Statistically amusing to the first world, but quite crucially to developing nations is the latest in cheap motoring: the Bajaj RE60.

The price is not out yet, but this 45-mph urban vehicle should undercut the Tata Nano’s $2775 base price. This drop in cost comes at the cost of performance: the 200cc unit in the Bajaj might be larger than that found in a leaf blower, but it’s a third of the size of the Nano’s engine. The Bajaj may only weigh 400kg compared to the Nano’s 600, but in this situation, the power to weight ratio advantage is only exciting on paper.

The RE60 seats four and sports a tiny turning circle of 3.5 making it potentially popular with Indian taxi drivers, many of whom currently operate auto-rickshaws.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Tata Motors Ltd., has announced a recall in India to replace the starter motors of all Nano models sold between July 2009 and October 2011.

“We are replacing the starter motors of the previous Nano variant with those of the our new 2012 edition,” spokesperson Debasis Ray said. “There are no safety concerns. We have developed a better starter motor which is installed on the new Nano.”

The new 2012 Tata Nano was introduced in the Indian market in Nov. While, Ray didn’t provide a specific number of how many Nano’s will see the replacement, he did say that the process has been going on for the past few months and that Tata has already replaced starter motors on about 50,000 units of the Nano to date.

Just on a side note. In November 2010, some questions were raised about the Nano’s safety after a couple of them caught on fire.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: MarketWatch

With sales numbers much lower than anticipated for the car, Telsa has made some changes to the Nano and its variants that add a lot more features to each trim level.

India’s most fuel efficient car is getting better gas mileage, greater color options, and improved interiors. In addition, the car boasts the best fuel efficiency, best air conditioning, and lowest CO2 emissions in the country.

Tata also upgraded the suspension in the car, added an anti-roll bar, and gave it a new, louder exhaust. The Standard version now has the breaks available on the CX and LX, both of which come with tip-tap mirrors on the driver and passenger side. All models get a new interior, and exterior colors come in up to 10 options.

Tata Motors has sold around 130,000 Nanos since the car was launched in April 2009.

- By: Alexandra Koken

“I deeply regret that my personal circumstances make it difficult for me to continue to perform the challenging duties of managing the thriving global activities of the Tata Motors Group,” said Forster.

Forster will remain on the Tata Motors board as a non-executive director at the request of Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata.

“I am glad to continue my association with Tata Motors,” he added.

Who is to replace Forster? No idea yet.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoCar

For any new automaker entering a market they previously didn’t sell in, there are many barriers along the way. A bunch of new models from China and India – including models from BYD, Mahindra and Tata – are on their way to the United States and according to GfK Automotive researchers, they will face some significant barriers.

“GfK’s Barometer of Automotive Awareness and Imagery Study found that Chinese and Indian automakers could face a similar purchase consideration curve to Korean vehicles when they launched in the US In that case, it took more than 15 years for consumers to significantly increase their consideration to purchase Korean vehicles,” GfK said in a statement.

GfK found that one-third of customers looking to purchase a new car are open to Chinese or Indian makes with 38 percent interested in a Chinese make and 30 percent interested in an Indian make. That compares to 95 percent of consumers open to buying from a U.S. automaker.

Gen Y buyers are most open to buying a Chinese or Indian vehicles, with 52 percent saying they are open to Chinese models and 41 percent saying they are open to one from India.

“When a relatively unknown auto brand enters the market, potential buyers are going to have some initial scepticism without a frame of reference into the company’s history and differentiators from other brands,” said Don DeVeaux, managing director, GfK Automotive. “Quality and repair support are critical factors that potential buyers evaluate before purchasing a new vehicle, and without an established history in the United States, Chinese and Indian manufacturers need to overcome the lack of knowledge of their brands among potential new buyers.”

- By: Omar Rana

The flatpack house is 215 square feet and consists coconut fiber or jute walls and has a life expectancy of 20 years. The company plans on offering prefabricated kit with windows, roofs, doors, and more. Also in the works is larger versions with rooftop solar panels and a veranda.

Tata plans to offer the flatpack home to private buyers who have plots of land and to state governments who could offer the homeless a place to live.

The flatpack homes are currently being tested in West Bengal.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: MSNBC

“To optimize the synergistic strengths between JLR and Tata Motors in India, an examination is also under way on a joint engine development program which would have manufacturing facilities both in the U.K. and India,” Ratan Tata said in a statement.

Tata sold 62,090 Jaguar and Land Rover units for the fiscal year globally, up 9 percent from a year earlier.

Jaguar and Land Rover sold 23,702 vehicles in the United States in the first six months of 2011, up 13.9 percent.

Jaguar and Land Rover have plans to launch 40 new models over the next 5 years.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News

“We’ll be launching 40 new cars, derivatives and (major) technologies from Jaguar/Land Rover in the next five years,” said Adrian Hallmark, who joined Jaguar as its Global Brand Director last October.

The list of new vehicles breaks down into 3 categories:

• Products that slot above and below the current Jaguar and Land Rover line-up, as well as those that broaden the current line-up’s appeal;
• Products that can expand the appeal of the two brands in markets where they currently don’t have a presence;
• Technologies that expand the capabilities of the two brands  — possibly including new diesels, hybrids and other advanced propulsion systems.

All we know is that we want to see a production version of the Jaguar C-X75 Concept.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit Bureau

Tata Nano

The Tata Nano has been selling well for Tata Motors – so much so that the company has decided to double production of the cheapest car in world.

With the production increase, Tata Motors will be producing a total of 20,000 units of the Nano a month this fiscal year.

Tata sold a total of 8,707 units of the Nano in March. That’s pretty close to the record high of 9,000 units sold in July 2010.

While safety concerns over the Nano sent sales of the car falling down to 509 units in November, revisions put in place along with incentives started tempting new customers.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoCar

Tata Pixel Concept

Yes, by now most of us know that the cheapest car in the world is the Tata Nano, which made its debut in India in 2008 with a starting price tag of 100,000 rupees ($2,172 USD). But what if a car like the Nano comes to the United States?

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Tata bringing a version of the Nano to the United States and it probably won’t be the last. Nonetheless, if Tata does bring the Nano to the United States it will have to step up the safety of the vehicle.

With that in mind: “It won’t be a $2,000 car; it will be a $7,000 or $8,000 car,” Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Group, said at an event at Cornell University’s College of Art, Architecture and Planning. “But it will still be, in comparative terms, a car that the U.S. would accept.”

Whenever the Nano decided to come to the United States, Tata said that it would be produced “the same design philosophy” and “frugal engineering” that informed development of the Nano.

Tata Pixel Concept:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: NYTimes

Tata Pixel Concept

Now that the hype of the Tata Nano is starting to die off, Indian automaker Tata Motors has decided to offer the European market its own, sexier version of the pint-size compact. The Tata Pixel Concept made its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show last week and hints at a future subcompact for the European market.

Known as the ‘the most package-efficient four-seater in the world’ the Tata Pixel is powered by a small rear-mounted 1.2L 3-cylinder turbodiesel engine providing a fuel-economy of close to 70 mpg.

The Tata Pixel Concept also introduces ‘My Tata Connect’ the first integrated human-machine interface (HMI) concept from Tata Motors for its new generation program. The system allows seamless integration of the driver’s smartphone or Apple iPad with the vehicle’s infotainment system.

Looks good? Of course. Can it work? Time will tell.

Tata Pixel Concept:

Press Release:

The Tata Pixel, a new city car concept for Europe

Most package efficient four-seater in the world ‘Zero turn’ drive maximizes manoeuvrability when parking Innovative ‘scissor’ door system allows entry and exit in the tightest of spaces CO2 emissions of just 89 gm/km and combined cycle fuel economy of 3.4 litres/100km. The Tata Pixel, with ‘Zero Turn’ drive and an innovative diamond-shaped door system, is a new city car concept for Europe from Tata Motors. Based on the Tata Nano, the Pixel – at just over three metres in length – is the most package efficient four-seater in the world, comfortably accommodating four adults, unlike a typical city car which is either a two-seater or can accommodate two adults and two children only.
The Tata Pixel’s ability to manoeuvre and park in the tightest of spaces is made possible by its Zero Turn toroidal traction-drive Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT). This highly efficient, cost-effective system assists rotation of the outer rear wheel forwards and the inner rear wheel backwards during low-speed manoeuvres, while the front wheels turn at acute angles. The result is a turning circle radius of just 2.6 metres. The glass area on the scissor doors provides excellent visibility even in the most extreme turning manoeuvre.

The ‘scissor’ doors rotate upwards from the front to allow all four passengers to effortlessly enter or exit the Tata Pixel, even in the tightest of spaces, while the doors’ large glass area provides excellent visibility.

A forward sweeping roofline, with minimal front and rear overhangs, accentuates the youthful styling, while the window graphic features an interchangeable island that can be used to change the exterior appearance whenever desired.

The Tata Pixel also introduces “My Tata Connect” — the first integrated human-machine interface (HMI) concept from Tata Motors for its new generation programmes. “My Tata Connect” enables seamless integration of the user’s smartphone or tablet with the vehicle’s infotainment system and also allows controlling key functions of the car. This provides a customised, user friendly, all-in-one touch screen display, while also allowing the driver to remain seamlessly connected to the external world in much the same way as they would be when at home or in the office,istening to favourite songs, internet news and sport or stock updates. In addition to serving as the infotainment display when docked in the instrument panel, the tablet also allows temperature, ventilation and air-conditioning settings to be adjusted through its touch screen, as well as displaying information on the vehicle’s performance.

A 1.2 litre three-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, positioned at the rear of the Tata Pixel, gives lively performance. The engine is a low-friction design, featuring variable coolant and oil pump and rapid warm-up technologies. With optimised aerodynamic drag, low rolling-resistance tyres, stop-start technology, and intelligent battery charging, the Tata Pixel returns European combined cycle (NEDC) fuel economy of 3.4 l/100km and CO2 emissions of just 89g/km.

- By: Omar Rana

Tata Goldplus Nano

The Tata Nano is known as the world’s cheapest car – however, to celebrate the 5,000th anniversary of Indian Jewelry, Tata Group will cover the world’s cheapest car in gold. Teaming up with Titan, a subsidiary of Tata Group, Tata will build the Goldplus Nano by April/May 2011.

The winning design, seen above, was chosen from a total of 13 designs submitted from across the country. The Tata Goldplus Nano will be India’s first jewelry car and is being created to help boost sluggish sales of the car.

Tata sold a total of 509 units of the Nano in November 2010, down from 9,000 units in July.

Tata Goldplus Nano:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: IBTimes

Tata Nano

To make customers feel better after several Tata Nano’s caught fire, Tata Motors announced that it will offer a 4-year manufacturer’s warranty on the world’s cheapest car. The warranty will be extended to all existing customers of the vehicle.

Earlier last month, Tata announced it would contact 70,000 Nano owners to offer them the option of installing “additional safety protection in the exhaust system and the electrical system.”

“We have noticed instances of additional foreign electrical equipment having been installed or foreign material left on the exhaust system,” Tata said in a statement.

Tata sold 509 Nanos in November, a decrease of 85 percent from a year earlier.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Reuters

Tata Nano

Sales of the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, plunged 85 percent in November 2009 to 509 units. That is lowest figure since the Nano made its debut last year. The drop in sales comes as customers face difficulty in accessing loans to purchase vehicles.

In an e-mail response to Bloomberg, Tata Motors said that it is hiring more sales people at dealerships and is working with banks to help buyers get loans.

Just last month, Tata’s CEO Carl-Peter Forster said that a lack of financing options available to buyers was causing a decrease in Nano sales. Banks in india are hesitant to lend money to low-income customers due to concerns that they may default.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Bloomberg

Tata Nano

Tata Motors has announced that it is offering owners of the subcompact Nano, the world’s cheapest car, the option to install safety protection in the car after a couple of them went up in flames last year. Tata will reach out to 70,000 owners of the Nano to offer them the option of installing “additional safety protection in the exhaust system and the electrical system.”

Tata said that the move is not a recall and that the fires were specific to the units.

“The investigation, by a team of internal and international experts, has once again concluded that the reasons for the incidents in few Tata Nano cars are specific to the cars which had such incidents,” Tata said. “We have noticed instances of additional foreign electrical equipment having been installed or foreign material left on the exhaust system.”

Tata sold 3,065 units of the Nano in October, down from 5,520 the month before.

- By: Zain Haq

Source: Reuters

Jaguar XJ75 Platinum Concept

Sources inside Tata Motors have confirmed that Jaguar will show a new dramatic sports car concept at the 2010 Paris Motor Show later this month. The concept, which will not be produced, will show a new design direction for the brand and will celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary.

While details about the concept are being kept a secret, sources say that some of the inspiration of the study comes from the Porsche 918 Spyder.

The model is expected to inspire a lineup of new Jaguar models starting with the 2012 XK Coupe due next year.

Basically, it will be the end of Jaguar’s current design philosophy and time to kick off a new phase.

Jaguar XJ75 Platinum Concept:

- By: Kap Shah

Source: AutoCar

2011 Jaguar XJ

Jaguar and Land Rover are both enjoying strong growth under their new owner, Tata Motors. The Indian company is now working with FoMoCo to increase the supply of engines after a larger-than-expected jump in sales left it facing an inventory shortage, reports Bloomberg.

According to Ralf Speth, chief executive officer of Jaguar Land Rover, FoMoCo is doing everything it can to help deliver on Tata’s request for more engines.

Sales of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles were up 59 percent in the last quarter. The two brands sold 57,153 vehicles in the last quarter compared with 35,947 a year ago. Tata CEO Carl-Peter Forster now intends on opening factories in China and India to cater to an increasing number of wealthy people in Asia’s two fastest growing markets.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Bloomberg

Land Rover’s new owner, Tata Motors, plans on producing vehicles for the SUV brand in India starting next year, according to CEO Ratan Tata. Tata, which also bought Jaguar from FoMoCo in 2008, is also in talks in setting up an assembly line operation in China.

Shares of Tata Motors today rose to their highest level in more than 19 years after the company posted a first-quarter profit on demand for Land Rover SUVs and Jaguar sedans.

The company posted a net income of 19.9 billion rupees ($430 million USD) in the three months that ended June compared with a loss of 3.3 billion rupees a year earlier. Sales were up 64 percent.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Reuters