Tata launches new Safari Storme at a starting price of Rs 9.95 lakh

After the launch of a Manza variant on Tuesday, Tata Motors on Wednesday launched the new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Tata Safari Storme at a starting price of Rs 9.95 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

 

While the base model 4X2 LX is available at Rs 9.95 lakh, 4X2 EX comes for Rs 10.77 lakh, 4X2 VX for Rs 12.37 lakh and 4x4 VX for Rs 13.66 lakh. Tata Safari Storme was first unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

With underpinnings and engine from the Aria, the new Tata Safari Storme will kick up a storm in the entry level SUV market in India. The new Safari Storme is a more modern vehicle than its predecessor.

Its Aria-derived chassis and suspension and 2.2-litre DiCOR engine will ensure better drive dynamics and better refinement and response respectively.

The engine churns out 140PS of power and 320Nm of torque. The five-speed gearbox has been tweaked to deliver a better driving experience. Other improvements include a shorter turning radius and disc brakes all round.

 

 

The new Tata Safari Storme does not look too different from the current Safari but the bold and rugged look has been swapped for a somewhat more corporate look.

 

The headlights get a swept back design and a large chrome strip over the front grille stretches partly over the headlights as well. 

 

It gets projector headlamps and a honeycomb front grille that is fairly wide but a tad characterless with its flat contour.

 

 

It gets different side cladding and a new side step but the rest of the body structure remains the same. 

Styling updates at the rear include a new rear windshield, tail lights and twin chrome-tipped tailpipes. The biggest change is that the spare wheel is no more mounted on the tailgate.

 

In its place is a silver colour strip just below the rear windshield that is garnished with a strip of chrome, below which is the slot of the rear number plate.

 

 

The four-wheel drive system on the Safari Storme is an electronic shift on the fly mechanism complete with a limited-slip differential. The new Tata Safari Storme will be available in seven colours, namely, Urban bronze, Astern black, Pearl champagne, Sardinia red, Pearl white, Arctic white and Arctic silver.

The Safari Storme won't have it easy in the market with competition from the Renault Duster and the Mahindra Scorpio.

M&M Ssangyong Rexton diesel SUV launched in India; priced at Rs 17.67-19.67L

Auto major Mahindra and Mahindra launched its high-end sports utility vehicle Rexton in India on Wednesday in partnership with SsangYong motors. 

Ssangyong Rexton will be available only in diesel option. 

M&M joins the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Yeti, Honda CRV, Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Endeavour in the premium SUV space.

Around 2,500 premium SUVs are sold every month in India, with Toyota's Fortuner alone accounting for around 1,300 units.

The company has priced the Rexton very competitively taking this very competition into consideration. "A manual model of the sports utility vehicle (SUV) is priced at Rs 17.67 lakh ex-Mumbai and the automatic version at Rs 19.67 lakh," M&M president, automotive and farm equipment, Pawan Goenka said at the launch. It is of course an introductory price, which will be likely revised after the festive season.

The all wheel drive Rexton will be powered by a 2.7 litre engine delivering 184 bhp and 402Nm torque in the automatic transmission and 162 bhp and 340Nm torque in the manual version.

M&M officials didn't disclose the sales volumes they expect but said will have a capacity to assemble around 5,000 units a year of the Rexton at its Chakan factory in Maharashtra.

Dr Pawan Goenka, president - automotive and farm equipment sector, and also Ssangyong Chairman, said that there won't be any constraint on production and the company will be able to supply to demand.

"Capacity will not be a constraint. If there are more people who buy this vehicle, we will make sure that we supply...This is a new price point for us and so difficult to estimate how the customer response will be. We have set aside a capacity of 500 units per month in single shift. So if we see that kind of response and can sell 500 units consistently, we will be very happy," he said.

Presently 22% of the components in the Rexton will be locally sourced, while the rest will be imported from Korea. Company officials say that they have plans to "aggressively" localise the Rexton, but it will all depend on the sales volumes it can generate.

M&M has invested Rs 63 crore in tuning the Rexton for India. This is the third generation of the SUV, and SsangYong began its sales in Korea in July and exports began last month.

Rexton will be sold through existing Mahindra dealerships, but there will be a separate area and sales support at the dealers for SsangYong vehicles.

Rexton will be available in Mumbai and Delhi for now and it will be launched in 6-7 more cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Pune in a week's time.

Company officials say M&M and SsangYong are co-developing next generation engines. But they are tight lipped on the next planned launch from the SsangYong stable, only saying that there are products in the Korean company's existing portfolio and future pipeline, that will be studied for the Indian market. But their focus clearly right now is driving sales of the Rexton.

Meanwhile, M&M says there has been a good response for the Quanto mini SUV launched last month and demand for its flagship XUV500 remains strong.

India production to go up by 50 pc next year: Audi

German luxury car-maker Audi on Friday said it will ramp up its output by 50 per cent in India to about 3,000 units next year, even as it gets ready to enter the used-car business by 2011.

The company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Audi India, is also considering the launch of luxury sedan A7 and will initiate a market study for the same.

"Seeing the demand that we are having for our products, I think that we will have to start the second shift at our plant. Our production from the plant will be exceeding 3,000 units next year," Audi India Head Michael Perschke said.

The company, which currently assembles luxury sedans A4, A6 and sports utility vehicle Q5 at its Aurangabad facility, expects to produce about 2,000 units this year, he added.

Perschke said the company will roll out a new variant of A6 next year from the facility. The plant has an installed production capacity of 6,000 units.

"We will also launch a completely new A8 and a 4.2 litre TDI version of Q7. These two cars will be imported," he added.

When asked if the company is planning to introduce any new model in India, Perschke said: "We are looking very seriously for the A7. We will do a market research and evaluate its demand in the country."

He, however, declined to give any timeframe for launching the vehicle in India.

He said the company expects to sell about 2,700 units this year compared to 1,658 units in 2009.

Asked if Audi India will start a used car business like its rivals, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Perschke said: "Most probably from next year we will have the pre-owned car business. We already have it in Europe under 'Audi Plus' brand."

He said the company has not yet decided about the branding of the used-car business for India.

Audi India had earlier committed an investment of 30 million euros till 2015. It has already put in about 65 per cent of the amount.

"Every year we are exceeding our own expectations. If the market grows at this rate, then we see all reasons to revise our investment by 2012," Perschke said.

He said the luxury car market in India could cross the 12,000 units mark this year. With a target of about 2,700 units for this year, Audi's share would be about 25 per cent.

The company is also expanding its dealership network to about 20 by next year from the existing 14 outlets, he added.

Skoda consolidating position

After almost a decade of its entry into the Indian market, Skoda Auto, part of the Volkswagen Group, is now focussing on consolidating its position in one of the world’s fastest growing car markets. Accordingly, it is all set to launch its sports utility vehicle (SUV) Yeti, besides chalking out plans for India launch of its new compact car that is now under development. Buoyed by the tremendous response at the recently concluded 10th auto expo in New Delhi, the Czech automaker will be taking unique initiatives that include selling cars online and opening boutique outlets, besides launching new variants of the four models it currently sells in India.

Explaining the importance of the Indian market, Skoda Auto’s Member of the Board (Sales and Marketing) Reinhard Fleger told The Hindu that “The Indian automobile industry continues to be among the most promising car industries across the globe that would continue to grow in the coming years backed by an estimated economic growth of about 7 per cent. Skoda has a share of around 25 per cent in the mid-size segment. We have aggressive plans for the Indian market and aim to emerge as a major player. The launch of Yeti is an integral aspect of this plan.”

Yeti, which is one of the best-selling SUVs in Europe, is likely to be launched in mid-2010. Initially, the top-end variant would be made available in India followed by more engine and model options. “We hope Yeti will help us capture 10-15 per cent share in the SUV market. Overall, we are doing exceptionally well. Globally, India will emerge among top five markets for us from the 11th position now,” said Skoda Auto India’s Member of the Board (Sales and Marketing) Thomas Kuehl.

To address low-cost car markets like India, Skoda had already begun work on a car smaller than Fabia. “Work on the ambitious project is now on at our headquarters. We will surely be launching the car here and use India’s low-cost advantage to our benefit for this model,” he said. The car is likely to be launched next year. Skoda also plans to leverage India’s low-cost manufacturing advantage.

About expanding Skoda’s reach in India, Mr. Kuehl said the company was planning to add to its existing network of 65 dealerships to cover more cities and towns. Its initiative to sell cars online has also been a hit and now the company wants to make it a permanent feature to boost sales.