Common rail diesel now gets even more Common :Tata Indigo CS dicor

Thanks to Tata Motors we have some of the cheapest common rail diesel's in India[in terms of pricing that is]and Tata have not been shy to highlight that.

It was just natural that the smallest sedan in the world[incidentally Tata's golden goose for the moment] also got a common rail diesel engine.Besides the engine change there seems to be a minor facelift too in the Indigo cs with new thinner bumpers,a new front grille and new headlamps.Bringing out a facelifted model seems to be the favourite pastime of engineers at Tata Motors.The suspension too seem to have been tweaked and there is a slight improvement in ride quality according to the reviewers from dna money who incidentally found the AC performance unsatisfactory[Now AC of the indigo/indica was amongst the best so don't know what happened there]

Like with the indigo/indica platform the indica cs too has the awkard driving position problem one which Tata has not rectified since the past ten years.

The indigo CS is available only in the LS variant[power steering + AC standard].

[source:Sify]

Lack of New Models Hurts Tata Motors badly

Hyundai motors has just overtaken Tata Motors to become the second largest passenger car manufacturer in India.

So what is ailing tata motors.You dont need to be an einstein to figure out what the problem is.Tata motor have not introduced new models in the market for a long time and the overuse of the indica platform is coming to haunt tata motors.

Tata has been using the present indica platform since the past ten years now and although the 2008 indica has come a long way since the first indica in 2008 there has been no drastic change for the past ten years to speak off.A Ten year shelflife is way too long for a car

Then there is the question of quality,Tata aren't renowed for their quality and they have done nothing to improve this perception.Niggles are part and parcel of a Tata car owner's even in this generation where nothing but zero defects is acceptable,perhaps Tata motors could learn a thing or two from TCS.

Lastly tata cars[leaving aside the safari] have all taken up the taxi tag and individual buyers think twice before buying a car from Tata Motors only because of the Taxi tag.

However Hyundai may not be able to hold on to this position for long though as in terms of sheer volume alone the Nano would help tata motors zoom past hyundai and even maruti suzuki.That said Tata motors does need to pull up its socks if it has to survive in this highly competitve industry where things are only going to get tougher.

Toyota's small car for India

Yes Toyota's finally ready with some plans for India.As Maruti have pointed out there is a much bigger segment of customers wanting to upgrade to sedans in India but are unable to afford the present offerings or the present models aren't up to their standards.Toyota too have realised this and they have plans to take on the Indigo CS by ensuring their sedan is less than 4 metres long and is powered by a 1.4L diesel egine or a 1.2L petrol engine.However what should be noted is that there are chances this car may not exactly fit the description of what you call a sedan,there may be a bit of a change.

The car would be ready by 2010 and by then everybody else in India[Honda included] would be well established making it that much more difficult for toyota to win over customers.Hence a lot of homework is being done since given the importance of this vehicle for toyota to establish itself in India.The car would be manufactured in India and exported to other markets as well.

Pricing expectations Rs. 5-7 lakhs.

All the best to toyota but makes you wonder if it is too little too late.

Spy pictures of the Next generation Tata Indigo

Autocar India reader tushky has captured exclusive pictures of the next generation Tata Indigo.The car is heavily camouflaged and it has done its job well.Cant really tell much about the car from these pictures but yes the car is based very much on the next generation Tata Indica[V3 as some call it].

Both the Indica and Indigo third generation variants are going to be launched later this year and may very well coexist with the older generation models like the current Sumo and its Grande Avatar.

The pictures remind me of a Peugeot and perhaps even a hint of the Fiat Linea though can't really say too much.The boot looks a bit awkward to me perhaps its more to do with the test car.Well done Tushky and Tata.

Here is the link to the spy pictures of the third generation Indigo:
New Tata Indigo

Also read:
Tata unveil third generation Indica[v3]

Maruti all set to kill the SX4

Update:
Opinion changed,Read the Maruti Dzire review first.

Economictimes has put up further details of the swift sedan and Maruti is all set to storm the markets with the swift sedan,especially the diesel variant.The most interesting fact is that the swift sedan is projected to have a base price less than the Mahindra Logan as well as the Tata Indigo dicor[common rail].The diesel car[starting price] would be priced between 5.2 lakhs and 5.4 lakhs while the petrol[starting price] would be under 5 lakhs.

Another interesting observation is that yes there would be a ZDi version[i.e. a version offering ABS+airbags,climate control,integrated music system[most probably with steering based controls as well],alloy wheels and all the other stuff available on the Maruti SX4.There would be two engine variants a 1.3L petrol version and the multijet 1.3L diesel.

This brings to mind a very important question ,why go ahead with the Maruti sx4 instead of the swift sedan ? What is that one big thing which would differentiate the Swift Sedan[dzire] and the SX4 .The swift sedan diesel is more than adequate on the power front while being much more frugal when it comes to your fuel bills.The initial cost too is less and the most important part is that because the swift and the SX4 share so much it would not be so different from inside both the cabins.Yes you say space but trust me you could sacrifice that easily,as it is not an enormous difference.I don't know how the swift sedan will be to drive but something tells me city folks would appreciate the dzire more than the SX4.Even the best marketing guy will have a tough time keeping a customer away from the swift sedan and instead sell him an SX4.For the "Aam Aadmi" after all why pay such a hefty premium for the SX4 when there is little to choose between the two and in all possibility the interior of both the cars would be identical.

I am sorry to say but Maruti is all set to shoot itself in the foot for the greed for additional customers.The swift sedan will undoubtedly kill brand SX4 and the success Maruti did achieve with selling a premium[better put as expensive] car.Future customers of premium cars of Maruti are certainly not getting any positive signals.The SX4 is all set to go the Baleno way,the countdown has begun.

[Image source:Yahoo autos]

Also read:
Maruti to launch Swift sedan on March 6th 2008[Edit:Now 26th March]

Review of the Maruti Dzire.

Tata Indigo CS not for the beauty conscious

I was able to spot two Indigo CS which where being tested by Tata and if people called the Indigo boot odd don't know what they would say about the Indigo CS.This car would not score very high in the looks department,pictures do not tell the whole story you should see this car in person.Not surprisingly,its the rear section of the car which you don't want to look at.

However expect the Indigo CS to give better mileage[FE] than the Indigo[full sized] and that is after what will matter the most in this segment.What is commendable is that we get a sedan for under Rs. 4 lakhs and it has very good bootspace although looks suggest otherwise.The Indigo CS is the smallest sedan in the world and driving and parking it would not be very different from its brother the Indica[a hatchback].This car in all probability would be cheaper than the third generation Indica expected soon on the roads and it would be interesting to see which of the two people would prefer.As far as the Logan is concerned Tata is really going for the kill,I am just wondering how Mahindra Renault would respond.

Another car which I saw under test was the good old Tata safari,now was it a test mule for something else or an export model I have no idea but visually there were no changes on this test vehicle.

Tata reveal all new Sumo and the Compact Indigo at the Auto Expo

Tata have revealed an all new sumo [based on the new tata xenon , pickup truck from tata].The new vehicle is a mix of an Muv and an Suv and looks definitely to be an improvement over its predecesor.Tata says there is a big difference in ride and handling,while the sumo would be powered by a 2.2L dicor engine[specs awaited].Will post the pics of the sumo as soon as I get my hands on it but for the moment can say it has a touch of the Mitsubishi Montero to it.The wheelbase of the Sumo grande has increased to 2550mm as compared to 2400mm of the Sumo victa.The sumo would be available for sale next month onwards and is expected to be priced between Rs. 6.55 lakhs and 7.5lakhs.The new Sumo is called the Sumo Grande.

Unconfirmed yet but according to media reports,its the same 2.2L VTT dicor engine as on the safari for the sumo as well[if that's the case who needs the safari,the sumo being relatively smaller than the safari may seem more powerful and may even be fun to drive].Toyota[innova] and Chevrolet[Tavera] really need to get in better engines,the competitors have all raised the bar.

Tata also revealed a compact version of the Indigo with minor changes which have made the car eligible for the 8% excise duty rebate.This means this version called the Indigo CS would be a cheaper option for consumers who are looking at a sedan but can't afford the present Indigo.The car will have a 1.2Lpetrol engine as well as a 1.4L diesel engine option.Further details awiated.

Image from worldcarfans

Press release from Tata Motors:

Indigo CS (Compact Sedan): The world’s first sub four-metre sedan, the Tata Indigo CS is positioned as the first car for young professionals. It carries forward the cabin seating comfort and space package, that is now closely associated with the Indigo range and a capacious 400 litre boot. Clever and efficient design has made it possible to encapsulate this entire package within the four metre length, making this car a complete package to address the combined demands of space and manoeuvrability in our congested cities. The Indigo CS sports a stylish new tail light cluster in the rear embedded in a smart new rear profile completed with a new, trimmer rear bumper. The front of the car has also been visually differentiated with a new front grille and new headlamps.

The new car is available in both petrol and diesel variants. The petrol variant is equipped with a multi-point fuel injection engine powered by a 32bit microprocessor and churns out a maximum power of 65PS @ 5200 rpm. The diesel variant comes with the turbo-charged intercooled engine that generates 70PS @ 4500 rpm. The petrol variants will have beige interiors, while the diesel variants will have black interiors. The Indigo CS will be available in two trim levels – a basic AC model & an AC, power steering model. It will be made available in an exciting new Scarlet Red colour, apart from the existing range of Indigo shades. Priced attractively, the car goes on sale mid-January 2008.
*********************************************************************************

Sumo Grande: The new Sumo Grande combines the looks of an SUV with the comforts of a family car. It has been specifically designed to satisfy the needs of city customers in the areas of driveability, manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency. The Sumo Grande sports an all new styling with clean chiselled looks mating with flowing contours. The tall aggressive stance is complimented by large clear headlamps, and a cutaway air dam in the front. The clean rear look, with the spare wheel tucked under the body, is accentuated by attractive tail lights and a chrome overlay.

Designed with a longer wheelbase of 2550 mm (existing 2400 mm), the Sumo Grande sports comfortable 3 row seating with best in class third row seats. Beige interiors are complimented by fire and stain resistant fabric upholstery. Dual HVAC with roof integrated louvers ensures personalised climate adjustment for the occupants in each row. Power steering, power windows, motorised ORVMs, height adjustable driver’s seat and a state of the art CD/MP3 music system further add to the comforts and convenience of a family traveling in the Sumo Grande. The vehicle is powered by the new generation 2.2 L direct injection common rail (DICOR) engine, fitted with a variable geometry turbocharger creating a perfect blend of performance and fuel efficiency. Maximum power and torque of 120 PS and 250 Nm, coupled with high torque levels over a wide RPM band enhance driveability in stop start city traffic. For a vehicle its size, the Sumo Grande is extremely manoeuvrable with the turning circle radius of 5.25 m, similar to a small car.

The Sumo Grande will be available in 3 variants – Lx, Ex and Gx -- all of which have two seating configurations – 6+1 and 7+1. The vehicle will be available in 7 colours, including 4 new shades, Sunset Orange, Zephyr Green, Mineral Red and Marine Blue. The Sumo Grande range is priced in the range of Rs.6.55 lakhs to Rs.7.49 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). It comes with an enhanced warranty of 2 years or 75000 kms. (whichever is earlier). An additional 2 years’ warranty can be availed through the extended warranty option. The vehicle will be available in showrooms across the country from the first week of February 2008.

In the Aftermath of the Renault-Mahindra split should you buy the Logan

For quite some time we could see that the Renault-Mahindra JV was not exactly a happy marriage and there where differences in opinion,like for instance Mahindra did not agree with the one lakh car concept which Renault is interested in.The fact that the Logan did not really do well only added fuel to the fire.Then ofcourse Renault tied up with other manufacturers and in all probability could actually compete with Mahindra for Light commercial vehicles.Some believe Nissan may compete with Mahindra in the SUV/MUV space as well.

Predictably Mahindra pulled out of the JV but they say they would continue their co-operation with regards to the Logan.So should you go and buy the Logan.In my opinion no.The company itself seems so confused and don't know about the future prospects as to who would take care of the Logan customers.Which dealerships would cater to the Logan in future.The car itself in its first year is now depending on heavy discounting and ads so what would happen in a few years time.

However if you are the type who would change your car in the next few years but don't mind drop in resale value then you could consider the Logan.Also if you plan to use the car as a taxi then it could be the perfect vehicle with its high FE and low maintainance costs.If you are not one of these then its best to play it safe and look at the other options,one car business models for manufacturers has so far proven not to be a successful one.

Mahindra Logan now available with a Rs.35000-40000 Discount

When the Logan was launched most unbiased auto experts had pointed out the fact that for the Indian markets the Logan was overpriced.Mahindra wanted to fetch a premium on a cheap car so what was the end result.Apart from a month where Mahindra over enthusiastically claimed it as India's largest selling sedan the Logan has not really gone down well with the Indian consumers. Logan's failure could be one of the major reasons Mahindra kept away from the cheap hatch which renault planned to bring to India[Now bajaj will partner Renault for the same].

Mahindra also did not want the car to cater to the taxi segment according to their initial press release but now they are doing a complete U-turn and expect a major chunk of sales from the Taxi segment.The logan[diesel gives exceptional mileage,highway 21-22kmpl is what I heard last] and this is could attract the taxi segment and so also the low maintainance costs.Now to boost sales Mahindra are all set to offer a discount of about 35000-40000 on the Logan[must add that is a pretty high figure for a newly launched car].That means bad news for the earlier customers in terms of resale value.Also mostly likely this car could go the Indica way and be a tourist car favorite.

The Logan has important lessons for the Automobile manufacturers in India.The Indian buyer is getting more and more smarter,Don't think that we would just lap up cars for the third world anymore just because they are[rather appear to be] reasonably cheap.

As for the Logan after this discount the car now is within striking distance of the Tata Indigo[a place where it always should have been in the first place] now expect a boost in sales mostly at the cost of the Indigo but that joy may be short lived ones competitors launch new vehicles[includes Tata who plan a revamp of the Indigo as well]