Tata Motors dealers and workshops Go Green

Tata Motors Logo

With everyone advocating the "Go Green" theme, and a bid for a cleaner and more environmentally friendly situation, Tata Motors have announced their intentions to revamp their dealerships and service centers.  Their dealer outlets and workshops will be given a makeover and this will ensure a more environment friendly atmosphere. Tata Motors have 1240 dealers and authorized workshops which have been categorized into three sections according to regions.

A spokesperson of the company said that Tata Motors was in the process of availing facilities for wind and solar energy, rain water harvesting and recycling of waste water.  This restructuring will entail an investment of Rs.50 lakhs to Rs.10 crores depending on the size of outlet. The spokesperson also added that the company will also be training their dealers and stall to achieve sustainable targets.

Detailed monitoring of carbon footprint of all dealers and service centre's across India would be maintained in a similar fashion as the company is monitoring the carbon footprint of their manufacturing units. It would definitely go a long way if other companies took a cue from Tata Motors in improving our environment.

Source: Rush Lane

Tata to set up $20 million motor assembly plant in Kenya

Tata Africa will next year build a $20 million (Sh2 billion) motor vehicle assembly plant in Kenya to tap East African demand and challenge Chinese assemblers eyeing the country.



The Indian multinational is expecting to churn up to 5,000 units of pick-ups and light commercial trucks as the twin brands emerge the fastest selling units in the region.

It joins Chinese car makers Chery Automobile and Beiqi Foton Motors in seeking a piece of the locally assembled units in a market that has been dominated by Thika-based Kenya Vehicle Manufacturer (KVM), the Association of Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) Limited of Mombasa and General Motors East Africa (GMEA).

Tata moves will shift the business rivalry between China and India to East Africa as the twin nations have competed vigorously over trade, energy investments, even border tensions.

“We are looking at establishing an assembly plant in either Kenya or Tanzania in the short-term, but Kenya appears to have better infrastructure,” said Naresh Leekha, the executive director of Tata Africa.

“Local assembly will give us a price advantage that we expect will lift our market share in the commercial trucks market from the current fourth position to the third position.”

Tata has emerged as a major supplier of vehicles to the booming construction market, including tippers and concrete mixers.

It sold 800 trucks in the year to March—ranking among the top players in this segment alongside Simba Colt, DT Dobie, and CMC Motors.

Mr Leekha said that Tata could alternatively buy a significant stake in the existing assembly plants such as KVM and AVA if their shareholders are willing to sell.

Toyota Corporation has also expressed interest to acquire half of AVA to assemble Hino trucks and buses locally and tap the rising demand for heavy commercial vehicles in the region. So far, the auto dealers ship in built vehicles in what has denied them room to lower prices because of high freight and duty charges.



Pricing headroom

Duties on locally assembled units are zero per cent against 25 per cent for fully built units, giving assemblers like Tata greater pricing headroom to deploy its low cost business model.

The new assemblers are looking to use Kenya as the launching pad for entry into the regional common market, reaffirming Nairobi’s position as East Africa’s economic hub.

The expansion of Tata’s operations is set to benefit smaller auto dealers such as Marshalls East Africa, Banbros and Ryce Motors Bamboos who have been distributing the Indian manufacturer’s vehicles for years.

Chinese vehicle manufacturer Foton is building a $15 million (Sh1.5 billion) assembly plant in Nairobi while Chery Automobile has a $50 million (Sh5 billion) plan.

The entry of Tata, Chery and Foton in this segment is set to stiffen competition against Japanese and western brands such as Isuzu, Nissan, and Toyota.

Sources: Business Daily Africa

Range Rover Evoque to be launched in India on 18 November

Range Rover Evoque is on its way to India. Reliable sources in the industry, on the condition of anonymity have confirmed that Land Rover will be launching their lightest, smallest and the most efficient Range Rover variant, Evoque in India on the 18th of this month.

Evoque will be as exciting from the interior as it will be from the exterior. Its exterior offers a sporty new look based on the LRX concept car which appealed customers on a global level. Evoque's interiors too are worthy of mention. Range Rover Evoque has shining and more attractive switches and dials as compared to the higher priced models. Upholstered seats both in front and in passenger's cabin with an adjustable and comfortable driver's seat ensure that everyone has a comfortable drive.

Since the launch of Range Rover brand in 1970, there have hardly been any models launched by Land Rover that managed to create the kind of excitement Evoque has created amongst fans and auto enthusiast on a global platform. Major auto magazines and auto analysts believe that Evoque will create history in the auto industry.

Source: Rush Lane

Range Rover Sport range_e Diesel Hybrid Prototype spotted!

Range Rover Sport range_e Diesel Hybrid Prototype

Sometimes, the staff of Green Car Reports has to travel hundreds, even thousands, of miles to bring you first drive reports, auto show highlights and exclusive green-car coverage.

Other times, we just have to visit the local shopping mall. That's where we took these exclusive photographs of a completely undisguised Range Rover Sport diesel plug-in hybrid prototype, plugged in at a convenient public charging station.

Hide in plain sight?

Spotted on Saturday in an underground parking lot at a shopping mall in Bristol, U.K., the prototype looks on first glance like a standard white Range Rover Sport.


But the "Hybrid Electric Plug-In" lettering on the front bumper and the side graphics give it away. The test car bears identical markings to the Land Rover range_e concept shown at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show this past March.


Remarkably, though, this one wears none of the camouflage panels usually seen on prototypes when venturing onto public roads. Perhaps--channeling Edgar Allen Poe's The Purloined Letter--the makers thought it would be entirely hidden in plain sight?

Diesel electric plug-in hybrid

The range_e concept shown in Geneva shared its body with the 2012 Range Rover Sport, but the equipment under its hood had several new components compared to its fuel-guzzling cousin.

That concept--and surely this prototype too--was powered by a high-efficiency, turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 clean diesel engine, with a 69-kilowatt (93-hp) electric motor sandwiched between the engine and an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is fitted, of course--it is a Land Rover.

With a 14.2-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, the range_e was said to offer an all-electric range of up to 20 miles, a combined diesel-electric range of 690 miles, and a range-sapping top speed of 120 mph.

Three "fuel doors"

The diesel plug-in hybrid Range Rover we photographed is clearly a pre-production prototype, complete with various obligatory warning decals. It also has a string of lights that looked like a temporary state-of-charge indicator in the right rear window, above the J-1772 charging socket.

Altogether there are three "fuel door" openings on the prototype, two on the left and one on the right. The front left one obviously contains a J-1772 charging socket, since the car was plugged in to the garage's charging station. We expect the one on the right covers the standard diesel fuel filler.

The left rear door, we surmise, could contain a quick-charge socket--or perhaps a charging port of a different format.
 
Two interesting details: First, the center of the rear seat is marked with a "Not A Seating Position!" sign, noting that no restraints were fitted to that position. And second, there was a big bag of different cables, converters perhaps, in the load bay.

One-third the emissions

Our prototype's number plate indicates that the car we saw is a 2010 model, first registered on March 5 of that year. The CO2 emissions of the standard vehicle with a 3.0-liter diesel are given in the registration data as 243 g/km.

The "89 g/km" sticker on our car represents an emissions level almost two-thirds lower, meaning a significant proportion of the test cycle is likely spent in all-electric mode.

These appear to be the first published photos of this undisguised prototype, although the range_e demonstrated in Geneva is a sister car--also white--that was registered on the very same day.

Just for the record, this vehicle is clearly a genuine factory Land Rover prototype. It has nothing to do with the Liberty E-Range battery electric Range Rover conversion we managed to drive--barely--earlier this year.

As for our photos, we suspect a high-ranking development engineer at Land Rover was simply testing a running prototype in real-world use over the weekend--and happened to stop by for a bit of charge at our local mall.

Bristol is less than 100 miles away from Jaguar Land Rover's headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Coincidence? We think not.

Source: Green Car Reports
 

Revised Land Rover DC100 coming at Los Angeles Motor Show

It’s reported that Land Rover will be taking a revised version of the new Land Rover Concept – the Land Rover DC100 – to the Los Angeles Motor Show.

Land Rover DC100 Defender Concept

We had the first view of the new Land Rover Defender – the Land Rover DC100 Concept – at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month. And of its sport derivative, the Land Rover DC100 Sport, too.

But Land Rover made it clear that the DC100 is a work in progress, and that they were looking for feedback as the quest to replace the Defender with a 21st version gathers speed over the coming years.

The overall response to the new Defender was positive, even if the DC100 Sporty was wildly ‘Concept-y’. But it appears that Land Rover are moving the DC100 on quite quickly, and are planning to show a revised version at the Los Angeles Motor Show next month.

We don’t know how much the MK II version of the DC100 will change (Land Rover could do what Alfa Romeo did with the 4C and just change the colour), but if nothing else it show that Land Rover are keen to get the new Defender under the noses of the American car buyer. Which could mean the new Defender returning to the USA.

In conversation with Inside Line, Land Rover’s Global Brand Director, John Edwards, has said that the DC100 mustn’t concentrate on being appealing to ‘Surfer Dudes’ in North America, but must be fit for the ‘…Red Cross, Zambia or the Australian Outback’. Which are sensible perspectives, especially as Land Rover has plenty of vehicles that can fulfil that market.

But he went on to say that ‘…it would be nice if we can sell it [the new Defender] to Surfer dudes.’ Which Inside Line has taken as confirmation that the new Defender – when it arrives in 2015 – is heading to US shores. Which is entirely reasonable.



It also explains the sport new Defender concept – the DC100 Sport – which, with a bit less concept and a bit more practicality – is conceived exactly for the ‘Surfer Dude’ market. The DC100 Sport could well be the variant Land Rover sees as a prime candidate for the US market.

But it seems likely that, although Land Rover intends making the new Defender fit for the Third World, it sees sales in the First World as vital. And it could be the plan, with the current Land Rover Defender now likely to survive for another 10 years, to get sales of the new Defender rolling in Western markets before rolling out a real rufty-tufty version for the Third World, as the old Defender starts to retreat from the market.

We may learn more at Los Angeles.

Source: Cars UK

Range Rover Evoque launch on 4th of November

2012 Range Rover Evoque

There have been a lot of talks about the Range Rover Evoque lately. It was earlier rumoured to come in next year, but the new stylish SUV from Land Rover will be launched in Mumbai on 4th November.

The Range Rover will be available with two engine options: 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol. The diesel will be available in three trim levels, viz. Pure, Dynamic and Prestige. The petrol will be available only in Dynamic trim. The Evoque will be placed a segment above the Freelander2 and the prices are likely to be between Rs 35-48lakh.

Source: Carwale

Spyshots: 2013 Range Rover in Dubai Desert

Land Rover is planning the release of a new version of their Range Rover. The SUV has been spotted numerous times over the past few weeks, we even came across the luxury 4×4 at the Land Rover workshop near the Nurburgring on Saturday.

One of our readers spotted two test mules of the 2013 Range Rover in the desert near Dubai, UAE. The two SUVs were accompanied by a current Range Rover Vogue.

The luxurious SUV will arrive next year with lower running costs, more space and an improved performance. The aluminium chassis will reduce the weight by a massive 500kg, resulting in a total weight of approximately 2,000kg. The powertrain will be revised as well, consisting of an 4.4 liter V8 diesel engine which offers 320 horsepower and a eight-speed automatic gearbox with stop-start system. Thanks to these upgrades, the fuel economy will be improved just as the emissions will be reduced.

The fourth generation Range Rover will also be available with a diesel powered V6 and a more impressive 5.0 liter supercharged V8. According to rumours, a hybrid is in the pipeline as well.

The design will remain essential the same, with a few changes. LED daytime running lights will be added to the new Range Rover. The edges of the car will be rounded off and the road presence will be increased. The interior will be more spacious and full of gadgets.

The new Range Rover will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next March. The SUV will hit the markets in the summer of 2012. The price tag is likely to increase.



More Images:


Source: GTSpirit

Spyshots: 2014 Range Rover Sport

2014 Range Rover Sport

Everybody’s talking bout the new Range Rover, which will be lighter with the expectation for the new vehicle being sky-high. But what about the Range Rover Sport? The Sport was crying for a lighter, more dynamic chassis even harder than its more upmarket sibling.

You see, the Sport actually comes with on-road handling that is inferior to its big brother’s one, as it uses the Discovery’s Integrated Body Frame chassis, which even though promises to be a compromise between a ladder chassis setup and a on-road driving-focused one, clearly favors the first.

Fortunately, for the next generations, both the Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport will share a modified version of the Jaguar XJ’s aluminum chassis. This will allow the Range Rover to shed around 880 pounds (400 kg), so the Sport should come with a similar move. In addition to that, the new platform will brings us the first-ever seven-seater Range Rover Sport.

While the Range Rover is already in the final development stages, Land Rover is currently using a test mule for the Sport, which that adds new element to the current body. Thus, the Range Rover is expected to arrive in fall 2012, but we’ll probably have to wait more for the Sport version.

As you can see in the images, we get a multitude of front fascia changes, as well as a an exhaust system that sits bellow the suspension. We have to note that the latter is one of the most unusual features we’ve ever seen on a test vehicle.

Just like in the case of its big brother, the engines are expected to be carried over from the current generation, with a hybrid version set to arrive sometime after the car is launched.



More Pictures below:

Source: AutoEvolution

Jaguar Land Rover China: New brand and new models

Jaguar Land rover China - New Models and new Brands with Chery JV in China

Reports from China reconfirm our reported JV between Jaguar Land Rover and Chery and say JLR are planning new models for China and a new brand.

It’s been clear for some time that Jaguar Land Rover are eager to cement a joint venture (JV) with a Chinese car maker so they can have a beachhead in to China’s rapidly growing car market. And that JLR JV seems almost certain to be with Chery.

Part of the deal for Western car companies seeking to do business in China is not just a partnership with a Chinese company, but a sharing of technology and a range of cars badged up with the Chinese partner company’s brand. So with a deal with Chery likely to be given government approval in China soon, speculation turns to what exactly all this means for JLR.

Reports in China now say that a new brand will be created to push a range of Jaguar Land Rovers produced by Chery (we’ll refrain from the obvious Rand Lover – well, maybe not) and that there will be models specifically for the Chinese market. But what will they be?

It probably depends on whether the new models aimed just at China are badged with the new brand or the Jaguar or Land Rover monikers, but there seems to be a few obvious choices.

In one way Jaguar are already producing a China-only Jaguar in the XF. Jaguar dropped their old V6 petrol in to XFs bound for China when it stopped being EU compliant (and it’s just under 3.0 litres – an important import tax point for China), but any China specific JLR car is likely to be more than just an engine.



Probably the most likely candidates are stretched versions of the Freelander 2 and the Jaguar XF. There were plans for a long time to stretch the Freelander 2 (which, certainly in the West, have probably been supplanted by plans to make a stretched ‘Grand Evoque’) but they never happened. So perhaps that’s a good starting point for China with plenty of the work already done.

For Jaguar, a stretched XF to give the Chinese more room is probably a no-brainer. BMW already do a stretched 5 Series for the Chinese market, so pitching a LWB XF in to the mix is probably a given.

Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. But with the size and importance of the Chinese car market it’s clear JLR will be doing whatever it takes to make their mark.

Source: China Car Times

Range Rover Evoque Is SUV Of Year: Motor Trend

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Motor Trend magazine named Land Rover's Range Rover Evoque as SUV of the Year Tuesday.

The Evoque is a major departure for the British SUV maker, famous for the legendary off-road prowess of its large, luxury SUVs. Powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Evoque is tuned more for on-road performance and fuel economy. It gets an EPA-estimated 28 miles per gallon in highway driving, making it the most fuel-efficient Land Rover vehicle.

Only vehicles that are all-new or have been substantially redesigned and re-engineered for the 2012 model year were eligible for the award.

The finalists for the award included three Chrysler Group models. They were the Jeep Wrangler and the Dodge Turango and Journey.

Other finalists for the award were the BMW X3, the Ford Explorer, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, the Mini Cooper Countryman, the Saab 9-4X and the Volkswagen Touareg.

"With its dramatic styling, refined on-road manners, and impressive off-road ability, the Evoque sets the benchmark for the fast-growing compact luxury SUV class," Motor Trend Editor-in-Chief Angus McKenzie said in a statement. "Land Rover has a worldwide hit on its hands with the Range Rover Evoque."

The magazine's editors were especially impressed with the car's on-road performance, McKenzie said, and with the fact that its sleek design didn't compromise interior space and comfort.

Motor Trend's editorial staff selected vehicles based on advancement in design, engineering excellence, efficiency, safety and value. Testing involved a week-long process including precisely measured track tests and "real-world" driving.



Motor Trend gives out three vehicle awards -- SUV of the Year, Car of the Year and Truck of the Year -- annually. Motor Trend's Car of the Year will be announced in November.

Formerly owned by Ford Motor Co., Land Rover was sold to India's Tata Motors in 2008, along with its sister-brand Jaguar.

Source: CNN Money

Tata Hispano unveils its hybrid CNG-Electric Bus

Mumbai: Tata Hispano unveiled the CNG-Electric hybrid urban bus, with a new area body design, developed by Tata Motors, at the International Busworld fair 2011. The new CNG-Electric hybrid technology represents an advanced version of the Diesel-Electric technology model, presented in November 2010, at Madrid exhibition, FIAA.



With this launch, Tata Hispano heads the offer in hybrid technologies, by offering two clearly differentiated options for urban transport operators in Europe: Diesel-Electric Tata Motors chassis and CNG-Electric Tata Motors chassis, both developed in collaboration with Siemens. In November 2010, EMT Madrid confirmed an order for 10 Tata Hispano CNG-Electric hybrid units.

The new hybrid version is a step forward in the company’s product strategy, to offer the best city mobility options, with optimal ecological efficiency.

The CNG-Diesel hybrid model features a proven electric traction system from Siemens, used in more than 2000 buses worldwide; a full electrical model, possible for zero emission operation, for short distances; common hybrid drive for Diesel-Electric and CNG-Electric, which can be extended to Pure Electric, CNG micro turbine and hydrogen fuel cell buses; although the initial cost of hybrid vehicles is somewhat higher, the overall cost over the lifetime of the vehicle is lower, due to savings in running costs; Minimal penalty in payload, on account of the advanced high efficiency Lithium-Ion batteries; Lower noise level, due to the downsized engine; Versatile energy management strategies that can be tuned to specific customer requirements, depending on the operations.



Its fuel economy improvement and significantly lower emissions are due to - Regenerative electronic braking through which energy normally dissipated, during braking, is captured in batteries and reused; Engine operated always at the best efficiency point; Very low and transient engine operation; Electrically driven auxiliary systems; Automatic Electric mode.

Source: Machinist
 

Tata Aria Automatic (AT): Scooped by Carwale

Tata Motors had launched their new flagship, the Aria last year. The Aria is the first Indian crossover and was built on ladder frame. Initially, the Aria was offered only as a 4x4, with the option to shift to 4x2 on the fly.


Tata recently introduced the 4x2 version of the Aria to increase its volumes. Now, our sources confirm that Tata has been working on the automatic version of the Aria. The automatic version of the Aria has been undergoing tests in India as well as abroad. We believe that Tata could utilise some of its technology and expertise from JLR to develop their first automatic transmission.  The car had undergone certain tests in the UK for about 3000-4000kms.

The automatic transmission will add another option for the Aria buyers. Since, the current Safari, the new upcoming Safari Merlin and the Grande have the same 2.2-litre engine DiCOR engine that powers the Aria, Tata could use these boxes on them as well.



Source: Carwale
 

Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles Business Unit further strengthens customer support initiatives

Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles Business Unit (CVBU) has announced a slew of initiatives, further extending and strengthening the reach of its customer service. The announcements coincide with the business' observance of National Customer Care Day on October 23. It was on October 23, 1954, that the first truck of the company was rolled out.



Among the new initiatives is availability of a Tata authorised service workshop (TASS) in a radius of 30 km across the country by 2015. At present, the business has about 1240 service workshops, each in a radius of 65 km. The business will also beef up the service infrastructure for its Ace and Magic family of vehicles, by setting up new and upgrading all existing service points into 2-bay workshops known as Tata Authorised Service Point, to facilitate further penetration of the range in the interiors. Tata Alert, a road-side assistance programme for the full range of Tata Motors commercial vehicles is also among the plans, to be implemented by 2012.

Over the coming months, customers will also have facilities, like the Tata Easypay Card, to ease payments at any authorised service workshop, and extended warranties with options as per customer needs.

The company already provides 24x7 Assistance on any sales/ service/ product issues and spares parts availability across the country, through Tata Connect. Customer facilities already include Annual Maintenance Contract for customer desired periods (kilometres/hours) at pre-determined prices, reconditioned aggregates on an exchange basis to reduce vehicle downtime, fleet maintenance, on-site service support, Tata Genuine spare parts and Tata Delight, a customer loyalty programme for owners of its commercial vehicles.



The various customer care initiatives include:

Customer Assistance Centre (CAC): It is a nodal point receiving feedback through various access mechanisms and coordinating 24x7 assistance on any sales/ service/ product issues and spares parts availability to all customers across India.

Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC): Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) is offered for complete preventive & scheduled maintenance and breakdown repairs of driveline at predetermined prices for a period covering desired kilometres/hours.

Recon Products: Tata Motors offers reconditioned aggregates on exchange basis which help in reducing the downtime of a vehicle.

Fleet Maintenance: Fleet Maintenance Contract is offered for complete maintenance of vehicles, excluding tyres and accidental repairs, for a predefined period or kilometres/ hours.

Onsite Service Support: To meet tight project schedules, tippers deployed on-site, which are away from town-based dealers or TASS, get on-site service through on-site packages.

Tata Alert: To support customers in case of emergency break-down on highways, road side assistance is available on the Golden Quadrilateral & N-S/E-W Corridors.

ISO Certification for Workshops/TASS: Towards imparting a uniform and delightful experience to customers at all touch points, Tata Motors is getting its dealers certified for ISO 9001:2008 through Bureau Veritas.

Workshop Infrastructure Development: Towards imparting a uniform service quality, the business is supporting its channel partners in upgrading their workshops with modern equipment. Eight equipment suppliers have been tied up to supply & provide turnkey solutions to workshops.

Service Training: There are five service training centres imparting advanced product & maintenance knowledge to mechanics, technicians, customers, fleet operators and institutional customers. Besides, on-site field training is also imparted.

E-learning: With the increase in number of workshops and requirement of trained personnel at workshops, an e-learning initiative, the first such in the auto industry, has been implemented. It provides web-based multi-lingual training for technicians.

Skilled Mechanic Development: With the surge in demand of trained manpower, an initiative has been taken to upgrade Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) so that skills are
relevant to requirement.

Skilled Workshop Manager Development: To support network expansion plan, trained workshop managers are being developed through the "Tata Motors Certified Works Manager" programme.

Driver Training Institutes: The initiative is a one-stop shop for training, covering theoretical and practical training.

Source: Tata Motors

DIMO (Sri Lanka) says Tata Nano demand in surplus

Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO) is struggling to supply its latest TATA Nano cars to the Sri Lankan market with officials saying they cannot cater to the surplus demand.“We have booked 600 cars and Tata in India is struggling to send them as they are unable to meet the demand. These cars are moving so well and the demand is really high," Ranjith Pandithage, Chairman/CEO DIMO told the Business Times.



TATA Nano was commercially launched in India on March 2009 and in June in Sri Lanka. “It offers an incredibly spacious passenger compartment which can comfortably seat four adults and is priced at Rs 800,000 to Rs 1 million,” Mr. Pandithage added.

With the current tourism boom, DIMO will be eyeing the transportation sector. “DIMO has plans to expand into the leisure sector with transport logistics,” Mr. Pandithage said. He also said that DIMO’s Driver Training Centre at Suriyawewa worth Rs.250 million will be ready by February next year. Noting the company’s expansion plans, Mr. Pandithage added that the land in front of DIMO head office at Jetawana Road, Colombo 14 which they own will be turned into a commercial vehicle facility. “We bought a land at Thotalanga, Colombo 14 (the former Ferntea Company land) at nearly Rs. 680 million to put up a state-of-the-art showroom service centre and are park for TATA passenger as well as Mercedes Benz cars. It’ll house our showrooms and sales facility,” he said.

He said their Bosch Centre at Bloemendhal Road worth Rs. 250 million will also be ready by next year. He added that DIMO will start their ‘3S’ (Sales, Service and Spare parts) Centres in Trincomalee, Jaffna and Kilinochchi by next year.

Source: Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

New Jaguar XF coming to India in Nov'11

The new facelifted Jaguar XF will be coming to India by the third week of November, 2011

When launched back in 2008, the Jaguar XF was a real game changer for the Tata-owned British luxury car maker. After a sharp decline in recent years in the company’s image of making svelte saloons which are not only luxurious, but are brilliant to drive as well, the all-new XF represented a “going-back-to-its-roots” effort on part of the Coventry based auto company and signaled the beginning of a new era in Jaguar’s future.

The XF, which fights against other premium luxury sedans such as the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6, has been available in India for a little while now, and offers a great alternative in a segment which is otherwise only occupied firmly by the German auto giants. But as these three big German luxury car makers launched updated versions of their offerings in this segment recently, the task for upping the game fell back into Jaguar’s court. And so with this in mind, Jaguar unveiled a revised version of the XF at the 2011 New York Auto Show earlier this year. This updated and upgraded car went on sale around the world in the middle of this year, and considering that Tata now owns the JLR brands, it was always expected that this new XF would find its way to Indian shores soon enough.

 

But that might be earlier than one thought as, if sources close to JLR in India are to be believed, the facelifted XF will be available in India starting the third week of November this year. Apart from some new technology on board, the new XF features a fascia that seems to mimic its larger sibling, the XJ. Since this new model will be replacing this current XF, the pricing for the car should remain the same. What’s new on the new XF are slim new headlight units and distinctive LED lighting strips, which set it visually apart from the rounded twin cluster headlamp design of the previous model. The lower bumper section also gets bit of unique styling with a trio of airdams, the outside pair of which are now intersected by twisted chrome fins. While the rear of the car has been redesigned with LED technology the interior of the XF now gets a redesigned seats, a restyled steering wheel and an all-new colour central and dial-mounted screens relaying reprogrammed navigation and entertainment software.

Interestingly, Jaguar has also launched a new 2.2-litre common rail 4-cylinder diesel motor which develops 190 PS of power and is linked to a new eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. An innovative Stop-Start system in the new XF model gives it a proposed economy in excess of 21kmpl and CO2 emissions of 149 g/km. When the facelifted car arrives in India, this new variant will likely be on offer as well, making it the most affordable Jaguar in the country.

Source: Zigwheels

Range Rover Evoque in next Bond movie?

Is the Range Rover Evoque set to star in the next James Bond movie?

Land Rover’s funky new premium compact off-roader is a rare example of a promising new product that really does live up to the hype – and with such stylish lines this isn’t likely to escape the discerning eye of 007.


MSN Cars’ insider sources tell us that an Evoque was delivered to Pinewood Studios this very morning. And given Pinewood is home to the Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage it doesn’t take much to put two and two together and get ‘kerching!’

While Land Rover is unwilling to confirm or deny at this moment, not only is the high-tech sleek and muscular look of the Evoque perfect for the world’s most famous super spy, the slinky SUV’s British brand credentials also fit very sweetly.

Land Rovers have appeared in Bond movies before, of course. Notable on-screen excursions include the custom Range Rover convertible in Octopussy – a player key in the pre-title escapade involving a horse-box hidden Acrostar Jet – the Defender that gets driven out of a Hercules in The Living Daylights, and the Range Rover Sport Daniel Craig crashes as a distraction in Casino Royale.

And although Jaguar/Land Rover are no longer part of the Ford group of motor companies, which have furnished the majority of the vehicles in the last three Bond films, we are ready to lay money on the Evoque making an appearance in the next one.

Whether it will be in the hands of Bond himself or the MI6 agent’s latest squeeze we would hesitate to speculate. But we do reckon the Evoque is way too good to hand over to the baddies.

Filming for the new Bond movie, currently known only as ‘Bond 23’ began earlier this month – at Pinewood. Daniel Craig reprises his role as 007, while the director’s chair is this time occupied by Sam Mendes, the man behind American Beauty and Revolutionary Road.



Bond 23 is due to hit cinemas in November 2012.

Source: MSN Cars

Jaguar X-Type: 18,000 X-Types recalled in the UK

Jaguar X-Type

Jaguar has issued a recall for 18,000 X-Type Diesel-engined cars made between 2006 and 2009 over cruise control problems.

The Jaguar X-Type, ‘Ford’ Jaguar’s stab at mopping up sales from BMW’s 3 Series and Mercedes’ C Class, is back in the headlines, with Jaguar issuing a recall for 18,000 X-Types in the UK – around 5 per cent of the total X-Type production.

The cars affected are diesel-engined X-Type models made between 2006 and the end of X-Type production in late 2009, and the recall concerns the cruise control, which may not respond under certain circumstances.

To be fair to Jaguar, the issue with the cruise control failing to respond has not come to light through any complaints from owners, but from an employee of Jaguar.

The employee, driving one of Jaguar’s own cars, reported that they’d been unable to disengage the cruise control. We assume that means manually or by touching the brake pedal.

Jaguar investigated and decided - especially as any issues not the subject of an immediate recall after the Toyota debacle last year would garner huge criticism – that the best solution was an immediate recall of the 17,678 X-Types possibly affected.

We don’t know whether the issue means the complete replacement of the cruise control system, or whether just the control switch is affected. But owners should already have received a letter asking them to contact their dealer to book an appointment for a fix, which is free of charge.

Owners have also been advised that, if necessary, the cruise control can be deactivated by turning the ignition off. Which means, in the hugely unlikely event it happens, you just need to turn the ignition off and back on again – sharpish.  Just turning it off is not exactly advisable.

Not a cheap exercise for Jaguar, but good PR for acting quickly and responsibly.

Source: Cars UK

2012 Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel Review: The Motor Report

New Jaguar XF 2.2L Diesel

Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel Review: Highlights

What’s Hot: XJ looks, punchy diesel torque, sweet fuel-saving technology
What’s Not: Pricey options, not keen on the 'space-saver' spare
X-Factor: The stunning powertrain is going to win lots of friends
Vehicle Style: Luxury Sporting Sedan
Price: $78,900 (plus on-roads)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 140kW@3500rpm
Torque: 450Nm@1200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Fuel Economy (claimed): 5.4 l/100km
Fuel Economy (tested): 7.1 l/100km

OVERVIEW

The MY12 Jaguar range arrives with a raft of subtle design and performance changes, and two big additions to the brand: the bombastic XKR-S performance coupe, and the frugal XF 2.2-litre diesel sedan.

Oddly enough, it's that 2.2 diesel that has most eyebrows raised. With stop-start technology, and mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, it's Jaguar's first small-capacity diesel – in fact the smallest engine the Brit manufacturer has ever made.

Small it might be, but there's no shortage of torque on tap. It hauls 1700kg of luxury Jag around with total ease. Setting a new entry-level price, it's this model that will be the big seller.

INTERIOR

Quality: Pardon the pun, but Jag has made a huge leap in quality with the XF range. The ‘base’ XF oiler is no exception.

Trim of double-stitched leather with alcantara seat-inserts (for added grip) doubles with soft-touch surfaces and smart dials. The retina-roasting chrome of the previous car’s centre console, which reflected sunlight uncomfortably into the driver’s eyes, is now in a soft brushed silver.
Only the wood trim-panels on the test car, which sound and feel synthetic, dulled what is a quality cabin.

Comfort: Standard four-way seat-adjustment on both front seats makes getting settled a breeze. The alcantara and leather trim grips the body and cossets the hips and shoulders for lateral support in both rows.
Our test car’s 'six/six-way' adjustable seats were a $440 option; lumbar adjustment is also in the next spec of seat.

Equipment: The XF now gets the lovely swoopy headlights of the XJ, with the best daytime running-light design going around – and shaped in a 'J' (of all things).

In base “Luxury” trim it comes with leather, multi-function steering wheel with paddles, and a seven-inch colour touch-screen for the multimedia interface.

This includes a 30GB hard drive, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, and an excellent speaker system.
But as with any base-level car, the options list is rather long and pricey. Our “Luxury” test vehicle, sitting below a “Premium Luxury” spec, featured front parking sensors and a rear camera ($1,390), a mirror pack ($1,570), 'six/six-way' seats ($440), split rear seat ($1,000), carpet mats ($350), keyless entry ($950), 18" Vela alloys ($2,490), Rosewood veneer ($320), metallic paint ($2,650), sat-nav ($2,495) and a sunroof ($3,920), making it a $102,565 car.

Storage: The Jaguar bests Audi and BMW rivals with a narrow but deep glovebox, cupholders, cubbies and deep door-pockets.

The boot is very large but unfortunately, with the batteries relocated to the boot, the floor of the Jag hides only a skinny spacesaver spare.

ON THE ROAD

Driveability: Punchy and powerful, the 2.2 diesel hardly feels like a four-cylinder.

In fact, it’s easy to forget it’s a diesel. The power and torque curve is very precise, with power kicking in as torque wanes, making a very smooth powerband. Its slick operation is underpinned by not six, but eight speeds, in the ZF sports auto.

It takes a little getting used to. Using the paddles around Mt Tambourine on the Queensland/NSW border, the 'usual' two or three taps to change down suddenly becomes four or five.

But the gearbox is super intelligent, allowing gear stacking with multiple hits of the down paddle, and even dropping down a gear during heavy braking to utilise engine compression.

It’s a genuine performance package, this four-pot oiler, with stunning throttle response, rear-drive accuracy and light-footed ability despite its 1700kg-plus heft.

Refinement: It is easy to forget you are in a diesel such is the XF's on-road refinement. Only when the stop-start activates – when you're first listening for it – do you notice at all that it’s a diesel.

The stop-start tech is a first for jag and only available on the 2.2 litre model. The battery, located in the boot, regenerates during the drive to always be on hand (for instant start-up, with a single revolution of the engine). The combined fuel sip is a miniscule 5.4 l/100km.

Suspension: The suspension is just short of sublime, with long travel and excellent rebound and bump control (despite the car’s weight and size).

It’s hard to set off the traction/stability control, even over upsetting dips and cambered corners.

Braking: The brakes too are excellent, without fade, though the pedal feel and travel is a bit remote.

SAFETY

Safety features: Front, side and curtain airbags, front load limiter/pretensioner seatbelts, rear pretensioner seatbelts, front active headrests, Brake Assist, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Traction Control, Electronic Stability Control,

WARRANTY AND SERVICING

Warranty: Three year with roadside assist
Service costs: Servicing every 26,000km!

TMR VERDICT | OVERALL

If it seems this review is glowing, it's because the XF diesel absolutely shines.

For $84,990 on road, and with a host of options to tailor the car to suit, it sinks top-of-the-line HSVs and FPVs.

Of course, it's more the big three German competitors that are in the Jag’s crosshairs; in particular, their sub-$90k diesel sporting sedans. Jaguar's new XF diesel is their match.

In Europe, the 2.2 makes up almost half of XF sales. If you're shopping in this part of the luxury segment, we'd recommend a close look at this very good new car from Jaguar, the XF diesel 2.2.

Source: The Motor Report

Tata Motors aims to raise $750 mln via overseas borrowing

Tata Motors

Tata Motors plans to raise $750 million or Rs 3,675 crore via overseas borrowing to trim debt and meet the working capital needs, Business Standard website reported.

The external commercial borrowing or ECB with a spread of six years will be priced about 350 basis points above the London Interbank Offered Rate, stated sources familiar with the transaction. Largest bank State Bank of India is one of the arrangers for the deal.

The largest automotive company had a consolidated debt of Rs 14,500 crore at the end of June. Meanwhile, the company’s stand-alone debt stood at Rs 13,700 crore according to disclosures made by the company.

A company spokesperson said, “We do not have any guidance to provide you with. Suffice it to say that, as a prudent practice, Tata Motors raises debt capital from time to time to increase its debt maturity profile and reduce its interest cost.” The company’s net automotive debt equity at the consolidated level stood at 0.69 at the end of June, at par with 0.68 at the end of March.

Tata Motors which owns the UK’s premium and luxury brands like Jaguar and Land Rover has managed to bring down its net automotive debt considerably over the past two years, when it stood at Rs 23,750 crore with a debt-equity ratio of 4:1. For Tata Motors, this will be the second big-ticket fund raising event after its $1.6 bilion bond issue for JLR.

The automobile company is eyeing newer markets for expanding its passenger and commercial vehicle operations. Tata Motors and JLR had announced their plans to spend $561 million in building an engine plant in central England in September.



Both companies will jointly spend £1.5 billion over the next five years on new product development and expansion of engine range. Tata Motors is the largest automobile company and is a leader in commercial vehicles. It has products in compact, midsize car and utility vehicle segments.

Source: Stock Market Digital

Jaguar Land Rover workers to get 6.1% pay rise

Jaguar Land Rover

More than 12,000 Jaguar Land Rover workers are to get a “double your money” pay rise of 6.1 per cent next month – because inflation has jumped to a 20-year high.

Thousands of hourly paid and staff employees across Solihull, Castle Bromwich, Gaydon, Whitley and elsewhere will qualify for the bumper pay rises after unions won an inflation-linked deal just a year ago.

The agreement was for a five per cent increase from November 1, 2010, and three per cent or the Retail Price Index plus 0.5 per cent from November 1 this year.

With the Government’s RPI measure at 5.6 per cent, its highest rate since June 1991, workers at the Midlands biggest manufacturer will now receive more than last year’s five per cent rise, itself hailed as an industry-leading deal.

Many hourly paid engineers on around £35,000 a year will now see their pay rise by over £2,000 a year when the new 12-month deal kicks in on November 1.

Roger Maddison, national officer for Unite, said: “Last year, we could have settled for three per cent for Year Two, and that would have been a popular deal. Three or four years ago, we had zero inflation and now it is nearly six per cent.

“If you are going to do a long-term deal, you have to make sure that you are protected against inflation.

“You could look at this as a positive sign – we managed to protect the workers at Jaguar Land Rover.

“But you have to remember that it is desperate times for those people who have not got inflation protection for their pay. I believe that everybody should have inflation-linked pay rises.”

The two-year pay deal unveiled a year ago was part of a package that saw JLR reverse plans to close either Castle Bromwich or Solihull and announce a £5 billion package of investment, with new models. The two-year offer was agreed following a 74 per cent vote in favour by workers.

A JLR employee bulletin at the time said: “The company’s offer of a two-year pay and conditions agreement provides much needed predictability and stability for the company and employees.”

According to the UK findings of Aon Hewitt’s 2011-2012 European salary increase survey, salaries rose 2.5 per cent in 2010, 3.1 per cent this year and were projected to increase 3.2 per cent in 2012.



* The number of cars made in the UK accelerated ahead last month, it has been announced.

A total of 136,051 cars were produced in September, a 7.5 per cent increase on the September 2010 total, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said.

Source: Birmingham Post

Current Defender to live on to 2017 atleast

Current Defender

The bulk of the current Land Rover Defender range is likely to continue in production until 2017 or later — and that will be at least two years after the launch of the all-new Defender replacement in 2015.

The long-wheelbase 110 and commercial 130 versions of the Land Rover Defender are likely to be beneficiaries, staying in production well after the arrival of the new short-wheelbase Defender, previewed at the Frankfurt show as the DC100 concept.

“There are a number of changes to the legislation that mean we can keep the current Defender in production longer than we thought,” said a Land Rover source.



The first is the ability of the new 2.2-litre diesel engine to meet EU6 standards — the tough next step in emissions regulations that will align diesel engine pollutants with those of petrols in 2015/16.

There is also a suggestion that the Defender might not have to comply with EU6 until a later date. A few years ago the Defender was reclassified as a commercial vehicle, which might help.

Pedestrian impact laws were due to pull down the shutters on the Defender in 2015, but Land Rover now understands that a ‘derogation’ — exemption from the law — might apply until 2020.

Source: Autocar

The Jaguar XF Wins Executive and Luxury Used Car Awards

The Executive and Luxury category in the 2011 What Car? Used Car of the Year Awards has been won by the Jaguar XF, with judges calling it a 'seriously desirable and sophisticated car'.

Chas Hallett, What Car?'s editor-in-chief, said: "The Jaguar XF's combination of sharp, contemporary styling, build quality, refinement, sporting agility and equipment is a winning formula, especially in the secondhand market where a highly specified model can now be bought for less than £20,000."

The judging panel was were from all areas of the motor industry including experts from What Car?. The judges picked the winners based on running costs, reliability, driveability, quality, longevity, safety features and desirability.

Andy Whyman, XF Chief Programme Engineer commented: "We worked tirelessly on the development of the XF for its introduction in 2008. Since then, over 38,000 have been sold in the UK and the momentum continues. To be recognised by What Car? means a great deal to the whole XF team and we're delighted to add another award to our ever-growing tally."

The next generation Jaguar XF has been on sale since 1st September 2011 and is available with a new 2.2 litre Diesel engine with Stop-Start technology. Sales have risen 12.8 per cent compared to September 2010.



Source: Car Pages

Jaguar Land Rover inaugurates new dealership in Kochi

Jaguar Land Rover inaugurates another new showroom in Kochi. This is the 13th new showroom inaugurated by JLR in India in 12 different cities. This is the first JLR dealership in Kerala and will offer the entire portfolio of JLR products.

Mr. Rohit Suri, Head of Premier Car Division, Jaguar Land Rover India, said, "The response to our products has been very encouraging across India and I am proud to be present at the opening of this dealership, which offers excellent facilities for our customers in the Kerala region".

Jaguar Land Rover opened their first Indian showroom in June 2009 and now has fully operational sales and service facilities in Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ludhiana and Kochi.

Source: Carwale
 

Tata Nano Diesel Mileage Figures Leaked: Over 30 Kmpl

Diesel cars are the most preferred cars in India in recent months. It is evident that the difference in price and running costs between petrol and diesel has made the diesel, the preferred fuel to many Indians. At this juncture Tata Motors is slowly developing a diesel engine for its Nano.

The Tata Nano which is India and the world's cheapest car is now available with a 650cc petrol engine. We had earlier reported that Bosch, the auto parts maker was developing the diesel power train for the Nano.

A diesel powered Nano will be a dream car for several Indians as it will be a cheaper car to buy. Further diesel's improved fuel economy will also help. The Tata Nano diesel's fuel economy will be the best selling point for Tata Motors. According to sources, the mileage of the diesel Nano will be more than 30kmpl.

This kind of mileage is something that we usually see in a high power motorcycle such as the Royal Enfield Bullet. This will emerge a top selling factor for Tata Motors. However, diesel cars are priced higher than petrol cars and Tata must ensure the Tata Nano diesel's price is not too high.

According to estimates, the Nano diesel's fuel economy will be between 30 to 34kmpl. As per the ARAI standards, The Nano's mileage should be over 30kmpl, making the Indian small car the most fuel efficient car in the country ahead of the Tata Indica eV2.

Source: OneIndia Auto

Tata 407 pick-up drives into silver jubilee year

Mumbai, Oct. 18: Tata Motors celebrated on Tuesday the Silver Jubilee year of one of its most successful models – the 407 light commercial vehicle range.

Available in 2.2-4.2 tonnes payloads and sold across 15 countries, the 407-truck family has a 75 per cent domestic market share in its segment.

With many variants such as tippers and pick-ups available and with both diesel and CNG-powered versions, the 407 has sold over five lakh units since 1986.

Mr P.M. Telang, Tata Motors' Managing Director – India Operations, said, “The Tata 407 was among the first, cutting across industries, to have demonstrated the supremacy of indigenously developed products in the face of international competition. We will continue to add new features to the range matching customer requirements.”

Used for goods transport, mining, construction and in the Defence forces, the 407 has seen a lot of updates over time.

It has spawned the Cityride fully-built buses in 12-to-24 seat variants and after Tata Motor's joint venture with Marcopolo of Brazil (in 2006), the platform was included in the Starbus range as a 24-seat variant and 12-18 seat luxury variants.

For goods transportation, the SFC 407EX TURBO variant was created, while the later EX-2 refresh added longer service intervals, a heavy-duty load body and power steering with upgraded cabin features. 

Source: The Hindu Business Line

Tata wants supplier units close to plants

Aims to cut costs, bring down turnaround time

Tata Motors has asked body-building and chassis suppliers for its commercial vehicles business to set up their plants near its CV and bus manufacturing plants in Jamshedpur, Lucknow and Pune to cut transport costs and bring down the turnaround time involved in producing a complete vehicle.



“We have asked four to five chassis and body-building companies to set up their assembly units near our plants in Jamshedpur, Pune and Lucknow. This will be economically good for us. There will be significant savings from it,” Ravi Pisharody, president – commercial vehicles business unit (CVBU), Tata Motors told Financial Chronicle on the sidelines of celebration of 25 years of its light commercial vehicle (LCV) — Tata 407. He, however, did not provide names of body-building and chassis manufacturers that would be setting up their facilities near Tata Motors plants.

Tata Motors manufactures a whole range of commercial vehicles at its Pune and Jamshedpur plants and buses at its Lucknow plant. “Earlier, we used to send the frames of the vehicles to the respective plants of these builders for the vehicles to be delivered. If the suppliers come close to our manufacturing facilities, it will bring down turnaround time on manufacturing of vehicles,” said Pisharody.

He clarified that orders for body-building for CVs and chassis for buses will; be split between third party vendors and its joint ventures — Tata Marcopolo Motors and Automobile Corporation of Goa — who will do some of the body-building and chassis manufacturing.

The CV business unit head expressed concern over the rising prices of steel and aluminium in the domestic market. Tata Motors’ CV sales jumped by 19 per cent to 2,43,134 units in the domestic market in the first half of this financial year. The company plans to showcase a new range of LCVs in the 3.5 tonne to 7.5 tonne category based on the Y1 platform at the Auto Expo in January next year. “We have started selling a pilot range to select customers to get their feedback. We will display the range at the Auto Expo 2012,” said Pisharody.

Tata Motors, whose passenger vehicles sales slumped in first half of this financial year, expects sales to be in the positive territory in the second half on the back of new launches - new Vista, new Indigo eCS-VX, Tata Aria 4x2, Sumo Grande and the new Tata Safari, which is expected to be launched soon.



“We have got a good response for the new Indigo eCS-VX, new Vista and Aria’s 4x2 variant this festive season. We expect to improve sales in the second half of this financial year. These vehicles will also help us in increasing our market share,” said Prakash M Telang, managing director – India operations at Tata Motors. He, however, declined to quantify the increase in market share and bookings received for the new products. The cumulative sales of Tata passenger vehicles had fallen by 16 per cent to 1,25,448 units during April-September 2011 period, as compared to the same period in the previous year.

Source: My Digital FC

Tata Motors DVR: Steep discounts

If track record is anything to go by, prices of differential voting rights are likely to move up.

Tata Motors’ differential voting rights (DVR) shares are currently quoting at a steep 45.5 per cent discount to the ordinary shares of the company. In other words, at Rs 181, the ordinary shares are trading at a premium of Rs 82 a share, compared to the DVR shares. Typically, DVR shares trade at lower prices as these have limited voting rights but enjoy higher dividends vis-a-vis ordinary shares. In the case of Tata Motors’ DVR, the holders have a tenth of voting rights but enjoy an additional five per cent dividend, compared to holders of ordinary shares.

While there are no benchmarks, at what price should they trade? In the case of Tata Motors DVR, since its listing in December 2008, the discount on an average has been 34 per cent. However, in the last three years the discount has never breached the 46 per cent level, which is where its DVRs are now trading. If this historical trend holds, either Tata Motors’ share price will fall, or the DVR share price will rise from current levels to narrow the gap. It has happened in seven to eight occasions in the past, and every time the discount has touched 46 per cent, the DVR share price has recovered. Even if the gap has to reduce to its historical average of 34 per cent, the DVR share price should move up by at least Rs 21 per share from the current Rs 98.80. In terms of valuations as well, analysts believe that there is enough room for the DVRs to appreciate, and the risk-reward equation is favourable currently. “Considering the fundamentals and the current valuations, there is not much downside for the Tata Motors’ share price,” says Deven Choksey, managing director of K R Choksey.

Moreover, at the current levels the DVR is offering good dividend yield. In FY12, analysts are expecting a dividend of Rs 4.40 per share for the ordinary share; the company paid a dividend of Rs 4 per share (adjusted for stock split) for FY11. Considering the five per cent additional dividend, DVR holders should get Rs 4.5 per share, which translates into a dividend yield of almost 4.55 per cent as against the dividend yield of 2.43 per cent, in case of ordinary shares.

In terms of price to earnings, DVRs (at four times of the estimated earnings for FY13) are available at half the valuation of ordinary shares. For those considering Tata Motors as an investment, DVRs could be a good option. Even for those holding ordinary shares, switching to DVRs should prove rewarding. In both cases, it becomes risky if the discount widens beyond the 46 per cent level.

Source: Business Standard