By IANS,
Mumbai : Tata Motors launched the country’s first and its only fully indigenously manufactured car – Indica Vista – at a glittering function here Saturday evening.
“The second generation Indica Vista showcases the progress the company has made over the last several years in the passenger car business in terms of design, quality, technology, performance and refinement,” said Tata Sons and Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata at the launch.
First launched in 1998, the Indica model has achieved leadership in its class and became the second largest selling model in the segment this year, notching up a sale of 144,690 units in 2007-2008. So far, 1.12 million Indica cars have rolled out.
Tata said that existing and new customers would find the new Indica Vista to be in line with other world class offerings in the market.
“It is a significant step up over the previous generation and surpasses its predecessor in appeal,” he said.
Loaded with new features, Indica Vista comes with a complete makeover – at almost 3.8 metres long and 1.7 metres wide, the car offers additional interior space.
The car comes with a segment best 24 months (75,000 km) warranty and will be available in a range of seven colours in seven variants priced at Rs.349,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the 1.2L petrol Safire at the low end, going up to Rs.488,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the top end 1.3L Quadrajet.
The existing Tata Indica will continue to exist with a rationalized portfolio – the lower versions of the 1.2L Xeta and the 1.4L naturally aspirated IDI diesel and one version each of the DICOR and TCIC diesel, the latter being available with ABS and Airbags.
Between the existing Indica V2 and the new Indica Vista range, customers will have a choice at every step of the Rs.260,000- 488,000 price range.
The country’s largest automobile company, Tata Motors notched up revenues of $8.8 billion (Rs.352 billion) in 2007-08. It has, through its subsidiaries and associate companies, operations in Britain, South Korea, Thailand and Spain.
Early this year, Tata Motors acquired Jaguar and Land Rover, two iconic British car brands.