Neologism is, effectively, a process of joining two or more different words to form a new single word that makes sense. More often than not, it does. If the roots are to be investigated, neologism has been in practice since the early 1700s, in some form or the other. Chiefly, it’s been the brainy chaps in the realm of science and politics who’ve been coining new words using neologism. But this trend has picked up, and expanded in spectrum. For those who’re hooked on their social networking profiles, the very platform that let’s you exist in that virtual world is also a neologism – Internet. It doesn’t get any bigger than that!

Anyway, what made me mention something that’s hard to understand – and pronounce – and is essentially of no relevance to you, is another word that’s a very big example – metrosexual. It’s a term that’s relatively new for most of mankind. But it’s a very powerful word that makes people talk in hushed whispers. It’s a category, actually. Men who take keen care of themselves are often branded to belong to this category. So, if you use a lotion for your skin and are a man – well, you’re a metrosexual. And that, according to many surveys, isn’t a very good thing. Looks like the fairer gender don’t quite admire metrosexual men. They get attracted to a proper alpha male. Sorry then, its game over with the girls for you.



This is also true that if you undergo facials, and other such enhancement activities. And what about massages? Yes, them too. Being metrosexual makes you less of a man – apparently. I don’t know, neither do I care nor would I care to judge anyone on the subject. But then, I don’t indulge in those activities (just saying). I did, however, get a massage once – not from some tender-skinned east-Asian woman from Bangkok (though in hindsight, that would have been nice), but from a firmly padded sofa. That was my first experience of a massaging Albany Duncan sofa, and I loved it – especially the foot massage. I don’t know what I am trying to prove here, so let’s just get on with business.

I was recently invited to drive the two-wheel drive Tata Aria, and the vibrations from the pedals reminded of my exhilarating experience with Albany Duncan. This wasn’t the Albany – this was the Aria, and I wasn’t really enjoying it. Neither was I enjoying the harshness of the engine note. The Aria in its 4x4 guise was also much the same, but it had some character – and that’s thanks mainly to its capable Adapterra four-wheel mechanism. The 2WD Aria, of course, loses that – and some of the other useful features like the sat-nav and steering mounted controls.



What all this omission does, is make the 2WD Aria about 200 kilograms lighter than its 4WD sibling. And that makes it do the 0-100km/h sprint in about 15 seconds – which is laughable really. Not because 15 seconds is a long time, but because I am talking about 0-100 numbers for a car like the Aria! The good thing, however, is that the Aria can still take a lot of beating, despite losing the four-wheel drive. And the credit that goes to its construction – which is body-on-ladder.

There’s essentially no change to the engine, and the interior is much the same too – plasticky. The GPS screen is replaced by a small screen that reads out the track you’re playing, or the FM channel you’ve selected. What clicks it for me, though, is that the Aria is still supremely packaged, and has features that you won’t find on the Innova. It also looks better, is more unique, is extremely spacious, rides rather well, and handles – well, it just about handles. Wish the refinement would have been a notch higher though, and the brakes had more feel.

It is better value though – with prices ranging from 11.6 to 14.2 lakhs, I think the Aria is a good deal. And I think that’s the first time I’ve been useful in providing consumer advice.