Tata Motors is vying for a significant market share in Australia's entry-level pickup segment with the Xenon.
With the lifestyle pickup segment being almost non-existent in India, Australia seems to be a potential market to extract the most out of the Tata Xenon. We had reported a while ago that Tata Motors has chosen Australia's Fusion Automotive as the official distributor in the country.
The Australian-spec pickup truck will be powered by the same 2.2 litre DICOR diesel engine but the power output is pumped up to 148 bhp from 137.2 bhp while the torque output remains the same at 320 Nm. A shift-on-the-fly 4x4 system harnesses the power via a 5-speed manual transmission.
The Xenon will be available in six variants - Cab Chassis, Single Cab and Double Cab body styles each in 4x4 and 4x2 versions. The equipment offered is standard across all variants.
So what does Tata offer Australians? The light truck comes with dual airbags, ABS, ESP, aircon, power steering, and audio system with Bluetooth, USB and Aux-in connectivity. Customers can opt for a technology package which includes a touchscreen multimedia infotainment system with navigation and rear parking camera.
Caradvice.com.au reports that the Xenon will be launched in Australia this October. Tata is aiming to have the entire Xenon range under 35,000 Australian dollars (around Rs. 20.36 lakhs). The market position will be above the Chinese-made Great Wall Great Wall X200/X240 but below market leaders such as the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara and Ford Ranger.
Fusion Automotive plans to have 13 dealerships (one in each major state) by the end of this year. The number will be increased to 25 in 2014.
[Source: Caradvice.com.au]
