After witnessing the euphoric reception that South Africans bestowed upon the made-in-India Toyota Etios, it seems Tata Motors find it irresistible to crash the party.
Tata Motors South Africa has been teasing a sedan on their official Facebook page since few days with hints like triple barrel head lamps, dual tone interiors, comfortable rear seats and so on, which directly points the finger at the Manza.
The teasers appear to attack the Toyota Etios head on.
The Tata Manza is not entirely new to the South African as it was unveiled at last year's Johannesburg International Motor Show.
The Etios is being sold there since this May and it instantly became one of the best selling cars in South Africa. The cumulative sales of the Etios (both sedan and hatchback) in South Africa were 1315, 2105, 1753 and 1563 units for the months of May, June, July and August respectively, making it the third best selling car after the VW Polo variants during this period.
The South African market that is predominantly petrol oriented will have better demand for the 1.4 litre Fiat petrol engine that develops 88.7 bhp. Interestingly the 1.5 litre petrol engine that powers the Toyota Etios also churns out exactly the same amount of power.
Tata Motors SA has already established a sales and service network through which it sells its range of commercial vehicles and passenger cars like the Indica and the Vista.
With its advantage of more space and better interior, the Tata Manza has the potential to pose a serious threat to Etios and rake in some respectable export volumes. The fact that India has a long standing trade relationship with South Africa only makes it easier for Tata Motors to move in boldly.
[Source: Tata Motors SA official Facebook page]
