Tata Motors has gone hyperactive Edit: 1Lac car's launch date announced

[Zappo]

Ok, so we read about Tatas and Ferraris, Tatas and Jags and even Landys. But it is not just the newer greener pasture that they are running after. They seem to be getting more conscious about their existing range as well.

Yesterday I had an interesting chat with a senior quality manager from TAMO pune. He was at our office with prior appointment to interview my friend on his experience and perception with his 4 months old Xeta. Here's some of the things he says they are doing,

• They are trying to better the current Xetas. According to him they are already doing very well now with the Xeta. But they reckon that some Xeta owners do have a problem or two. They are carrying out a survey in collaboration with IMRB to find out these issues in Xeta and to get them sorted out in the next 6 months (the reason he was here).
• He acknowledged that the Engine Check Light issue looks a regular bugbear and they are already sorting it out at the factory level. All Xeta owners can expect some retrofitments and corrections at the dealership level as soon as the issue is cured.
• He says that the Indigo Dicor also faced this issue to a lesser extent. This and some other problems in the Indigo Dicor made them stop production to carry out some technical changes. He said they are "relaunching" the Indigo Dicor, whatever that means.
• They acknowledge that their cars suffer more from perception problems than anything else and they have directives from the top to identify ways and take care of it. They may even consider having separate sections to service the taxi trade and the personal cars at the dealership levels.
• The new Indica X1 will be out by December this year.
• It has been consciously reworked to make it look different from the cabs. He said though the owners were happy with the current look of the car as per their surveys they decided to change the looks to give it a different look.
• They have changed the dynamics of the X1 a lot. One example he gave was that the X1 will now sport a twisted beam rear suspension.
• It will have a lot many engine options. MJD1.3 is one. The Dicor may also join thereafter. It will also have the upgraded NA engine.
• The 1.5NA sticker we saw on the dash of the prototype car (on another thread) is indeed a reworked engine. They have done this because lot of people complained that the 1.4 feels breatheless with its measly BHP figures. The 1.5 is probably going to have 63 BHP on the tap.
• His take was that the current Dicor engine can belt out upto 120 BHP. They have a running prototype Indigo Dicor with 90 BHP. However he says that they can not put the gearbox that this prototype has into a street car for the end consumers as it is difficult to fit it in the current cars engine bay. The reason why they decided to liberate more space under the hood for the upcoming X1 as well.

Interesting is not it? They seem to be intent on proving a few points.

[bottle]

any mention of fiat by any chance in that convo of yours ?

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by bottle

any mention of fiat by any chance in that convo of yours ?

Two things. One is that he mentioned that at the moment they foresee this alliance getting stronger and stronger. Apparently Fiat has a lot of faith in TAMO's engineering skills and they reckon that in TAMO they get the best of local partner that they could ever get.

Second, MJD1.3 is going to make its appearance in the X1. Apparently the engine sourcing deal happened much quickly and easily by automotive standards. Fiat may even work on this engine together with TAMO to better it in future to suit the subcontinent conditions.

[1100D]

Can it be conveyed to have atleast, for a first time in the Indian Industry, the option of a sportier suspension (if the owner wants) at the dealer point itself.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by Zappo

• He says that the Indigo Dicor also faced this issue to a lesser extent. This and some other problems in the Indigo Dicor made them stop production to carry out some technical changes. He said they are "relaunching" the Indigo Dicor, whatever that means.

Great info overall Zappo. Did'nt know that the Dicor production was stopped. The specs on that vehicle simply did'nt look right.

Wonder where the Fiat engine will be made or will it come out of maruti's factory.

[condor]

@Zappo, what is 'TAMO' ?

[subbarp]

I assumed TAMO is Tata Motors. Let me know if it is not.

(Assumptions are not the best friends of Facts)

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Wonder where the Fiat engine will be made or will it come out of maruti's factory.

No MPower, it won't come out from Maruti's factory. Fiat's plant in Ranjangaon is already undergoing additional construction for the engine and transmission unit which will produce these engines. Tata is helping Fiat in getting the plant ready before July 2008 or so we were told by the CEO of Fiat India.

[phamilyman]

Folks, Thats all jolly good. Now, when can get to see the hallowed beasts on our roads?

[tsk1979]

Good for Tata. Most of these measures are in desperation now.
For the first time in years tata has seen YoY declining sales, all thanks to swift diesel.
To counter that it came out with a half baked DICOR.
Their product directors really need to go back to school.

[smartmundu]

thats a nice info...
we have never seen refinement in TATA vehicles and that is the only thing which keeps customers away from TATA vehicle
TATA is really coming up fast but they have to take care about refinement of their vehicles

[theMAG]

They may even consider having separate sections to service the taxi trade and the personal cars at the dealership levels.

Brilliant. This alone should go a long way in satisfying personal Tata owners. Nothing wrong if they extend this to the sales outlets too - sell the commercial cars at their CV dealerships

[hrishig]

So when exactly we can expect the tata car with 1.3 / 1.4 dicor engine?

next obvious question?

Will maruti be ready by that time with increase in the production capacity for the swift diesel?

[anandpadhye]

Half-baked!

I liked that.

Well said...


A little off-topic but important - why is Fiat on a benevolent drive? They are giving their mulijets to every one in the world while themselves selling the unexciting 1.1 and 1.6 Palio Stile? The old Palio (before Stile) was amazing car and so was the Adventure. Why not put the hitech mutihets in those and storm the market???

[niranjan]

Good info Zappo. This made me think, "should I reconsider Indigo-Dicor instead of Indigo-Turbo, may be after a few months". What do you say?