If your daily round covers 80 to 100km, the Tata Sierra diesel automatic is the one that fits your brief best. The diesel’s far more efficient than the petrol for that sort of running, and Tata’s six-speed Aisin torque-converter auto is a well-matched companion for the 1.5-litre engine. It keeps the motor in its sweet spot without feeling strained, whether you’re crawling through traffic or cruising along the coastal road. There’s often a bit of anxiety around diesels and their particulate filters, but that’s largely a non-issue in your case. The DPF’s job is to trap soot from the exhaust and burn it off once the system gets hot enough — something that happens naturally when the engine is under load for a reasonable duration. Problems usually arise only when the car is constantly driven short distances and quits before it can complete this self-cleaning process.
Since your daily commute is fairly long, the exhaust will reach optimum temperature often enough for regeneration to go through smoothly. Even within Mumbai, stretches like the Sea Link or a run-down to south Mumbai allow the DPF to do its passive cleaning without any driver input. So with your usage, the diesel auto won’t just be easy on fuel — it should also remain hassle-free in the long run.
