wipers, you notice that they operate in a similar fashion to the Honda Civic, which is to say that they’re hinged on opposite sides of the windshield to provide maximum coverage.

The Aria also comes fully equipped, and it’s the center stack where all the action takes place – as it houses an LCD screen that provides an in-dash navigation system and reverse camera display. The center console also has climate control, as well as a USB port to connect a pen drive or iPod. Plus, the Aria has Bluetooth hands-free, which is easy to access and use, as well as steering mounted controls.

The large screen provides plenty of display space to list the name of the song of your choice. Sound quality is pretty good too, which is a pleasant surprise since speakers is the one area where most manufacturers try and cut costs. There are AC vents in both the second and third rows to ensure effective cooling throughout the cabin. The second row even has a controller for fan speed. The seats themselves are extremely comfortable, and the second row slides forwards and back to adjust leg room if you have more than five people on board. Access to the third row is easy, as is stowing the seats when they’re not being used. And, while the Aria is a true seven-seater, only occupants who are yet to approach their first decade of life will really be able to fit comfortably.

The instrument cluster is pretty straightforward with a large speedo and tach. And it lights up like a Christmas tree when you turn the key as it proceeds to display about two dozen warning lights – all of which go off soon after, thankfully. The cabin also provides six airbags, should you be in the unfortunate position to have to avail of their cushioning.

All is not well however. While the overall quality is impressive, and the soft touch materials feel good – even the chrome door handles are very well designed and executed – some of the hard plastics are shiny and tacky. At the bottom of the center stack is a cup holder that pulls out from within the console. But with it open, and a cup in place, you can’t access the compartment that houses the USB port. From the drivers seat, things begin to unravel a bit more. Not only is there no dead pedal, but there also isn’t any place whatsoever to rest your left foot – which leaves you with no other option but to rest it on, or below, the clutch pedal. The steering wheel is a counter-intuitive design, as the horn pad protrudes outward and the rim appears to fall away from you – to the extent that you almost have to reach for the top of the rim when you wish to make a u-turn. The buttons on the spokes are positioned in such a way that you accidentally press a few of them every time you turn the wheel, which can come as a bit of a surprise if you happen to inadvertently select the wrong radio station mid corner.

Don’t get me wrong, this is an extremely well equipped and comfortable cabin, and the best one by a mile in a Tata vehicle. It’s innovative, and has useful features, as well as world class quality for most components. It’s just that it’s let down by a few niggles.

Historically, Tata cars have suffered in the refinement department. They’ve always been efficient, spacious and usable, but the drivetrain hasn’t always been as smooth as it perhaps should have been. So, that was the first test for the Aria! And I’m happy to say that it passed with flying colours. The 2.2 litre engine has been tweaked to provide 138bhp and 320Nm of torque. It’s perfectly mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox that, for the first time in a Tata vehicle, is a joy to use. The shifts are direct and precise, and even the lever is light and easy to manoeuvre.

The variable turbine geometry turbo is very responsive and has very little lag. Even though the Aria weighs about 2.5 tonnes, the 2.2 litre engine does the job quite adequately. Moreover, the gearing is such that torque is always available, and turbo lag is rarely encountered. Engine noise is muted, and the dual mass flywheel really does ensure that engine vibration doesn’t enter the cabin. The marriage of engine and gearbox is virtually perfect, which is a pleasant surprise.

Another pleasant surprise was body control. Even though the Aria is not a monocoque, it handles quite well – both on the road and off it. Steering feel, however, is nonexistent. Nevertheless, the Aria goes exactly where you point it. Grip levels from the large 235/65 R17 Goodyears are high, which gives you a great deal of confidence on the move. The brakes work well, but, once again, pedal feel is virtually nonexistent. Nonetheless, ABS ensures that the Aria decelerates without drama, and yet, to its credit, it doesn’t interfere too much on the dirt either. In fact, the Aria is a revelation off road. The wide tires and stance provide excellent grip and the Adapterra (Torque-on-Demand System) works exceedingly well. Combine that with quite reasonable ride height and wheel-travel, and you have a car that’s very capable off road. It conquered everything we threw at it, including deep ravines and gullies, without even batting an eyelid.

The front suspension features double wishbones, while the rear has a multi link with coil springs – the combination of which ensures that the ride is nothing short of phenomenal. You can literally drive the Aria through the most treacherous craters without the impact being felt in the cabin. On the road, you can also put the Aria in two-wheel drive to maximise fuel efficiency – plus, there’s a real-time FE readout to help you do so.

With the exception of a few problems with the driver interface – i.e. the steering wheel and lack of a dead pedal – as well as a vague steering and brake feel, the Aria is an extremely capable car, both on-road and off-road. It certainly does combine the best features from a car and an SUV. It has the ride comfort of a well engineered passenger vehicle with the ride height and off-road ability of an SUV.

The Aria can safely wear the crown of being the most thoroughly engineered vehicle from the Tata Motors stable to date. It has a few shortcomings, but nothing that the Indian manufacturer can’t rectify in a hurry.

It’s an extremely versatile automobile as well, and one that can truly be used in the way that it’s being positioned by the company – as a lifestyle vehicle that’s competent both on the road and off it. Not to mention the fact that it’ll comfortably, and safely, carry your entire family and their belongings in style. The icing on the cake is that the Aria is refined on the tarmac, and yet can really be taken on the rough stuff. It seems as though they’ve truly pulled it off – even if it is a little rough around the edges. Is it, however, worth between 13 and 16 lakhs? In keeping with Tata tradition, it’s certainly a lot of car for the money. But will you write a check of that magnitude for a Tata car? Well, you should certainly consider it. And judging by their latest models, you can be rest assured that the Tata badge is merely on the precipice of a very encouraging ascending curve