Low market sentiments have prompted a 20% decline in the domestic sales of Tata Motors in India. In April this year, the auto manufacturer reported a combined commercial and passenger vehicle sales of 42,577 units. In April 2018, this figure stood at 53,511 units. Individually, the domestic passenger vehicle sales for the company during the month of April 2019 stood at 12,694 units. During the same month last year, the sales figures were 17,235 units, hence reporting a decline of 26%. The commercial vehicle sales, however, witnessed an 18% decline from 36,276 units in April 2018 to 29,883 units in April 2019.
In other news, Tata Motors is currently prepping up to launch its all-new premium hatchback, the Altroz in the Indian market. The vehicle made its public debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Based on Tata’s ALPHA architecture, the Altroz is going to compete against the likes of Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazz. So far, Tata has not revealed any specific details regarding this vehicle.
The Altroz is expected to launch in India sometime during the second half of 2019, around festive season this year. It is likely to offer two petrol engine options. One is going to be the naturally aspirated, 3-cylinder motor borrowed from the Tiago hatchback. While the other is going to be its turbocharged cousin borrowed from the Nexon sub-compact SUV. Transmission options are likely to include a 5-speed and a 6-speed manual transmission. Whether the Altroz is going to get a diesel engine in its portfolio remains to be seen.
On the inside, the Tata Altroz is going to get an all-new dashboard design. The feature list of this hatchback will include a touchscreen infotainment system, steering mounted audio controls, automatic climate control to name a few. In terms of safety, apart from having a body structure which is compatible with the upcoming safety regulations, the Altroz will pack in several safety features as standard. These will include dual-airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, high-speed alert system along with driver and passenger seat belt warning system.
