Return
to Story Page
To print: Select File and then Print from your
browser's menu
Our Bureau
PUNE, Dec 21: The first Tata Indica rolled out of the Telco plant here on Monday. The car makes its official launch in Mumbai on December 30 while bookings will open on January 14.
Deliveries of the Indica are expected to begin by the first week of February. The number of bookings will be confined to 10,000. Telco will offer an 18-month, unlimited mileage warranty which is unique in the automobile industry.
Telco still has not finalised the price of the 1400cc car which will come in eight colours and four versions -- a standard petrol and diesel, diesel with air conditioning and a high-end diesel model which will have added frills like power steering/windows etc.
Analysts believe that the petrol version could have an on-road price in Mumbai of around Rs 2.7 lakh, while the three diesel counterparts will be in the range of Rs 3.2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. This would mean that the price umbrella would effectively cover all models from the Maruti 800, Uno, Santro, Matiz to the Zen.
"I am particularly delightedtoday as it marks the fulfilment of a promise...giving India a car designed here... a car meant for the country," company chairman Ratan Tata said at a press conference held later during the day.
Telco has indicated that it will produce 10,000 cars till the end of March this year, going up to 40,000 in the next fiscal. "We will concentrate on the local market first before thinking of exports," Tata said. He added that introducing other variants of the Indica like the estate and sedan was also on the cards though it was difficult to say when this would be done.
Telco has planned a slew of attractive financing schemes for the Indica in tandem with Tata Finance and ANZ Grindlays. One proposal being considered involves giving the car on lease for a particular period after which the consumer could either return the vehicle to the company or pay a certain sum to be able to own it.
The test drive at the plant indicated that the Indica lives up to its promise of being a car designed for Indian conditions ratherthan one adapted to them. Perhaps the greatest plus is the car's remarkable stability at high speeds. The Maruti 800 shudders at speeds of over 100 kmph while the Daewoo Matiz feels a touch too light. Not the Indica.
Tipping the balance at 980 kg (almost a tonne), the Indica has a very firm grip on the road and the driver feels completely in control -- on the straights and on the bends. With price still an unknown factor, it is difficult to precisely slot the Indica in any category of current cars.
It handles much better than the Maruti 800 and is much more roomy though its fuel efficiency may be a notch or two below. This is because it has a powerful 1400cc engine. But substitute diesel for petrol and the Indica is even better value-for-money than the 800.
Both the Matiz and Santro score well on "driving" attributes but assuming the basic Indica model will be priced below the two, these pale into insignificance.
Overall, the Indica scores on all attributes of value to Indian consumers -- more legspace, power and luggage area. Fuel efficiency is a weak point for the petrol Indica which means that its diesel version is the real winner. This factor could have prompted Telco to settle for a larger output of diesel Indicas in the initial stages (70:30) though this could change in the future depending on market reaction to the car.
Telco is, incidentally, planning to introduce a mid-size car for the Indian market for which work is underway in full swing. The car, sources say, could be fitted with a 1900 cc diesel engine and analysts believe that it will have the advantage of being competitively priced thanks to its high local content. However, there is no indication when the car will make its debut especially with the current slowdown in the mid-size segment.
A press release issued by the company states that the Indica will be sold initially through a network of 51 dealers spread over 38 cities. All these dealers have been provided separate facilities for the passenger car segment and have undergonecomprehensive training at the Telco facilities. The dealership network is augmented by 100 Telco-authorised service centres snd service points.
The Tatas, it may be recalled, have entered into a joint venture with Jardine International Motors for retailing the Telco range of passenger cars in India, including the Indica. The release adds that the car has been conceptualised, designed and engineered in Pune at Telco's engineering research centre. Using the latest in CAD/CAM technology, it has taken tyhe company less than 31 months between its concept freeze to launch.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
------------------------------------------------------------