Tata Motors January Global Sales Rise 21% To 119,799 Units

Land Rover Freelander II SUVs on an assembly line at a plant in the western Indian state of Maharashtra

Global Wholesales Vehicles (including Passenger Cars and Commercial Vehicles):

Tata Motors Group's global wholesales including Jaguar Land Rover, were 119,799 units in January 2012 which is higher by 21% over January 2011. The cumulative sales for the fiscal are 985,260 greater by 13% compared to the corresponding period in 2010-11.

Global Sales of Passenger Vehicles:

The global sales of all passenger vehicles were at 66,785 units in January 2012, higher by 26%. While cumulative sales for the fiscal are 506,921 units, higher by 10%.

Global Sales of Tata Passenger Vehicles:

The global sales of Tata passenger vehicles and the distribution offtake in India of Fiat cars were at 37,492 units, for the month, higher by 14%, over January 2011. Cumulative sales for the fiscal are at 261,216 units.

Global Sales of Jaguar Land Rover Vehicles:

The global sales of Jaguar Land Rover in January 2012 were at 29,293 units, higher by 44% over January 2011, while cumulative sales of Jaguar Land Rover for the fiscal are 245,705 units, higher by 25%.

Global Sales of Jaguar Vehicles:

Jaguar sales for the month were 4,547 units, higher by 49%, while cumulative sales of Jaguar are 44,468 units, lower by 3%.

Global Sales of Land Rover Vehicles:

Land Rover sales for the month were 24,746 units, higher by 43%, while cumulative sales of Land Rover are 201,237 units, higher by 34%.

Source: Car Wale

Tata Motors hopes to increase UV market share to 15%

India's largest automobile company Tata Motors, on Wednesday launched Tata Sumo Gold in Hyderabad, AP, which it claims to be the most powerful SUV in its category.

Tata Sumo Gold

With utility vehicles segment continuing to grow in spite of general economic slowdown impacting the overall volumes of the automotive business in the country, Tata Motors Ltd sees its UV market share going up to 15 per cent this fiscal, up from 13 per cent it registered last year.

“The growth has been fuelled by growing volumes from SUV Safari and Sumo, with the latter now notching up average sales of about 3,300 a month, up from about 1,100 it was registering before the launch of Sumo Gold. The Sumo Gold was rolled out in select markets in October 2011 and within 30 days we will take it pan-India,” Mr Ashesh Dhar, Head-Utility Vehicle Product Group, Tata Motors Ltd, said.

“The rollout of new models in the Sumo Gold family and Safari have created excitement among buyers. Given their value proposition and features they offer, we are seeing good volumes coming this year. Last year, we registered total sales of 41,000 vehicles in the UV business. This will go up this fiscal with growing numbers from Sumo,” he said.

Launching Sumo Gold in Andhra Pradesh, Mr Dhar said the Sumo has made big strides since its introduction in India about 18 years ago. The new Sumo Gold, with refreshed looks, more powerful CR4 engine and attractive price band, has been received well in the market, both rural and urban areas. Sumo has 15 per cent share in the segment it operates.

The BS III and BS IV variants of Sumo are priced in the range of Rs 5.38 lakh to Rs 6.99 lakh ex-showroom and come with a warranty of three years or 1,00,000 km, whichever is earlier.

Asked about the a proposal to levy higher taxes on diesel cars, Mr Dhar said any move of this nature would impact all manufacturers not just Tata Motors.

Source: The Hindu Business Line

Tata Motors Q3 net up 41% on strong JLR sales‎

CEO of Jaguar Land Rover Ralf Speth, Managing Director of India Operations for Tata Motors P.M. Telang and CFO of Tata Motors C.Ramakrishnan (Left to Right) attend a news conference to announce Tata Motors Q3 Result

Consolidated Financial Results for the Quarter and Nine months ended December 31, 2011

Tata Motors today reported consolidated revenues (net of excise) of Rs.45,260 crores for the quarter ended December 31, 2011, posting a growth of 44.0% over Rs.31,442 crores in the corresponding quarter of the previous year on the back of growth in volumes, improved product and market mix. The Consolidated Profit before Exceptional item and Tax was Rs.4,658 crores, posting a growth of 68.7% over Rs.2,760 crores in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The Consolidated Profit before Tax (PBT) for the quarter was Rs.4,494 crores, compared to Rs.2,728 crores for the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The Consolidated Profit (After Tax and post minority interest and profit in respect of Associate companies) for the quarter was Rs.3,406 crores, as compared to Rs.2,424 crores in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

The consolidated revenue (net of excise) for the Nine months ended December 31, 2011, was Rs.114,747 crores posting a growth of 32.1% over Rs.86,841 crores in the corresponding period last year. The Consolidated Profit before Exceptional item and Tax was Rs 9,770 crores, posting a growth of 30.7 % over Rs.7,472 crores in the corresponding period last year. The Consolidated Profit before Tax (PBT) for the Nine months ended December 31, 2011 was Rs.9,110 crores, compared to Rs.7,526 crores for the corresponding period last year after a swing of Rs.714 crores in the period on account of Exceptional item (Exchange loss (net) including on revaluation of foreign currency borrowings, deposits and loans of Rs.660 crores in Nine months FY 2011-12 vs. gain of Rs.54 crores in Nine months FY 2010-11). The Consolidated Profit (After Tax and post minority interest and profit in respect of Associate companies) for the Nine months ended December 31, 2011 was Rs.7,283 crores, as compared to Rs.6,636 crores in the corresponding period last year.

Tata Motors Stand-alone Financial Results for the Quarter and Nine months ended December 31, 2011

Tata Motors standalone revenues (net of excise) of Rs.13,338 crores represented a growth of 18.2% over Rs.11,280 crores in the corresponding period last year. Higher marketing spends and overall cost pressures, resulted in a reduction in the operating margins to 6.7%, and an Operating Profit (EBITDA) of Rs.897 crores in the quarter, declining by 26.3% over Rs.1,217 crores in the corresponding period last year.

The PBT for the quarter is Rs.186 crores as compared to Rs.531 crores in the corresponding period last year and the PAT for the quarter is Rs.174 crores as compared to Rs.410 crores in the corresponding period last year.

The standalone revenues (net of excise) for the Nine months ended December 31, 2011, was Rs.37,916 crores posting a growth of 15.7% over Rs.32,763 crores in the corresponding period last year. During the period there was an impact of Rs.282 crores of an Exceptional item (Nine months FY 2011-12 loss of Rs.375 crores versus a loss of Rs.93 crores in Nine months FY 2010-11) as compared to the same period last year on account of exchange loss (net) including on revaluation of foreign currency borrowings, deposits and loans arising from the depreciation of Indian Rupee (INR). After the impact of Exceptional item, the Standalone Profit before Tax (PBT) for Nine months FY 2011-12 was Rs. 689 crores, compared to Rs.1,606 crores for the corresponding period last year. The Standalone Profit After Tax for Nine months FY 2011-12 was Rs.677 crores, as compared to Rs.1,239 crores in the corresponding period last year.

Tata Motors' sales (including exports) of commercial and passenger vehicles for Nine months FY 2011-12, stood at 640,334 units, representing a growth of 8.2% as compared to the corresponding period last year.

In the domestic market, the Company's commercial vehicles sales for the Quarter ended December 31, 2011, stood at 131,220 units, an increase of 15.5% over the corresponding period last year. The commercial vehicles sales for the Nine months FY 2011-12 increased by 15.5% to 374,532 units, as compared to the corresponding period last year. The Company's market share in commercial vehicles was 59.4% for Nine months FY 2011-12.

Passenger vehicles, including Fiat and Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles distributed in India, grew by 33.2% in the domestic market for the Quarter ended December 31, 2011, as compared to the corresponding period last year to 85,963 units. Sales for the Nine months FY 2011-12 declined by 2.0% to 220,574 units, as compared to the corresponding period last year. Focused network actions have positively influenced retail sales. The market share in passenger vehicles improved to 12.6% for Nine months FY 2011-12 largely driven by sales in the recent quarter. The market share in Passenger vehicles for Q3 FY 2011-12 stood at 14.6%.

Jaguar Land Rover PLC

Jaguar Land Rover sales for Nine months FY 2011-12, stood at 216,412 units, representing a growth of 21.9% as compared to the corresponding period last year supported by better product & market mix with strong growth in China & Russia. Sales for the Quarter ended December 31, 2011, grew 36.7% to 86,322 units supported by the overwhelming response to the recently launched Range Rover Evoque.

Revenues of GBP 3,746 million represented a growth of 40.9% over GBP 2,658 million in the corresponding quarter last year. Strong profit performance was supported by growth in volumes and favorable products and market mix. Operating margins for the Quarter ended December 31, 2011, stood at 20.1% and an Operating Profit (EBITDA) of GBP 752 million in the quarter, a growth of 62.8% over GBP 462 million in the corresponding quarter last year. The PBT for the quarter is GBP 559 million (GBP 300 million in the corresponding quarter last year) and the PAT for the quarter is GBP 440 million (GBP 280 million in the corresponding quarter last year).

The recently launched new products continue to receive positive response. The newly launched Range Rover Evoque, clocked approximately 32,000 wholesale units till December 2011.

Jaguar Land Rover tied up the Revolving Credit Facilty (RCF) with a consortium of banks for committed 3 -5 year credit lines of GBP 610 million which has since been upsized to GBP 710 million. This will enable Jaguar Land Rover to have access to such funding as and when required and enable optimization of cash balances, while strengthening the liquidity position.

Tata Daewoo

Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Co. Ltd. registered net revenues of Rs.704 crores, and recorded a Net loss of Rs.1 crore in the quarter ended December 31, 2011. This is mainly due to slowing down of economy which led to lower industry sales.

Tata Motors Finance

Tata Motors Finance Ltd, the Company's captive financing subsidiary, registered net revenues of Rs.524 crores and reported a Profit After Tax of Rs.71 crores in quarter ended December 31, 2011.

Source: Tata Motors

Sumo Gold pushes Tata sales

Tata Motors is upbeat over the launch of new Tata Sumo Gold. The Mumbai-based multinational auto major further expects that the new model would boost sales — and is expecting to sell 18,000 units of it by the end of the current financial year. The company is targeting rural, semi-urban market and taxi segment in the urban market with this new SUV.

Tata Sumo Gold

Tata Motors’ head (utility vehicles, product group) Ashesh Dhar said on Friday that the company initially launched the product in four markets — Maharastra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. “We got overwhelming response from all these markets,” he told BS. Prior to the launch, the company — South Asia’s largest automobile company — was selling 1,100 units of Sumo a month. “Now we are selling 3,300 units per month. Considering the sales figure, we are hopeful about selling 18,000 units of new Sumo Gold. The sales figure (including all Sumo Model combined) is likely to touch 24,000 units by the end of this fiscal,” Dhar added.

The 1945-founded Tata Motors, with auto-manufacturing and assembly plants in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar, Lucknow, Sanand, Dharwad and Pune, is targeting rural, semi-urban market and the taxi segment in urban market, he informed, adding, “We have aggressive plans to launch across India by the end of this year.”

Meanwhile, the company — earlier called Telco (Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company) — launched all new Tata Sumo Gold, the most powerful SUV in its category in Punjab and Chandigarh market. “The Tata Sumo Gold is a result of extensive consumer studies and field tests,” Dhar said.

The new Tata Sumo Gold is being launched in 4 variants — GX, EX, LX & CX — along with a warranty of 3 years or 100,000 km, whichever is earlier. Its price will be available from Rs 5.35 lakhs onwards (ex-showroom, Chandigarh).

Source: BS Motoring

Nitol group keen on Nano assembly unit in Bangladesh

With the Nano all set to hit the Bangladesh roads this February, the distributor of the Tata cars there, now plans to open talks with the Mumbai-based auto major to set up an assembly unit of the small car.

Tata Nano 2012

“Bangladesh is a viable economy. We will grow very fast here. Therefore as soon as we introduce the vehicle, in two moths we will have an idea about the market. Then we will start negotiating with Tata for the assembly plant,” Abdul Matlub Ahmed, Chairman of Nitol Group, distributor of the Tata Motors in Bangladesh said.

The Bangladeshi company has finalised the deal with Tata Motors to import and sell the Tata Nano in the country.

“We are expecting to introduce Nano in Bangladesh sometime in February. We will import about 2,000 Nano cars in the first year for the Bangladesh market. We are importing all the models and will see the market response. Then we will finally decide on the import programme on the basis of demand. Our idea is to reach at least 10,000 a year in the next couple of years,” Ahmed said.

The vehicle was scheduled to be launched in Bangladesh in October last year, but it got delayed following some pricing issues.

As high import duty will cost the common man's car about Tk 6.5 lakh (Rs 3.8 lakh), the distributor wants the car to be assembled in Bangladesh.

“Definitely an assembly unit here will be cost effective. But we are not sure about the logistics part the and the fresh investment required to make. We will have to do a lot of study,” he said.

However, Tata's spokesman declined to comment on whether the auto major has any plan to come up with an assembly unit in Bangladesh.

Although the company did not give any timeline, Tata Motors had earlier said, it was considering the option of assembling the Nano abroad through export of completely knocked down units (CKD).

The home-grown auto major started exports of completely built units (CBU) of the Nano to Sri Lanka and Nepal last year. Between April and November 2011, Tata Motors exported 1,728 units of the small car.

Apart from Bangladesh, the company plans to export the car to other Asian countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Mayanmar. It is also working on an upgraded version of the Nano for the developed markets in the US and Europe.

The car has also reportedly evinced interest from some overseas companies like the Teco Group of Taiwan, which has expressed keenness to manufacture and sell the vehicle in the respective countries.

Source: Business Standard

The Tata Indica XL Diesel Hatchback continues doing the testing rounds!

Our roving eye in the sky, EarthFusion, is back at it again, and this time around, we have a couple of spyshots of the Tata Indica XL being tested in Pune. We’ve previously as well and have even come up with a render. Curiously, Tata Motors didn’t showcase the Indica XL at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo, which could mean that it will still be some more time before this car is launched in India. The Tata Indica XL is a super stretched version of the Tata Indica hatchback, and is expected to be mainly aimed at the cabbie market.

Tata Indica XL Hatchback Spied

The Indica XL is expected to be powered by a common rail CR4 diesel engine, the likes of which powers the current Tata Indica eV2. If launched, the Tata Indica XL will not be the first Tata car to feature an elongated wheelbase. In fact, the Tata Indigo XL is a sedan based on the Indigo platform, which comes with an extended wheelbase. The Indigo XL has found more favor with the cabbie crowd than the personal car buyer thus far and this is the same direction that the Indica XL is expected to take in the future. So far, many Tata cars have been quite successful in the taxi segment.

Tata Indica XL Rendering

The Tata Indica is already a firm favorite with Indian cabbies and with the Indica XL, Tata Motors would only be hoping to make further inroads into this lucrative sector. The Indica’s biggest pluses is its frugality and access to dirt cheap spares. This will be the same strengths that the Indica XL is expected to come with. The Indica XL is expected to have a massive cabin at the rear, with plenty of space to stretch around. Rear AC vents could make it to the Indica XL, in keeping with the overall feel of spaciousness and luxury.

Source: ICB

Tata Motors to drive into Indonesia with Ace

Tata Ace

The next international stop for automobile giant Tata Motors is Indonesia where it plans to soon start assembly of the successful Ace range of light commercial vehicles.

“We are looking at Indonesia quite seriously which, in several ways, is a replica of the Indian market,” P. M. Telang, Managing Director (India Operations), Tata Motors, told The Hindu in an interview in Mumbai last week.

Asked if it will be a full scale manufacturing venture or only an assembly plant, Mr. Telang said: “It is always step-by-step. Assembly is the first step and we do see local content ratio rising rapidly as ASEAN has good amount of component infrastructure. So, we see good possibilities of growth.”

While confirming that the plan was in the near-term horizon, Mr. Telang refused to say which of the vehicles from Tata Motors' stable will be assembled in Indonesia.

A top official of the company, however, said that the Ace will be the first model that the company would assemble in the Southeast Asian country. “This will be followed by passenger vehicles,” the official said. The knocked down kits of Ace meant for assembly in Indonesia will be supplied from India. Tata Motors launched the Ace branded as “Ace Super City Giant” in Thailand in November 2010. It has an assembly plant in Bangkok as a joint venture with the Thonburi Group which assembles pick-up trucks for the Thai market.

Diesel debate

Asked about the debate over diesel cars and the government toying with the idea of imposing an extra tax on such cars, Mr. Telang said: “Diesel cars are 25-30 per cent more fuel-efficient than petrol cars. When you are looking at the rising energy bill of the country, diesel cars make eminent sense.” He pointed to a study done by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) which showed that private diesel use is less than 1 per cent of the total consumption of diesel in the country. “I think the issue is being blown out of proportion,” he said.

Source: The Hindu

Tata launches Nano Valentines Edition in Goa

2012 Tata Nano Valentines Edition

Are you looking to gift your loved one a special and a different gift which beautiful, cute and safe? Here is a chance to gift your dear one a fun loving car.

Auto Industries, Tata Motors Goa dealer has launched a special Nano Valentines Edition in Goa. A new way of saying that one loves you and cares for you.



The Nano Valentines Edition is available only on the Nano CX with added features.

The Nano Valentines Edition will be offered in 2 colours Rouge Red and Neon Rush (green) only. Only 20 units of the special edition will be made at the offer is valid only a select period or till stocks last.

The added features include:

• Integrated Tata Audio /MP3 System with USB
• A Pen drive on which one can store your favourite songs
• A Mobile phone along with a phone holder stand
• Remote Central locking
• Fog lamps
• Air freshener
• Protective Sunfilm
• Mattings and Mudflaps
• Valentine special exterior graphics

All the above costs come at an extra cost of Rs. 20,000. The Nano Valentines Edition is priced at Rs. 205,993 ex-showroom Goa.

The new 2012 Nano is powered by a 624cc which now has a power output of 38Ps and 51 on Torque.

More Images:


Source: Goa On Wheels

After Maharashtra, the Tata Nano heads to Goa to be a police car!

Tata Motors delivered a fleet of Nanos to the Mumbai police on an experimental basis to see whether the Nano would fit in well as a police car. Coming to think of it, the Tata Nano and its diminutive dimensions makes a bunch of sense considering how crowded Mumbai is as a city. Also, the Nano’s high fuel economy would mean that the city runabout would be just at home doing patrolling duties in the city that never sleeps. The inexpensive Nano costing only twice as much as a motorcycle, would also offer the Mumbai constabulary all weather protection and respite from doing patrolling duties in crowded areas by foot, as is the case currently.

Tata Nano fleet of Mumbai Police

Now, the Tata Nano hatchback is all set to head to Goa and do duty amongst the Goan cops as a police car. While Goa might not be as crowded as Mumbai, most Goan back roads are more like alleys and it is here, where a car with a narrow track like the Nano would be right at home. As has been the case with Mumbai, the Tata Nano that has been painted with Goan police colors will be an experiment to see whether it fits the rigors of being a cop car. Details on what exactly has been modified on the Tata Nano to make it a cop car remains unknown at the moment.

Tata Nano fleet of Mumbai Police

However, we’re guessing that a mount for a walkie talkie and a siren/flasher on top would be the bare minimum of the mods that the Nano would need to do cop car duty. The only downside to the cop car Tata Nano perhaps would be when the Nano will have to chase down criminals making a fast getaway. The Nano is a s-l-o-w car and though the gear ratios are just about right to stay ahead of city traffic, it would be a task in itself to chase down a criminal intent on outrunning the law. Any which ways, Goa Police becomes the second police force after the Maharashtra cops to take to the Nano for cop car duty.

Source: ICB

And the discounts only get bigger on the 2012 Tata Nano hatchback!

Tata Motors is pulling out all stops to push the Tata Nano, a practical city hatchback that is frugal and easy to park. The latest move by Tata Motors to sell the Nano is by means of a hefty discount that Tata is offering as exchange bonus for your old two wheeler of car. The exchange bonus works like this; You exchange your old two wheeler or four wheeler for the new 2012 Tata Nano. Tata Motors will pay you INR 20,000 extra, over and above the exchange value of your old two wheeler as the exchange bonus. In the same way, for four wheelers, Tata will pay you INR 25,000 extra as exchange bonus.

2012 Tata Nano

These exchange bonuses are over and above the flat 10,000 rupee cash discount that Tata is offering on all models of the 2012 Nano. Effectively, exchanging your old two wheeler will fetch you a 30,000 rupee discount on the Nano while exchanging your car will fetch you a 35,000 rupee discount on the 2012 Nano, both sizable discounts indeed. At the discounted prices, the 2012 Nano looks like a superb value proposition for folks wanting a frugal city run about that is inexpensive to buy and run as Tata does have attractive all-inclusive maintenance packages at INR 99 per month.

2012 Tata Nano LX Interiors

The 2012 Tata Nano comes in three variants, Basic, CX and LX. All three variants of the 2012 Nano have got a wide range of upgrades to improve performance as well as fuel economy. The 2012 Nano comes with a slightly more powerful engine with altered gear ratios to make the car quicker than before. Also, the improvements in the engine and transmission has meant that the Nano is now the most fuel efficient car in the country with a whopping ARAI certified mileage figure of 25.4 Kmpl. All these improvements come without any increase in price of the Nano, which has been retained at previous levels.

Source: ICB

New Tata Vista Sedan Class launched in Nepal

After receiving outstanding response and success in India, Tata Motors launched Tata Vista Sedan Class in Nepal on Tuesday.

Tata Vista Sedan Class

"With an aim to create a new breed which reinvents the conventional hatchback with an exquisite class of a sedan, the all new Vista Sedan Class has been given a complete makeover," Spiradi Trading, the authorized distributors of Tata Motors for Nepal, said in a statement.

According to the statement, Vista Sedan Class is all set to redefine the attributes of space, style, comfort, safety and fuel efficiency across all existing hatchbacks forever.

"The all new Vista showcases the progresses Tata Motors has made over the last several years of its first outing in the passenger car business in terms of design, quality, performance, technology and refinement. Compared to the other offerings in the market, the new vehicle is a significant set up over the previous generation and in line with other world class offerings," the statement added.

The Sedan has a complete new skin, height adjustable driver´s seat, tilt adjustable steering wheel, utility space in the floor console under the seat, deep glove box which can accommodate laptop, tubeless tyre, a new twist beam suspension, gas filled shock absorbers, among others.

The new Sedan comes with new features like dual SRS airbags, ABS with EBD assisted brakes, electrically controlled ORVMs, double din music system with Bluetooth and auxiliary input with steering controls, dual tone alloy wheels and keyless entry.

"The new sedan stands out from other vehicle because of its complete front design change which looks similar to Manza. New triple barrel headlamps, new grille and fog lamps now lend a classier and modern touch to the appearance up front," said the statement.

The car is powered by a range of internationally acclaimed power trains -- the new 1.3 liter Quadrajet Common Rail diesel engine and the 1.4 liter Safire MPF petrol engine manufactured by Fiat-Tata joint venture.

Siradi is providing 24 months or 7500 km warranty on Vista Sedan Class. The car is being launched at an introductory price ranging from Rs 1.89 million to Rs 2.64 million.

Source: Republica

Tata Nano sales continue to grow! Clocks 7,723 units in January 2012!

The Tata Nano’s sales have climbed for the fifth consecutive month, in a very positive sign for both the small car and its parent company, Tata Motors Limited. The Nano registered 7,723 units in January 2012, a marginal improvement over the 7,466 units that Tata Motors dispatched to Tata dealers across the country. Tata Motors recently launched the upgraded 2012 Nano, which brought in a host of improvements, right from the interiors to the gear ratios of the car, very crucially without any increase in the price of the car.

2012 Tata Nano LX

Along with the big improvement in the Nano, Tata Motors has been offering attractive discounts and down payment offers on the 2012 Nano to push sales. Another effort from Tata Motors has been the push into rural areas of India with standalone Nano kiosks, taking this budget hatchback closer to people, which seems to slowly be delivering results with sales growing steadily over the past few months. That said, the Nano is still quite a mile away from being a profitable venture for Tata Motors and this is what will be bothering the powers to be at Tata.

Small cars sell at wafer thin margins and more so the Nano, which is the least priced car, not just in India, but the whole wide world. This means that Tata isn’t really making money on the Nano considering the volumes that this car is doing. After setting up a factory plant capable of producing over 250,000 Nanos a year, more than 75% of the capacity at Tata Motors’ plan at Sanand, Gujarat is unused. Typically, Tata needs to use at least 60% of the capacity to stay profitable with the Nano. This, evidently isn’t happening currently.

The diesel Nano, which will be Tata’s hope will not be here until 2013. But before that, another option for Tata would be the CNG version of the Nano, which the automaker showcased off at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo. The Nano CNG might be good alternative to the diesel engined Nano for the time being, in bigger cities and towns at least, where CNG is more easily available. The sooner Tata makes the CNG Nano available widely, the better for the brand. Tata also showcased a Nano with disc brakes at the Auto Expo, perhaps an inkling of things to come from Tata in the future.

Source: ICB

Tata Motors is planning new marketing strategies to push Nano sales

Tata Nano 2012

The company aims to undo the 'Nano is a poor man's car' perception in the Indian market.

At the 2012 Auto Expo, Tata Group chairman, Ratan Tata admitted that there had been quite a few blunders in the way the Tata Nano was marketed and distributed in the country. To make the necessary correction and to boost the sales of the small car, the company is now gearing up to introduce new marketing and distributing strategies in the Indian market. The new strategy aims at reaching out to multiple segments of target customers and to undo the perception that the Nano is a poor man's car.

"Quite a lot of marketing activity is in place now - reaching out to the target segments, network strategy, handling the customers at the dealerships, tie-ups with various financiers." said Mr R Ramakrishna, the company's vice-president. "Every single segment is falling in place now." Ramakrishna added.

According to the company, a typical Nano buyer is relatively scared to go to a full-fledged car showroom and therefore, the company is setting up exclusive showrooms to sell Nano cars in Tier-III and Tier-IV cities across the country. Apart from the existing showrooms, Tata Motors has so far set up around 105 exclusive Nano showrooms and 250 special kiosks. Altogether, the company now has around 750 sales points where the Nano is available.



Source: On Cars

Tata Motors Gets SEC Inquiry on Exports to Africa, Middle East

Tata Motors Ltd., the Indian owner of Jaguar Land Rover, said it received an inquiry from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on some of its exports.

“The SEC wanted details of our exports to Africa and the Middle East,” Debasis Ray, a spokesman for Mumbai-based Tata Motors, said yesterday. Ray declined to name the countries that the SEC wanted information about and why the agency inquired about exports to those nations.



Tata Motors will respond to the SEC within 10 working days, the company said in a statement yesterday. It exported 58,044 vehicles, or 7.2 percent of total sales, during the year ended March 31, 2011, according to its website. The Indian company, which makes the Nano, the world’s cheapest car, doesn’t break down exports by geography.

SEC spokesman John Nester declined to comment.

Tata Motors American depositary receipts, each representing five shares, fell 1.1 percent to $19.76 at the close in New York trading.

Source: Bloomberg

The next generation Tata Manza could take design cues from Manza diesel hybrid concept!

At the 2012 Indian Auto Expo, Tata Motors showcased a diesel hybrid concept of the Manza sedan. So striking were the concept sedan’s looks that a few of our readers even remarked that Tata should begin putting the design team behind Tata’s concept cars to work for existing and future Tata production cars. That said, our sources working closely with Tata Motors new car development plans tell us that the next generation Manza could indeed borrow styling cues from the Manza diesel hybrid concept sedan showcased at the exposition.

Tata Manza Diesel Hybrid Concept - Front Look

The biggest and most prominent change on the Tata Manza Hybrid Concept was the front end. The rest of the car though retains the body shell of the Manza with the overall profile being very similar to the current production versions. The Manza Hybrid’s front end, a place where most of the action is, exhibits a sharp snout. The grille gets a sporty honeycomb effect while the headlamps are sharply raked units unlike the curved headlamps on the production model. Also, the traditional Tata smiling face is retained on the concept, making it look unmistakably Tata from the front.

Tata Manza Diesel Hybrid Concept at the 2012 Auto Expo

The style job continues to the rear as well where the Manza Hybrid concept gets smoked out tail lamps which feature a band new design along with new bumper styling. Viewed from the sides though, the Manza still retains some heavy and bulbous lines creeping in, as is the case with the existing version of the Manza. Despite this, if Tata Motors actually incorporate these styling elements in the next generation version of the Manza, the car could become one heck of a looker. All in the all, the Manza Hybrid concept looked quite ravishing with most show goers appreciating the design language that the car exhibited.

Source: ICB

Tata Nano to hit Bangladesh market next month

The Nano minicar of Indian Tata Motors will hit the Bangladesh market next month as its Bangladeshi distributor has confirmed an import deal to sell the vehicle here, the car seller said Saturday.



Chairman of Nitol Group, distributor of the Tata cars in Bangladesh, Abdul Matlub Ahmed said the first fleet of 200 Tata Nano cars will arrive in Bangladesh in February this year.

"We have confirmed the deal with Tata Motors Ltd. We will import 2,000 Nano cars per year for the Bangladesh market," said Mr Ahmed.

Managing Director of Tata Motors Ltd of India PM Telang said his company plans to export its less fuel-consuming Nano minicars to Bangladesh.

It will also export the car to Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar, said the Wall Street Journal Saturday quoting Mr Telang.

Abdul Matlub Ahmed said the retail price of a Nano car in Bangladesh market will be Tk 650,000.

The world's cheapest car Tata Nano was launched in March 2009 to sell it at 136,000 rupees in the Indian market.

Tata Motors later started to export the low-cost minicar to Nepal and Sri Lanka which is popular there, the Indian car-maker said.

Mr Matlub Ahmed said his target is the middle and lower middle-income groups of people of Bangladesh who will afford to buy the low-cost car.

He said: "I will market the maximum number of Nano outside Dhaka where a car is still a far cry for a family. The people of small towns will be my first target for selling the cars."

The Nitol Group chairman said he has a plan to boost the annual sales of Nano in the Bangladesh market from 2,000 units to 12,000 units within the next four years.

"I have a plan to convince the Tata Motors India to set a Nano manufacturing plant here in Bangladesh to meet the demand," he added.



He said: "The price will come down once we start assembling the car here. Tata has a plan to manufacture the car in Bangladesh if it becomes popular here."

"We anticipate that the Nano will be very popular because it is extremely fuel efficient. You can drive more than 25 kilometres (15.5 miles) with a litre of gasoline," said the chief of the Nitol Motors.

Mr Telang said his company is likely to take a decision in the next three or four months on setting up the second commercial vehicle assembly plant overseas.

Outside India, the Indian car-maker has an assembling unit in South Africa.

Source: The Financial Express BD

Tata Nano Diesel ain’t coming anytime soon, instead how about the Nano CNG

Tata Nano CNG

Bad news first. The Tata Nano Diesel might not see a commercial launch anytime too soon with word emerging from Tata Motors that the diesel variant is at least a year away from a launch. While this would come as a bummer to many a prospective owner of the  Tata Nano Diesel, there’s still some cheer left. Tata Motors has put together a CNG variant of the Nano, and with CNG being much cheaper than petrol could still be a very sensible option for folks who want a very frugal and eco-friendly form of four wheeled personal transport.

Currently though, the Nano CNG is more of a concept that showcases Tata Motors’ growing capability of delivering cars with alternate fuel technology. Even so, the concept could become a reality as it fits right within the strengths of the Tata Nano. Coming to think of it, the Nano is primarily a city car although the cute little runabout would do just as fine on the highways. In most Indian cities, CNG is quickly becoming accessible and hence, a car with CNG will not just be non polluting but also frugal and convenient to run in most big cities, prime potential market for the Nano.

Tata Nano CNG Concept - Technical Specification

Important Key Features of Tata Nano CNG:

• The Nano CNG concept will be a Bi-fuel Car that can run on both petrol as well as CNG.
• The CNG tank has been packaged in such a way that it doesn’t intrude on the luggage space of the Nano.
• The components for the CNG kit have been sourced from world class suppliers.
• The Nano CNG will have a CNG cut off system in case of even a slight leak.
• The Nano CNG will use the highly efficient controlled sequential gas injection kit.
• The Nano CNG’s driver will be able to seamlessly switch between petrol and CNG modes.

Source: ICB

2012 AUTO EXPO - Tata Ultra unveiled!

Tata Ultra LCV Range unvieled

Tata Motors has unveiled their new range of Light Commercial Vehicles at the 2012 Auto Expo. The Tata Ultra is a more modern LCV, that has more contemporary features and looks and is essentially the new-generation Tata 407.

The Ultra LCV range will have variants between 5 and 14 tonnes that will be powered by new generation 3.0-litre engines that make 138 bhp and 5.0-litre engines that make 168 bhp. The engines are common-rail DiCOR 16 valve engines. The new ultra range is very modern looking and has a load cab body keeping in trend with contemporary CV design. The new ultra also has clear lens headlamps, new instrument cluster that indicates current mileage and full trip mileage. To make things easier for the driver, power steering as well as integrated headrests are also included. The steering is hydraulic and the steering wheel is adjustable for reach as well as rake, it is also collapsible. Cabin tilt is present too.

The Ultra range also is one of the first light commercial vehicles to come with radial tyres and disc brakes on all wheels.

Tata motors also unveiled an Ace EX with a new front fascia. This LCV comes with new headlamps, new grille and 13-inch tyres as compared to the 12-inchers on the old Ace. It comes with a 5-speed gearbox as opposed to the 4-speed unit in the old one. It gives a 1-1.5 kpl benefit as compared to the old model. It also has new seat fabric, a new insrument cluster, mobile charging point.

Tata Motors also displayed a diesel hybrid based on the Manza. It comes with a floating gear selector like in the Jaguar XF.



They also featured the LPT323 which is India's first 5-axle rigid truck. It can carry loads up to 25 tonnes which can is excellent for moving steel and construction equipment

Source: Business Standard Motoring

Tatas look at manufacturing JLR models in India

Bouyed by the response, Tata Motors today said that the company was looking at synergising functions with its UK-based subsidiary Jaguar-Land Rover and indicated at setting up a manufacturing facility for the two iconic brands in India.



"We started assembling models of Land Rover here... looking at manufacturing down the road. Economies and skills of India will be available and we do have access to technology in JLR today," Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Motors, said.

When asked whether Tata Motors is looking to acquire any other global brand, he said, "We have no plan to shop around, nor do we have any specific brands that we want to acquire."

The auto major is looking at manufacturing and not just assembling Land Rovers in India. "We are in discussions with Fiat for engine supply and other joint venture possibility ahead," Tata told reporters.

Acquisition of JLR in 2008 has put Tata Motors on the map of international market, he said, adding that 50-60 per cent revenues come from outside and the company has maintained its share in the Indian market.

To a query that whether the group would be listing the JLR subsidiary separately on bourses, Tata said no and also ruled out merging JLR brand with others.

Early last year, Jaguar Land Rover, the UK-based unit of Tata Motors Ltd, opened its first assembly plant in India at Pune to assemble sports utility vehicle Land Rover's Freelander 2 from completely knocked down kits shipped from the Halewood manufacturing plant in Liverpool, UK.

JLR sells imported XJ, XF and XK sedans from the Jaguar range in India and the Freelander, Discovery and Range Rover SUVs from Land Rover.



In 2008, Tata Motors had acquired Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford Motor Co for $ 2.3 billion.

Later, Tata Motors had annunced that initiatives have been taken on joint development programmes for engines, vehicles and platforms, which would leverage skills of the company - Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover - resulting in synergies in operations of the company and its subsidiary.

Source: Economic Times

Tata Plans to Export Nano to Bangladesh, Southeast Asia

Tata Nano

Tata Motors Ltd. plans to export its Nano minicars to Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar, the company's India managing director P.M. Telang told reporters Friday.

He didn't give any timeframe for the exports.

Mr. Telang added that the company is likely to take a decision in the next three or four months on setting up a second commercial vehicle assembly plant overseas.

It now has a plant in South Africa for assembling such vehicles.

Separately, Ravi Pisharody, president of Tata's commercial vehicle business unit, said the company plans to introduce a new range of light trucks in India.

"The new range may co-exist with Tata Motors' existing range of commercial vehicles," he added.

Source: The Wall Street Journal