The Tata group chairman has gone on record to say that the vehicle will "not be a scooter, threewheeler or an auto-rickshaw made into a car." And it will not be a totally stripped down car either though in terms of finish or horse power, it won't match up to the bigger cars in the marquee. Ratan Tata has been quoted saying that the car would have "continuously variable transmission (CVT) technology, " which would mean driving without changing gear.Although Tata group is likely to source the CVT initially from a global Tier One vendor , it will develop the next gen version in-house to keep costs in check.
Of course the Tata stable isn't just focussing on the Rs 1 lakh car project which has been code-named X3. According to sources in the auto industry , the company's under-development new Indica platform (codenamed X1) will target the top-end of the B-segment to take on rivals like the Swift and Getz while the current product, in a tweaked avatar, will attack Maruti's best-seller Alto at the lower end of the B-seg food chain. The company will use the new Indica , existing Indica and the people's car to attack the entire small car price range.
As for the aggressive pricing, that isn't something that the company has finalised though. Of course, vendors shortlisted for the project say that the company is demanding and getting a good 20% discount on current rates on the back of big volume orders. Which, analysts say, means Tata Motors is very serious about sticking to the Rs 1 lakh moniker.
However, sources indicate that the car may end up sporting an exshowroom price of close to Rs 1.25-1 .5 lakh. "It should bridge the gap between a premium motorcycle and an entry level car," Tata had said in one of his earlier interviews. But even at that price it's all about cost that's driving the project.
Vendor sources say Tata Steel is slated to supply the cold-rolled steel for the car body from its Jamshedpur plant and Tata Metallics will provide the grey iron castings for the chassis.
As for its debut date, the group chairman has gone on record to say that the project is behind schedule because of the political problems at the proposed mother plant in Singur , West Bengal.
He however also added that the team was working overtime to make up for lost time. Which means the car will, in all probability, debut in 2008 though whether it will be in the first half or later that year or in the last quarter of the calendar is of course anybody's guess.
As for its body specs, the car, say international media reports, will be as big as the Volkswagen Rabbit though one-fifth as powerful. And it will be cute if the Indica's styling DNA is anything to go by. That's about all that's available on the people's car right now. We promise to keep you posted on anything else that we can pick up along the way. Till the car actually premieres that is.
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Source: ET
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