Land Rover announces Range Rover updates

Land Rover has revealed a series of up‐grades for its Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models including new info‐tainment system, cosmetic revisions, and upgraded diesel engine that would keep the cars going sharp into 2015.

Starting today, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will feature Land Rover’s

system.

infotainment

InControl

new

Users can connect up to eight devices using the in-car Wi-Fi. The system also has the ability to display the screen of your smartphone on the infotainment’s screen.

Further, InControl also has the ability to track the car in case its stolen and can also place SOS calls in case there is an accident.

Two new colors Aruba Silver and Kai‐joura Stone have been included under cosmetic updates. Both models gets the 19-inch alloys with the Satin Grey finish, while the long wheelbase Range Rover gets optional 22-inch alloy wheels.

Land Rover announces Range Rover updates - Techie News http://tinyurl.com/o7sxqe7 shared via www.newshog.co

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Tata Group plans ad blitz to showcase global avatar

Over the last decade, the group went shopping around the world, acquiring many companies such as luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), steel maker Corus and North American soda ash maker General Chemical Industrial Products.

The new campaign will essentially focus on communicating the group’s increasing strength in the international market and highlighting its brands through advertising and brand association with  sporting and other key events.

A Tata group spokesperson refused to disclose specific details of the campaign.


“With regards to the global brand campaign, there isn’t much to share at this point. Allow us to revisit this with you at a later stage,” the spokesperson said.

In an interview to the Tata group’s internal magazine earlier, Mukund Rajan, Tata Group’s brand custodian and chief ethics officer, had said: “With new entities absorbed into the group, we need to be able to communicate across continents about who we are and why we do things in a certain way.”

Tata Group had revenue of `5.27 lakh crore in 2012-13, of which 60% came from its international businesses.

Some of the acquired businesses have been renamed: Corus is now Tata Steel Europe, General Chemical is Tata Chemicals North America. But many others such as Good Earth Tea and Eight O’Clock Coffee, , and most famously, Jaguar and Land Rover, have remained free of the Tata tag.

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Tata Motors teases Falcon siblings F4 and F5

Tata Motors has taken the route of social media in order to introduce its upcoming vehicles Tata Falcon 4 and Tata Falcon 5. Recently, it unveiled the Facebook pages of both the aforementioned vehicles in form of Tata F4 and Tata F5, without even revealing their designs. Tata F4 Official Facebook Page reads as, "those who love life, live for the moment and yearn for exciting new experiences". On the other hand, The F5 states that it refers to individuals who celebrate epic achievements in design, connectivity and drive that truly raise the bar.

Tata has kept everything under tight wraps until now, but it is expected that Tata would unveil the Falcon siblings on February 3, 2014; a formal invitation of a grand event has been received by CarDekho, however it reveals nothing about the expected launch or unveiling. Although, Tata, undoubtedly, would display both the vehicles at the 2014 Auto Expo. F4 is supposed to be a compact hatch and facelift for Tata Vista while the elder sibling F5 is considered to be compact sedan, measuring less than 4-meters in length which would replace the ongoing Tata Manza.

Rumor mills are abuzz that the recently unveiled revolutionary petrol engine 'Revotron' 1.2T will power both these vehicles. As known, its a turbocharged intercooled MPFi petrol motor which belts out 83bhp at 5000rpm & 140Nm of torque between 1750-3500rpm. Additionally, it is formed of cast iron block and has two-valves per cylinder. It is a new family of petrol engines and Tata aims at beefing up its petrol model range by introducing it with the much anticipated F4 and F5.

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Tata to launch new 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine family

Sub 100PS 1.2-litre engine expected from Tata Motors for next generation Vista and Manza platforms

Although India is still predominantly a diesel-powered market, the world is unanimously moving towards smaller, turbocharged engines for the purpose of powering everything from small family hatchbacks to compact SUVs to legendary sportscars and even the occasional muscle car. The trend started by Fiat with its little sub-1-litre TwinAir engine has been popularised in India by the advent of the Ford EcoBoost engine family and of course, Volkswagen’s TSi engine family. Formula 1 too has moved to 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged engines as compared to bigger naturally aspirated engines for better fuel efficiency and performance.


Not to be left behind, Tata Motors has been secretly developing a turbocharged petrol engine platform which will power next generation Tata hatchbacks and saloons. J Anand’s Jayem Automotives in Coimbatore designed initial prototypes on the 1.4-litre platform but later due to government norms, the plans for this engine family were shelved and moved to the 1.2-litre family instead. The 1.2-litre engine is said to develop just under 100PS of peak power. 

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Tata Motors on overdrive, launches revamped variants of 8 models

In order to boost its sales, home-grown auto major Tata Motors Wednesday launched revamped versions of eight new vehicles, including a CNG variant of the Nano. The launch, at the Tata Motors plant in Pune, marked the unveiling of mission Horizonext — their new strategy for the passenger vehicle business for 20 years.

The launch included the new Tata Indigo eCS, Tata Sumo Gold, Tata Nano, Explorer Edition of Tata Safari Storme and CNG variants of Indica and Indigo. "All the variants will hit the markets in the next 90 days," said Karl Slym, managing director.

The new variants, according to Slym, have been designed and engineered at the Tata Plant in Pune. "Horizonext will chalk out the road and product map for the next 20 years. The first phase was the launch of the eight new cars," he said.

The newly launched Nano, according to the company, will be the most fuel efficient car of the country at 25.4 km/ltr. The new variant, available with the dealers from July onwards, has been engineered taking into account the various suggestions and complaints the company received for its previous versions.

Targeted at the "youth", the Nano has been redesigned keeping ergonomics and style in mind.


When asked about the plunging figures and safety concerns associated with the car, Slym said the new designs have addressed both. "The Nano will be manufactured at Sanand plant," he said. Slym confirmed the plant was functioning below capacity, but expressed hope that it would soon pick up.

As part of Horizonext, the company will also launch 150 new dealerships and 11 new service stations. "The company will fully invest in a few, while the rest will be joint investments," he said.

Conceding that last year was "flat" for the company, Slym reasoned it was in tandem with the recession felt in the automobile industry.

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Tata Indica Vista D90 officially launched in Nepal

One of the best hatchback models available in the Indian auto market, the Tata Indica Vista D90, has now also been officially rolled out in Nepal. It was launched on May 20, 2013 in Kathmandu by Gurinder Singh, Country Manager for the Nepal and Bhutan Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors. The Indica Vista D90 has several class-leading features make it a strong contender in the competitive market of Nepal, just as it is in India.

Expressing his opinions about this vehicle during the launch ceremony, Gurinder Singh said, ”The Vista D90 is all together a new car which is power-packed, has first-in-class technologies and sportier looks for thrill-seeking car buyers. We already have enquires for the Vista D90 and we hope that customer like our latest offering in the market.”

On the outside, the design of the Indica Vista D90 appears very contemporary and stylish. The swept-back headlamps, the imposing front grille and unique fog lamps give the hatchback an aesthetically pleasing and modish appearance. From every angle, it appears to have been designed keeping in mind the young and upwardly mobile customer. Alloy wheels, along with a rear spoiler, give the D90 a sporty elegance.

From the inside, it has a huge amount of space, something which the Indica has always been known for. The interior space has been enhanced by the use of Ebony Black and Sahara Beige premium dual tone colours. The driver-aligned instrument cluster truly appears a generation ahead and the steering wheel has been equipped with mounted audio controls. In addition, the driver's seat can be adjusted in 6 different ways. There is adequate amount of lumbar support in the vehicle, suitable for long distance driving. The intelligent rear wiper is able to sense rain and work accordingly.

On the central console, a touchscreen multimedia system has been provided, which comes with voice-guided GPS navigation. Through the Blue5 Technology, up to 5 different mobile phones can be paired by using Bluetooth connectivity. The fully automatic climate control HVAC system ensures best heating or cooling, no matter what the location or climate. Apart from all this, an advanced driver information system has also been provided in the Indica D90.

The Tata Indica Vista D90 gets a special 1.3 litre Quadrajet diesel engine, which provides 89 bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque. This is the same engine that is used in the D90 made in India. With the help of Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) technology, the engine of this power hatch is able to optimise engine performance at different speeds, which in turn results in swifter throttle response. Its engine is mated to a Euro-tech 2 manual gearbox, which is smooth during shifts. The 0-100 kmph comes in 15.05 seconds and the vehicle generates a superb fuel economy of 21.12 kmpl.

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Tata Motor new Vista D90 hatchback launched; price starts at 5.99 lakh

New Delhi: Chasing number two spot in the Indian passenger vehicle market, Tata Motors on Monday launched the new Vista D90 hatchback priced at Rs 5.99 lakh and Rs 6.83 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). With sporty looks and powered by a 1.3 litre diesel engine, the Vista D90 will compete with the likes of MSI's Swift and HMIL's I20. The company also said its capex for the next fiscal will be around Rs 3,000 crore.


Tata Motors said it will speed up the time for introduction of new products, apart from reorienting its dealer network towards better customer experience. "In the past, there has been a significant gap between the introductions of new products to the market. We have recognised that and we will bring that down drastically," Tata Motors President (Passenger Vehicles Business Unit) Ranjit Yadav said.

He said the company's aim is to be number one in the long term and number two in the short to medium term, and added: "We believe that's an achievable target... We have a number of projects in the pipeline and we are giving emphasis on faster time-to-market for new products." According the Society of Indian Automobiles (SIAM), Tata Motors was at the third position in the domestic passenger vehicles segment after Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) and Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) in April-December period this fiscal.

While the overall market stood at 19,59,444 units, the company's passenger vehicle sales were at 2,48,068 units. MSI occupied the top slot with 7,42,175 units followed by HMIL at 2,81,449 units. Mahindra & Mahindra was in fourth with 2,27,104 units during the period. Yadav said Tata Motors has also been focusing on better customer experience and teams in both sales and after-sales have been put in practice in line with the new concept of "aligning with the market".


"As far as customer experience is concerned, there is a lot of headroom for improvement and we are working on it," he said. On the capex for the fiscal 2013-14, a company spokesperson said Tata Motors usually spends around Rs 3,000 crore annually on different activities and it would be almost the same for the next financial year too. When asked about the sales prospects, Yadav said: "The next couple of quarters look to be challenging for the overall industry. We are cautious but confident."

He also said the hike in diesel prices could have a dampening effect on the overall industry sales but "we will hold our share". Commenting on the new VistaD90, he said the car has been developed around the evolving car customers, matching the product with their demanding needs and growing aspirations.

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Tata Motors to launch Indica Vista D90 on January 28, 2013

Tata Motors has officially declared the launch of its Vista D90 model on January 28, 2013 at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida. The launch session will be addressed by Ranjit Yadav, the President of Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors.

The major highlight of the new model will be its 1.3 litre Quadrajet engine, which has been re-tuned to belt out a maximum power of 88 bhp, instead of 75 bhp delivered by the normal Vista model. Also, its torque output now marks 200 Nm from the earlier 190 Nm. Industry experts believe that the engine performance has been revalued, owing to the incorporation of Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) technology in the new Tata Indica Vista D90.

Reportedly, the exterior modifications of new Vista D90 will feature a black roof in all its models, along with a small badge of’ ‘90’ at the tail gate. These two advancements will differentiate the Vista D90 from the normal model.

Coming to the interiors of the yet-to-be launched model, its instrument cluster has been now sifted from the central position to behind the steering wheel, which is somehow known as the regular position, except for the Etios series. Reportedly, the change has been made after receiving a negative response from customers. In order to offer a better drive and handling, the suspension system of the new model has been also reworked.


According to sources, the auto maker will be offering two variants with its new model, namely VX and ZX. VX will be incorporated with additional safety features like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Break-force Distribution (EBD) at a price tag of around Rs. 6 lakhs. On the other hand, the ZX model will feature alloy wheels and airbags, and will be sold for around Rs. 6.6 lakhs (all prices are ex-showroom, Mumbai).

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Tata Motors tanks 10% on margin pressure at JLR in December quarter

 

Tata Motors Ltd plunged nearly 10 per cent early on Thursday to its lowest level since December 13, after the management indicated that EBITDA margin is likely to be slightly lower in the December quarter as compared to margins reported in the previous two quarters.

According to the management, EBITDA is likely to be in the region of levels reported for the previous two quarters but margins may take a dip.

At 09:17 am, Tata Motors was trading 9.20 per cent lower at Rs 285. It has hit a low of Rs 282.05 and a high of Rs 290 in trade today. Tata Motors ADR tanked by 10 per cent on NYSE.

"The company further stated that, Free cash Flow (FCF) for JLR will be negative in 3QFY2013 primarily owing to higher working capital requirements," the company said in a statement.

Nonetheless, FCF will be positive for the first nine months of FY2013. However, revenue will be higher than the previous two quarters reflecting the higher sales volumes.

Further, the management has increased its capital expenditure guidance for FY2014 to GBP2.75bn as against GBP2bn earlier. As a result, the management expects FCF to turn negative in FY2014.

"The management commentary for JLR on the margin front is slightly below our estimates. For JLR, we expect top-line to increase 10 per cent YoY to GBP 4.1bn," Angel Broking said in a report.

"However, on the margin front, we expect the company to report margins of 14 per cent, slightly higher than 13.8 per cent reported in 1HFY2013," added the report.

The Mumbai-based brokerage firm expects the stock to see correction in domestic markets as well once the trading resumes on Thursday. Angel Broking has an 'accumulate' rating on the stock with an SOTP based target price of Rs 337.

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