Tata cuts expenditure; Prima and other future models delayed
The acquisition of Jaguar-Land Rover by the Tata's for $2.3 Bn was a costly mistake. It recently posted the first loss in 8 years. So the end result? Guess what! No funds for new projects.
The recently-unveiled (during 2009 Geneva Auto Show) D-segment sedan Prima has been put on hold. However, Tata Motors is gearing up to roll out the sedan version of the Indica Vista by Q1 FY10. It will be manufactured at the new Fiat-Tata joint venture plant at Ranjangaon and is expected to be priced at around Rs. 5 lakh. (Swift Dzire are you listening?).
The main highlight of the Indigo Vista would be inclusion of the popular 1.3 Multijet engine from Fiat in its line up and the use of Linea's technology like Blue&Me for Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
Tata Motors will also be rolling out the crossover viz 'Indicruz'. It is currently being tested in the UK and is expected to debut sometime early next year. It would sport the same 2.2 VTT DICOR engine that does duty in the present Safari and priced in the range of Rs. 7-11 lakh.
Some serious competition is heading your way Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo! Keep your eyes open.
