BUDGET 2000
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
COMMENTARY
GOVT&ECONOMY
Y2K: BIZ FEATURES
INDIA & THE WTO
CREDIT POLICY
BIZ IN THE USA
CARS & MOBIKES
MANAGEMENT
CASE STUDY
BIZ-QUIZ
USEFUL INFO
ARCHIVES
NEWSLINKS
SEARCH REDIFF

Tata Engineering to upgrade Indica by April-end

Tata Engineering is working towards introducing two new petrol-driven variants of its small car Indica, powered by a multi-point fuel injection engine, by the end of this month.

The new cars would be Euro-II emission norm compliant, company sources said.

Senior company executive Rajiv Dubey confirmed the plans but refused to state a time-frame for introduction of the new models. ''We will be introducing at least two new MPFI versions of the petrol Indica soon... We won't be able to disclose anything else about the launch schedule or the indicative price at present,'' he said.

The 75bhp MPFI Indica is being rolled out to meet the new Euro-II emission norms which have come into effect beginning April 1, 2000. The Indica's diesel version is already Euro-II compliant, he added.

Meanwhile, riding on increased demand for its small car, the company has sold 7,270 units of the Indica in March 2000, making Indica the second largest selling car in the small car segment.

The company, however, missed the 60,000 total sales target for the year having sold 57,160 cars till March 2000. The company also exported 510 units during the fiscal.

The company had completed its booking commitments in December 1999 and is selling on an average nearly 5,900 cars per month.

In January 2000, Tata Engineering had announced standardisation of the 5-speed gearbox across its models and also launched the Euro-II diesel model of the Indica. The car is currently retailed through 56 dealers in the domestic market.

It may be recalled that Tata Engineering had earlier this year announced its foray into the luxury segment of the passenger car market with the 1900cc Magna.

The car, to be available in both petrol and diesel versions, would be the flagship car of the Telco portfolio. To be priced between the Mitsubishi Lancer and the Mercedes E-class, the car would also be available in higher powered engine versions.

The Magna is a rear-wheel drive Sedan, powered by a two-litre engine. The car has been developed with different trim levels.

The company is also studying the feasibility of introducing a mid-size offering on the Indica platform. Studies are on but no definite time-frame has been set for the launch.

Besides, the company had also unveiled a two-seater concept sports car called 'Aria' on the Indica patform . Developed along with IDEA of Italy, the car has been conceived with a 140hp, four-cylinder engine and a maximum speed of 225 kilometre/hour.

The car is without a roof, with a 16-inch alloy wheel, low-profile tyres and rollover bars for driver and passenger.

Indica's race with foreign machines continues

Business