Tata cars have one big selling point and that is the price. Actually, that is their only selling point. After that, the story gets pretty bleak. The Tata Safari 4x4 off-roader that we feature here can be yours for just under £15,000. Three years later it will be only £5,000 for the chap who buys it off you, and we have seen a 2004 model going for £8,500. That in itself will scare off a great many customers.

The engine is an underperformer too, pushing out a miserable 89 bhp which means a considerable amount of wheezing is required before you hit the top speed of 90 mph. Acceleration is scarcely worth mentioning because you will have to stare at your stopwatch for 19 seconds if you want to time a 0-60 run in this car.

Tata cars follow the traditional method of cars newly arrived from the East, by offering decent spec interiors and undercutting on price, but the finish is a little bit tacky and plasticy, and the fit leaves a lot to be desired. This just won’t wash in the European market, whereas in Asia the Tata Safari rates very highly indeed. A JD Power survey there put the Safari third overall in the MUV class. Maybe Tata cars have a good image over there, we don’t know, but they definitely have a lack-of-image here.

The handling is bad too, though oddly enough it is actually alright when you get off-road.

So, no power, no image, poor handling, poor interior finish, high depreciation...you do the maths.