Tata Motors is currently exhibiting the Indica Vista hatchback and SumoGrande MUV at the ongoing Johannesburg International Motor Show in South Africa. The company will launch both these vehicles in the South African market early next year.
Tata Motors is also showing various commercial vehicles in South Africa, including the Ace mini-truck and other trucks, tippers and buses. ‘The Tata Group has a long and cherished association with Africa. We would like to continue this association with our increasing involvement in various important projects and operations,’ said Syamal Gupta, Chairman of Tata International and Director of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group. ‘South Africa continues to be a strategic market for us. The increasing range of Tata Motors passenger cars and commercial vehicles will further consolidate our strong presence in South Africa,’ he added.
In South Africa, Tata’s range of cars and MUVs is sold through Accordian Investments, a joint venture company in which Tata Africa and Associated Motor Holdings have an equal share holding of 40 percent each, with the remaining 20 percent being held by Ukhamba Holdings Ltd., of the Imperial Group.
According to Manny De Canha, chief executive of Associated Motor Holdings, the Tata brand has received an enthusiastic response from the South African motorist. ‘This is reflected in the 67 full-fledged dealerships already operational across South Africa. We are confident that Tata will continue to be a huge success in South Africa through new models being introduced,’ he says.
In keeping with the global go-green movement that carmakers worldwide seem to have taken up, Tata Motors has now unveiled electric versions of the Indica hatchback, the Ace mini truck.
While no prices have yet been announced, Tata Motors says the battery-powered Indica may be available in India by 2010-11. This electric Indica will, however, first be launched in Norway, in 2009. This, apparently, is because Norway already has the infrastructure required (charging stations etc.) to run electric cars in large numbers.
When launched in India after two years, the electric Indica is likely to have a range of at least 175-200km, and the car could sport a twin-battery pack which would take less than eight hours to get fully charged.
Tata’s EVs, which are powered by lithium-ion batteries and which are still at the prototype stage, have been co-developed with Norwegian company, Miljobil Grenland.
With new launches planned every month from both Tata Motors and Fiat India Limited, more than 200 Tata dealerships and 65 dealerships from Tata-Fiat dealerships are undergoing complete image makeover.
Fiat has opted for the red colour as its image makeover image while Tata has chosen blue as its brand colour. It has also changed the size of its logo as a part of its branding exercise. Earlier, only Fiat had plans to change its brand image but now Tata has also joined the wagon. The cost of branding exercise is going to be borne by Fiat, Tata Motors and dealerships cumulatively as both the companies plan a slew of launches in the coming months. Currently, Tata-Fiat has 65 dealerships across India, which is expected to grow to 100 by the year end.
According to the agreement signed by Tata Motors and Fiat India Private Limited, both the companies commenced their shared dealer network in 11 cities representing 70 percent of Fiat’s Indian market share. The agreement shall provide synergies in distribution, product development and manufacturing.
Hyundai plans to take on Maruti’s A-Star , Splash and the Swift by launching a diesel powered version of the hot selling i10. The i10 diesel engine would really make a dent in Maruti’s small car sales. The worlds 5th largest automaker Hyundai is planning to launch a 1100cc, 80 bhp i10 early next year. Like all new generation CRDi units this will have loads of torque and will be the most fun to drive i10. Indica Vista and the upcoming Grande Punto need to worry about Hyundai’s oil burner.
The new Indica Vista sports dynamic and flowing lines which distinguishes it from the previous generation Indica. Except for the name and the layout everything seems different. If the new sweeping headlamp cluster fails to catch your attention, then the chrome handles is sure to catch everyone’s eye.
Tata has intentionally retained the family look and the new Indica vista is a clear evolution of the Indica. A new central character line on the bonnet gives character to the car. The all new grille with a new striking pedal shaped headlamps gives the indica vista a more upmarket look.
After launching the next generation Indica, Tata Motors is looking at unveiling the next generation variant of Indigo and a cross over vehicle between the Safari and Sumo.
After unveiling the new Indica Vista today, the country’s largest automobile manufacturer Tata Motors said the company plans to launch ‘Tata Xover’ next.
” We will be unveiling the crossover ‘Xover’ between Safari and Sumo, which we displayed in Auto Expo two years back,” Tata Motors, President (Passenger Cars) Rajiv Dube told reporters without specifying the time frame for the move.
The crossover has features of an sport utility vehicle, a car and the versatility of a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). It is much larger than the Tata Indigo Marina, which is in the UV platform.
For the consumer, the Tata Xover will blend the benefits of a family-friendly luxury tourer with refined driving dynamics and the visual cues of an activity-oriented sports utility vehicle.
The Tata Xover, a 4.85-meter car, uses a rugged frame-based design with large interior space and flexible seating that can comfortably accomodate up to 7 adults and ample cargo area.
Fiat Motors, with which the Tata enjoys a strategic partnership, will be launching a Fiat’s sedan, the Linea, in the next few months, Mr Dube added.
After launching the next generation Indica Saturday, christened the Indica Vista, auto major Tata Motors is now planning to tread the same path with its Indigo, a senior company official said here Monday.
The sedan, which is based on the same platform as its hatchback cousin - Indica - was first unveiled in 2002, four years after Indica was launched.
“The next generational change from our stable will be done on the Indigo,” Tata Motors passenger cars division president Rajiv Dube said on the sidelines of the Delhi launch of the next generation Indica.
The new Indica Vista is a whole new generation of the car and has nothing in common with the current Indica, except for the brand name. Tata Motors is also working on a host of other products like the next generation Indigo which will be based on the Vista platform, a brand new crossover utility vehicle which is based on an all new utility vehicle platform. No timelines have been given by the company regarding these launches but expect them in the next couple of years.
“In six months, we will take the Indica Vista to international markets,” said Mr Dubey. “It’s a global product and meets all international safety and emission norms. We will re-enter Europe with the new Indica.”
Mr Dubey said: “It’s the new launches which are generating additional sales as older cars are stagnant or not showing any growth. We are banking on the new Indica Vista to give us some stellar sale figures in the next few months. Like any car company, we have also planned a complete changeover for the Indigo and Safari range to boost our performance in the domestic market.”
On being asked about Jaguar and Land Rover plans for India Mr Dubey said “Land Rovers are present in small numbers in Mumbai currently. Our colleagues at JLR (Jaguar-Land Rover) have chalked out plans for expansion in the country within a year, which will be followed by the entry of Jaguar”. The company is also getting ready for the biggest lauch of the year, the 1-Lakh rupee Tata Nano somewhere in October.
A lot of news is coming from Tata Motors nowadays. Now the latest buzz is that the Tata Indicruz, an MPV which is based on the existing Safari platform is being readied for a 2009 launch. The Indicruz would compete head on with the Innova when its launched. It is expected that the Safari’s 2.2 litre DICOR diesel engine is going to do duty on the Indicruz.
The Indicruz prototype has been seen road testing close to Pune and the MPV looks rather modern with a large grille and peeled back headlamp which look very indica-ish (the new Indica). The interiors appear very roomy and are beige in color. The dashboard is well sorted out with a lot of storage space. The wheels appear to be 16 inchers and fill the wheel arches nicely. Quality is expected to be much better than the Safari and a shade better than the new Sumo Grande.
