Tata Motors Goa dealer Auto Industries has launched a special Tata Nano Valentines Edition in Goa. Essentially, it’s a Tata Nano CX with some added features such as:

• Integrated Tata Audio /MP3 System with USB
• A Pen drive on which one can store your favorite songs
• A Mobile phone along with a phone holder stand
• Remote Central locking
• Fog lamps
• Air freshener
• Protective Sunfilm
• Mats and Mudflaps
• Valentine special exterior graphics

And the cost of all this malarkey? Approximately Rs 20,000 more than the normal Nano CX. Yes, we know that this is just some marketing gimmickry to cash in on the opportunity. But pretty innovative we must say!

So will you make your Valentine feel special with this Nano?

[Source: GoaonWheels.com]

Tata Motors has also devised a clever ad campaign called ‘25 ka Tadka’ to emphasize the 25 km/l mileage claimed for the Indigo eCS. 40 Big Bazaar outlets will display the Indigo eCS along with other 25 top discounted household products.

The shoppers will obviously be more interested in the 25 household products and Tata Motors hopes to make the Indigo eCS ride on that wave of curiosity.

Apart from the ‘25 ka Tadka’ , there are also a lot of eye catching branding elements such as bay breakers, danglers, cash counters and standees that help magnify the activation.

As realty companies are going on a mall opening spree, ‘Mall activation’ is increasingly becoming an important aspect of car marketing. Ford went one step ahead and displayed the EcoSport concept in major metropolitan malls to increase the curiosity before the launch. But so far only Tata Motors has given the facility of booking the car in the mall itself.

[Source: Exchange4media.com]

What we do know is Tata’s trying to spread its wings with the Nano project. We’ve told readers how Bangladesh and Indonesia could get assembly lines for the Nano soon after the performance of the imported models is gauged.

Tata sells a small number of vehicles in Europe every year as completely built up units. It has set up a small assembly line in the UK for putting together kits of the Vista EV shipped from the Pune plant. Romania could provide the company an opportunity to do a similar operation with the Nano for emerging Europe. The company showcased the Europa concept for this very same reason and has told the media many a time that Europe and America are very much on the Nano’s wishlist.

Tata could be the next Dacia in Europe with cars like the Nano, Vista and Manza. These vehicles are bound to improve over time and with every generation shift, Tata products travel in light years. They have learned to manufacture decently equipped cars at rock-bottom prices. Their technology and design capabilities will only get better with time as synergies between the Tata and JLR have kicked off.

We’re not sure what Tata has in mind but it’ll gain clarity as talks continue.

[Source - InAutoNews.com]

A recent report on The Hindu BusinessLine provides more insight on this elusive creation. DC silently finished the project last year adding goodies such as a drive-by-wire system akin to cars many times its actual price, LCD touchscreen and shipped the one-off Nano to a buyer in England who runs a company that supplies components to the Nano (did he mean Caparo?).

DC refuses to disclose the name of the buyer or the final price. He says it was bought for over a crore. The custom is not road legal and is used a display piece at the company’s ballroom.

It was no regular Nano as the tiny 624cc 2cyl engine was shown the door for a liquid-cooled 1,600cc Suzuki Hayabusa superbike engine. We’d love to see the owner post a Youtube video of revving engine or riding shotgun on a private road.

[Source - TheHinduBusinessLine.com]

At the initial sales stage cars will be imported directly from Tata’s Sanand plant in India. Later as the sales drive up the demand Tata Motors plan to assemble the Nano in Jakrata. The decision to build an assembly line will be taken only when Tata senses growing demand.

Tata Nano caused much of a stir in the automotive world at the time of its launch in 2008, mainly because of its ultra low price-tag of 1-lakh Indian rupees ($2100). Within two minutes of its launch it had already won the ‘cheapest-car-in-the-world’ title by the worldwide media.

Primarily designed to cater the needs of middle-class families the Nano is strictly manufactured on purpose. Despite its low price-tag and diminutive size, the Nano can seat four in comfort and is agreeably safer than any two-wheeler.

Hopefully the Nano will serve the Indonesian common man with same finesse as it does to us Indians.

[Source - Antaranews.com]

By Shivank Bhatt

Despite the initial setbacks, Tata is firing in all cylinders and hopes the customer will fully understand the product in the future. One way of achieving this is by addressing needs of smaller groups. Case in point is the automatic transmission variant. There are no MPVs in the market today that offer diesel AT variants. Tata has identified an opportunity here.

The Aria AT concept is strapped with a 6-speed AT featuring Tiptronic gear selection. Sport, Economy and Cruise are the driving options that can be selected. On top of what the top-end model offers, Tata has packed the concept with features such as Harman acoustic system, gold and silver finished inside door release, leather upholstery and smoked bezel headlights/tail lights.

The autobox should have been developed with the Safari Storme in mind as the two share a lot in common.

Images were sent by IAB reader Siddharth Shankar.

Standing next to the Manza Nova concept was the Indica Vista Concept S2. On first glance it looked like a kitted-up Vista with LED lights, different bumpers and two tone body paint, but there is more than what meets the eye.

Did you know that its interiors have been laid out differently? Thanks to our friends at Motor Vikatan, we are able to show you a rare image of what’s changed. The interiors have been stimulated with the addition of a smaller diameter steering wheel, a sleek gear lever, drilled pedals, black upholstery with red stitching, a rev counter on the steering column (a la Beat) and an infotainment system controlled by a giant LCD screen mounted below the AC vents.

Under the hood, Tata continues to explain this isn’t just a fancy-bodied vehicle meant for show. A turbocharged 1.4L petrol engine producing 140PS/188Nm is paired to the same 5-speed manual transmission with revised ratios powers the vehicle. It is equipped with 205/40 R17 low profile tires shod on 17 inch alloys.

8/10 Vistas in the market in recent times are diesel variants. There is limited demand for a naturally aspirated, petrol-sipping engine, leave alone a fire-breathing turbocharged unit. The cosmetic additions carried over to the road-going model could make the Vista a lot more sporty but otherwise the takeaway is minimum.

Can the Indica Vista S2 act as a good vehicle for a feeder series? That certainly sounds interesting!

[Source - FaceBook.com/MotorVikatan]

The Ace retains the 700cc (half the Indica’s engine block) IDI engine that produces a modest 16hp/38Nm. Tata’s working on the Ace DICOR likely to be market-ready in the course of 2012. Tata Motors held back details on the pricing front. The product launch is likely to be conducted in the next few months during which all the details will be up for grabs.