Report - Tata's mega plans for Indonesia unravelled
Our friend who is a South East Asian car industry expert (authors a sound blog - autoindustrie) was kind enough to help with this series of translations.
Yesterday night one of our readers from Indonesia sent us a few links. When we opened it, we could not understand a thing. We knew this was something big, so we used google translator, and that did not help in any which way.
So we got our good friend to help us out since he knows Indonesian, and here's Tata Motors' plans for Indonesia -
http://oto.detik.com/read/2009/08/10/162952/1180663/648/tata-punya-kans-besar-di-ri
Well this is saying that Tata has high potential for expansion in Indonesia if they get the product positioning correct. It says Tata is a conservative company that is reluctant to expand overseas unless it is fully confident of its product quality. Tata is honest to admit that there are still many short falls in its product. The author likens Tata today facing the same challenges faced Hyundai did in North America just a few decades ago.
The earliest Tata entry into the Indonesian market is expected by 2010 - with the Xenon Double Cab pick-up truck, Sumo Grande SUV. There is also a possibility for the Nano to be introduced.
http://oto.detik.com/read/2009/08/10/151139/1180597/648/sumo-grande-akan-ramaikan-pasar-suv-tahun-2010
This repeats many of the points above, but added that in a recent trade expo called "Made in India," an Area Manager for Tata Motors who wished to remain anonymous has confirmed that the Sumo Grande SUV will be launched earliest by 2010. The plan is to enter the Indonesian market with a two product line-up (Xenon truck and Sumo Grande SUV). The Sumo Grande is already currently on sale in Thailand, at an equivalent price of 180 million Indonesian Rupiahs. Built in India, the Sumo Grande will compete against a wide variety of SUVs in Indonesia including Honda CR-V, Chevy Captiva, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Nissan X-Trail (personally I highly doubt that - I believe it will be marketed as a work horse commercial vehicle rather than a privately registered SUV).
http://oto.detik.com/read/2009/08/10/121707/1180440/648/sebelum-nano-tata-hadirkan-xenon-dulu
This says that Tata have already started exhibiting the Xenon in Indonesia. At the moment, the Xenon is already on sale in Thailand with a 2.2 litre common rail diesel turbo at an equivalent price of 160 million Indonesian Rupiahs. The specs for the Indonesian Xenon is still not confirmed as Tata is still studying the Indonesian market condition.