Tata truck plant near Dhaka
- Thread starter dee
- Start date
TopCat
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2008
- Messages
- 15,736
- Reaction score
- -3
- Country
- Location
That was a TATA built 30 yrs ago... the question is can BD build even that one today?? Heck even the Tatas seem to put faith only building mini pickups in your market- they're hardly trucks or passenger cars...
BD can.. its not rocket science.
We will see what TATA can do here... There are other people who are working to roll out passenger cars soon. Might hit in Indian roads too..
SpArK
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- May 5, 2010
- Messages
- 22,519
- Reaction score
- 18
- Country
- Location
Thats what i am talking about. Thats what BD market demands..
No Brother, thats for Indian and World markets,.. You guys will be getting custom made ones like this that suits the market there.
Kinetic
BANNED
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2010
- Messages
- 11,200
- Reaction score
- -33
Mannnn.... what a piece of work..
Thats TATA???
I dont think that version of TATA has any future in BD. They must do better than that in BD.
why making fun of your little knowledge? Do you know how many TATA trucks run on the roads of BD? How many Indian trucks are there compared to other countries? Do you know that those green CNG you drive come from which country? lol
Tata cars 'worst performers' in South Africa
December 06, 2007 17:22 IST
Indian automobile firm Tata Motors' [Get Quote] passenger cars have been named as the worst performer among 23 same category vehicles running on South African roads in a new customer satisfaction survey released on Thursday.
In a study conducted by JD Power and Associates, Tata cars were ranked at the bottom of a list of 23 passenger vehicle brands in South Africa. The vehicles were compared on the basis of initial quality feedback given by customers.
German auto giant BMW topped the list as the best quality brand in the passenger vehicles segment, which included cars and sports utility vehicle (SUV) models.
The study said the German car reported a total number of 142 problems per 100 vehicles, the lowest in the segment. Tata cars reported as many as 567 problems per 100 vehicles -- the highest for the segment. The score of Tata vehicles was more than double the average passenger vehicle score of 245.
Tata Motors, India's biggest automobile firm, sells its hatchback Indica and sedan Indigo in the African nation.
JD Power said its annual study was a customer-driven measure of problems experienced in the first three to seven months of ownership. It examined 228 problem symptoms across nine factors, including exterior and interior, entertainment, driving experience, controls and displays, features, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, engine and other problems.
All the brands were given scores based on problems reported per 100 vehicles with the lowest scores indicating fewer problems and therefore, better quality rankings.
JD Power is a leading international market research firm and is part of US-based McGraw Hills group that also owns brands like Standard & Poor's and BusinessWeek.
In the passenger vehicle quality ranking, BMW was followed by Honda, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo in the top five.
Ford's British brand Land Rover, which Tata Motors is currently looking to acquire along with the US carmaker's another luxury UK brand Jaguar, was ranked at ninth position.
JD Power said Jaguar and passenger vehicle models of another Indian automaker Mahindra were included in the study but were not ranked due to their small sample sizes.
Tata Motors had announced its foray into the South African market in 2004 with a range of passenger cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses.
The list of pick-up trucks was topped by Toyota with 227 problems per 100 vehicles. The study for this segment also included vehicles made by Tata and Mahindra, but they were not ranked because of small sample sizes.
The lower compact car segment was topped by Kia Picanto, while Honda Jazz and Audi A3 were ranked the highest in the lower small car and upper small car categories, respectively.
Tata cars 'worst performers' in South Africa
December 06, 2007 17:22 IST
Indian automobile firm Tata Motors' [Get Quote] passenger cars have been named as the worst performer among 23 same category vehicles running on South African roads in a new customer satisfaction survey released on Thursday.
In a study conducted by JD Power and Associates, Tata cars were ranked at the bottom of a list of 23 passenger vehicle brands in South Africa. The vehicles were compared on the basis of initial quality feedback given by customers.
German auto giant BMW topped the list as the best quality brand in the passenger vehicles segment, which included cars and sports utility vehicle (SUV) models.
The study said the German car reported a total number of 142 problems per 100 vehicles, the lowest in the segment. Tata cars reported as many as 567 problems per 100 vehicles -- the highest for the segment. The score of Tata vehicles was more than double the average passenger vehicle score of 245.
Tata Motors, India's biggest automobile firm, sells its hatchback Indica and sedan Indigo in the African nation.
JD Power said its annual study was a customer-driven measure of problems experienced in the first three to seven months of ownership. It examined 228 problem symptoms across nine factors, including exterior and interior, entertainment, driving experience, controls and displays, features, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, engine and other problems.
All the brands were given scores based on problems reported per 100 vehicles with the lowest scores indicating fewer problems and therefore, better quality rankings.
JD Power is a leading international market research firm and is part of US-based McGraw Hills group that also owns brands like Standard & Poor's and BusinessWeek.
In the passenger vehicle quality ranking, BMW was followed by Honda, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo in the top five.
Ford's British brand Land Rover, which Tata Motors is currently looking to acquire along with the US carmaker's another luxury UK brand Jaguar, was ranked at ninth position.
JD Power said Jaguar and passenger vehicle models of another Indian automaker Mahindra were included in the study but were not ranked due to their small sample sizes.
Tata Motors had announced its foray into the South African market in 2004 with a range of passenger cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses.
The list of pick-up trucks was topped by Toyota with 227 problems per 100 vehicles. The study for this segment also included vehicles made by Tata and Mahindra, but they were not ranked because of small sample sizes.
The lower compact car segment was topped by Kia Picanto, while Honda Jazz and Audi A3 were ranked the highest in the lower small car and upper small car categories, respectively.
Tata cars 'worst performers' in South Africa
Defect Truck delivered as new
Re Defect TATA Truck
We are so very disappointed that we purchased TATA new truck for already almost 2 months but the truck has been in defect since we first got from your agent in Lampang. Despite several check-up by TATAs agent technician, the truck still cannot operate properly and very dangerous to drive in the street because the engine can just stop running at any time without warning. Also, it cannot accelerate. We have complained but were only asked that TATAs technical will check and help repairing but the problem still exists and we now demand a new truck for replacement.
Since we paid money for a new truck, we expect 100% problem free but on the contrary, we are sitting with a defect truck that cannot be used and sit idle in our garage plus having to be in and out to see your technician. We loaned the money to buy this truck but instead, it now sits idle in our garage.
This is most annoying and we feel being cheated as your company sold us a defected truck.
We paid deposit for the truck since March 13 and got to wait until April 27 to get the truck. When we got the truck, then there have been technical problems all along making it very risky to drive and thus our driver refused to drive this truck
Since the truck has already been repaired by your technician without getting any better, we demand that you arrange a full cash compensation for us so that we can buy other new truck or change a NEW problem-free truck for us immediately.
We do not want to publicize this problem but simply ask for a fair deal i.e. We are supposed to get a NEW problem-free truck that we fully paid and not a defect one. Need replacement/change of new truck
truck Giant Complaints - Defect Truck delivered as new
Re Defect TATA Truck
We are so very disappointed that we purchased TATA new truck for already almost 2 months but the truck has been in defect since we first got from your agent in Lampang. Despite several check-up by TATAs agent technician, the truck still cannot operate properly and very dangerous to drive in the street because the engine can just stop running at any time without warning. Also, it cannot accelerate. We have complained but were only asked that TATAs technical will check and help repairing but the problem still exists and we now demand a new truck for replacement.
Since we paid money for a new truck, we expect 100% problem free but on the contrary, we are sitting with a defect truck that cannot be used and sit idle in our garage plus having to be in and out to see your technician. We loaned the money to buy this truck but instead, it now sits idle in our garage.
This is most annoying and we feel being cheated as your company sold us a defected truck.
We paid deposit for the truck since March 13 and got to wait until April 27 to get the truck. When we got the truck, then there have been technical problems all along making it very risky to drive and thus our driver refused to drive this truck
Since the truck has already been repaired by your technician without getting any better, we demand that you arrange a full cash compensation for us so that we can buy other new truck or change a NEW problem-free truck for us immediately.
We do not want to publicize this problem but simply ask for a fair deal i.e. We are supposed to get a NEW problem-free truck that we fully paid and not a defect one. Need replacement/change of new truck
truck Giant Complaints - Defect Truck delivered as new
SpArK
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- May 5, 2010
- Messages
- 22,519
- Reaction score
- 18
- Country
- Location
Tata Motors Plans To Set Up Truck Assembly Unit In South Africa
26 Jun 2010,
Tata Motors to set up assembly unit in South Africa-Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times
MUMBAI: Tata Motors is looking at setting up an assembly unit in South Africa for medium and small trucks by the end of this financial year to boost sales in African markets such as Zambia, Nigeria and Ghana.
“We are looking at assembling medium-sized and small trucks there for now and may later look at the world truck range,” said PM Telang, MD, Tata Motors India. The initial capacity will be 3,000 units, which will later scale up to 4,500 units, he said. At present, the auto major is exporting close to 3,000 units to South Africa.
In 1994, Tata Group set up Tata Africa Holdings in Johannesburg. Later in 2006, it acquired a manufacturing plant of Japanese auto major Nissan in South Africa. South Africa is an integral market for Tata Motors and has charted out a five-year growth plan , officials said.
The company also disclosed it plans to set up an assembly plant in Nigeria in the next two to three years. Tata Motors currently has plants in Thailand , Bangladesh , Spain, UK and South Korea.
Tata Motors is targeting a sale of 2.2 lakh light trucks in the current financial year, which will include around 1.5 lakh ace trucks and around 70,000 magic trucks. Last year, the company sold 1.1 lakh ace and 48,000 magic trucks. The company is looking at a 15% growth in the commercial vehicles segment this fiscal. The auto major also plans to launch four models under its premium Prima range of trucks, which include two tippers, one tractor and one simple truck, between September and March 2011, said Ravi Pisharody, president, commercial vehicles.
The company is also looking at increasing production of the one-tonne Ace mini-truck to 20,000 units from 10,000 units a month at its Pantnagar facility.
26 Jun 2010,
Tata Motors to set up assembly unit in South Africa-Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times
MUMBAI: Tata Motors is looking at setting up an assembly unit in South Africa for medium and small trucks by the end of this financial year to boost sales in African markets such as Zambia, Nigeria and Ghana.
“We are looking at assembling medium-sized and small trucks there for now and may later look at the world truck range,” said PM Telang, MD, Tata Motors India. The initial capacity will be 3,000 units, which will later scale up to 4,500 units, he said. At present, the auto major is exporting close to 3,000 units to South Africa.
In 1994, Tata Group set up Tata Africa Holdings in Johannesburg. Later in 2006, it acquired a manufacturing plant of Japanese auto major Nissan in South Africa. South Africa is an integral market for Tata Motors and has charted out a five-year growth plan , officials said.
The company also disclosed it plans to set up an assembly plant in Nigeria in the next two to three years. Tata Motors currently has plants in Thailand , Bangladesh , Spain, UK and South Korea.
Tata Motors is targeting a sale of 2.2 lakh light trucks in the current financial year, which will include around 1.5 lakh ace trucks and around 70,000 magic trucks. Last year, the company sold 1.1 lakh ace and 48,000 magic trucks. The company is looking at a 15% growth in the commercial vehicles segment this fiscal. The auto major also plans to launch four models under its premium Prima range of trucks, which include two tippers, one tractor and one simple truck, between September and March 2011, said Ravi Pisharody, president, commercial vehicles.
The company is also looking at increasing production of the one-tonne Ace mini-truck to 20,000 units from 10,000 units a month at its Pantnagar facility.
Kinetic
BANNED
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2010
- Messages
- 11,200
- Reaction score
- -33
BD is still flashed with Tata made vehicles. Now think where are you!!!! And now even they building a manufacturing plant. They have a good market there.
This minutes you spent searching about a news against Tata?
Can't you post anything yourself? 
SpArK
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- May 5, 2010
- Messages
- 22,519
- Reaction score
- 18
- Country
- Location
Tata steady; regards world truck sales
CHENNAI: Tata Motors is moving steadily on marketing its high horse power world truck developed with south Korean subsidiary Tata Daewoo, a top company official said Tuesday.
"We are doing concept marketing. We first understand a prospect's goods carriage pattern and the route he carries. Only when we are satisfied that his interests will be best served with our world truck we would suggest our models," President Ravi Pishorady told reporters here.
He said as a policy the company sells the world truck along with the trailer.
"We ensure that the prospect has two drivers for this high horse power (HP) truck as it is for long haul. Initially we sold 180HP trucks and now we sell 280HP models. We will be reaching 100 unit sales soon," he said.
He was here to participate in a company function to celebrate sales of 500,000 units of small goods carrier Ace since it was launched five years ago.
Speaking about the success of the goods carrier, he said: "We sell around 11,000 units per month. Currently the production capacity is sufficient."
He said the total industry volume is around 18,000 units per month and is growing at a rate of 25 percent.
"We have around five variants including passenger carriers. Though competition has increased we have the first mover advantage," Pishorady added.
Asked about the passenger variant Magic, he said the models sells around 5,000 units per month.
He said the 0.5 tonne vehicle to carry passengers is being test marketed in Rajasthan.
Tata steady; regards world truck sales-Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times
CHENNAI: Tata Motors is moving steadily on marketing its high horse power world truck developed with south Korean subsidiary Tata Daewoo, a top company official said Tuesday.
"We are doing concept marketing. We first understand a prospect's goods carriage pattern and the route he carries. Only when we are satisfied that his interests will be best served with our world truck we would suggest our models," President Ravi Pishorady told reporters here.
He said as a policy the company sells the world truck along with the trailer.
"We ensure that the prospect has two drivers for this high horse power (HP) truck as it is for long haul. Initially we sold 180HP trucks and now we sell 280HP models. We will be reaching 100 unit sales soon," he said.
He was here to participate in a company function to celebrate sales of 500,000 units of small goods carrier Ace since it was launched five years ago.
Speaking about the success of the goods carrier, he said: "We sell around 11,000 units per month. Currently the production capacity is sufficient."
He said the total industry volume is around 18,000 units per month and is growing at a rate of 25 percent.
"We have around five variants including passenger carriers. Though competition has increased we have the first mover advantage," Pishorady added.
Asked about the passenger variant Magic, he said the models sells around 5,000 units per month.
He said the 0.5 tonne vehicle to carry passengers is being test marketed in Rajasthan.
Tata steady; regards world truck sales-Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times
TopCat
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2008
- Messages
- 15,736
- Reaction score
- -3
- Country
- Location
BD is still flashed with Tata made vehicles. Now think where are you!!!! And now even they building a manufacturing plant. They have a good market there.
This minutes you spent searching about a news against Tata?
TATA building the plant for export to Europe and other duty free countries from BD.
SpArK
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- May 5, 2010
- Messages
- 22,519
- Reaction score
- 18
- Country
- Location
TATA Ace mini truck facility could come up in Bangladesh, reports The Telegraph
Tata Ace mini truck facility could come up in Bangladesh, reports The Telegraph-WheelsUnplugged Automobile Industry News
There is news that Tata Motors is gearing to spread Ace’s wings beyond its home market. Of late, media reports suggest that India's largest vehiclemaker is drawing up plans to sell the minitruck in neighbouring nations like Bangladesh by this year or next. Of late ‘The Telegraph’ has exclusively reported that Tata Motors is looking to tie up with Bangladesh-based Nitol Motors Limited, sales agent for Tata Motors. It may be recalled that Nitol had earlier expressed its desire to lift consignments of Nano in SKD format for final assembly at its existing plant in Jessore. Owned by Abdul Matlub Ahmad, Nitol Motors had formed a joint venture with the Tatas in 1991 to assemble their vehicles in Bangladesh. It produces Tatas’ commercial vehicles, including trucks, for the local market at its plant in Jessore. In February, the company showcased the Nano in Bangladesh at the India Trade Fair.
If ‘The Telegraph’ report is to be believed, Tata Motors is looking to establish a plant at Kishoregunj near Dhaka, where nearly 30,000-40,000 Ace pick-ups would be rolled out on an annual basis. The report also claims that the proposed Kishoregunj plant will be a large set-up with a supporting auto ancillary hub capable of exporting vehicles to India. However, the daily didn’t specify whether it will be a 50:50 JV or whether Tata Motors will hold the majority/minority stake.
Matlub Ahmed was quoted as saying to the above newspaper, “What we are looking at is a core plant at Kishoregunj near Dhaka around which an ancillary industry will grow up. Only those (motor) parts which are too complicated to be manufactured in Bangladesh at this point will be imported,” he said. Ahmed also told the newspaper that the Company was looking to sell about 12,000 trucks in Bangladesh and the remaining ones will be exported to India, Myanmar and countries where engineering goods from Bangladesh have duty-free access such as Turkey and other European nations. Nitol Motors sells about 700-800 Ace trucks a month in Bangladesh. Ahmed also told ‘The Telegraph’ that the Bangladesh government was keen on this project as it would be able to export trucks and spares to India, “Helping to reduce the trade deficit between the two neighbours,” he said.
Separately, media reports also suggest that Tata Motors is setting up a special rural wing in its domestic market in anticipation that nearly 50 per cent of its Ace family of light commercial vehicles (LCV) sales will be derived from such markets. Currently non-urban markets contribute of 20-25 per cent. A senior official of Tata Motors told NDTV Profit that Tata Motors intends to adopt the FMCG model and aims to touch nooks and crannies by tying up with entities like Godrej Aadhar, ITC e-choupal and even its in house companies like Rallis and Tata Chemicals. The company currently has 1,200 touch points which it intends to increase it to 1,700 in the next one year with large numbers being added in smaller towns and cities. Furthermore, the Indian automaker is beefing up its association with PSUs and regional rural banks and credit societies to offer complete auto finance solution to farmers. A business daily also claims that the company would be ramping up the number of sales and services points as well as workshops in the small towns and villages. Tata Motors will also be providing training and help in upgrading equipment at existing LCV service stations. It also plans to add 200 customer contact centres to up the number to 1,000 in the next few years to support its growing customer base.
Tata Ace mini truck facility could come up in Bangladesh, reports The Telegraph-WheelsUnplugged Automobile Industry News
There is news that Tata Motors is gearing to spread Ace’s wings beyond its home market. Of late, media reports suggest that India's largest vehiclemaker is drawing up plans to sell the minitruck in neighbouring nations like Bangladesh by this year or next. Of late ‘The Telegraph’ has exclusively reported that Tata Motors is looking to tie up with Bangladesh-based Nitol Motors Limited, sales agent for Tata Motors. It may be recalled that Nitol had earlier expressed its desire to lift consignments of Nano in SKD format for final assembly at its existing plant in Jessore. Owned by Abdul Matlub Ahmad, Nitol Motors had formed a joint venture with the Tatas in 1991 to assemble their vehicles in Bangladesh. It produces Tatas’ commercial vehicles, including trucks, for the local market at its plant in Jessore. In February, the company showcased the Nano in Bangladesh at the India Trade Fair.
If ‘The Telegraph’ report is to be believed, Tata Motors is looking to establish a plant at Kishoregunj near Dhaka, where nearly 30,000-40,000 Ace pick-ups would be rolled out on an annual basis. The report also claims that the proposed Kishoregunj plant will be a large set-up with a supporting auto ancillary hub capable of exporting vehicles to India. However, the daily didn’t specify whether it will be a 50:50 JV or whether Tata Motors will hold the majority/minority stake.
Matlub Ahmed was quoted as saying to the above newspaper, “What we are looking at is a core plant at Kishoregunj near Dhaka around which an ancillary industry will grow up. Only those (motor) parts which are too complicated to be manufactured in Bangladesh at this point will be imported,” he said. Ahmed also told the newspaper that the Company was looking to sell about 12,000 trucks in Bangladesh and the remaining ones will be exported to India, Myanmar and countries where engineering goods from Bangladesh have duty-free access such as Turkey and other European nations. Nitol Motors sells about 700-800 Ace trucks a month in Bangladesh. Ahmed also told ‘The Telegraph’ that the Bangladesh government was keen on this project as it would be able to export trucks and spares to India, “Helping to reduce the trade deficit between the two neighbours,” he said.
Separately, media reports also suggest that Tata Motors is setting up a special rural wing in its domestic market in anticipation that nearly 50 per cent of its Ace family of light commercial vehicles (LCV) sales will be derived from such markets. Currently non-urban markets contribute of 20-25 per cent. A senior official of Tata Motors told NDTV Profit that Tata Motors intends to adopt the FMCG model and aims to touch nooks and crannies by tying up with entities like Godrej Aadhar, ITC e-choupal and even its in house companies like Rallis and Tata Chemicals. The company currently has 1,200 touch points which it intends to increase it to 1,700 in the next one year with large numbers being added in smaller towns and cities. Furthermore, the Indian automaker is beefing up its association with PSUs and regional rural banks and credit societies to offer complete auto finance solution to farmers. A business daily also claims that the company would be ramping up the number of sales and services points as well as workshops in the small towns and villages. Tata Motors will also be providing training and help in upgrading equipment at existing LCV service stations. It also plans to add 200 customer contact centres to up the number to 1,000 in the next few years to support its growing customer base.
Car fire raises safety concerns for Tata Motors
By Erika Kinetz, The Associated Press
Updated: 03/26/2010 04:42:30 AM PDT
A brand new silver Tata Nano, heralded as the world's cheapest car, stands in flames on the suburbs of Mumbai, India, Sunday, March 21, 2010. The car belonging to Satish Sawant, a software engineer, burst into flames as he was proudly driving it home from the showroom, draped with a celebratory garland of marigolds. Sawant managed to get his wife and five-year-old son out of the back seat before the smoke billowing from the rear engine turned into flames that engulfed the tiny car. ( AP Photo)
MUMBAI, India — When it was launched less than a year ago, the $2,500 Tata Nano was promoted as a safe, ultra-cheap car for poor Indians, an alternative to the motorbikes that zoom precariously around the country.
New questions about the safety of the pint-sized auto are being raised, however, after one of them burst into flames Sunday as it was being driven home from the showroom.
Software engineer Satish Sawant, his wife and 5-year-old son escaped from the silver Tata Nano — which still bore a celebratory garland of marigolds on the front hood — before the tiny car was engulfed by fire.
A chauffeur initially was at the wheel, but Sawant said he had taken over driving before the fire broke out. Tata has offered Sawant a replacement Nano or a refund.
"My wife now doesn't want to buy any car," Sawant said by phone from his home in northern Mumbai on Thursday. "She doesn't even want to go for a Mercedes."
His ordeal showed just the latest problem with the low-cost Nano as Tata Motors sets its sights on global expansion and aims to ramp up production of the car with a new factory next month.
Tata Motors spokesman Debasis Ray said the company is investigating the cause of the fire. Although Ray said the automaker believed it was "a one-off, stray incident," he also said he did not know how the blaze began.
"It did catch fire. We're trying to figure out what may have caused it," Ray said.
Last fall, three customers in India complained that their Nanos started smoking, but Ray said Thursday the incidents are not related to this week's fire.
Tata Motors attributed those to a faulty electrical switch and said it had changed suppliers and done additional tests to rule out a recall or redesign.
The switch problem, he said, "has been comprehensively addressed."
"Safety has never been an issue with Tata cars," Ray added. "They are one of the safest cars on Indian roads."
The Nano has gotten rave reviews and awards, but some say the smoke and fire problems are symptomatic of pervasive quality control issues at India's No. 3 carmaker.
The Nano was meant to bring automobile ownership to the impoverished masses — first in India but eventually around the world — by offering a safe car to people who couldn't otherwise afford one. Ratan Tata, who heads the Tata Group empire, has said he conceived of the idea for a "people's car" after seeing entire families crammed precariously on motorbikes. He decided they deserved a safer, all-weather transport option.
The four-seater can travel up to 65 mph and gets 55.5 miles to the gallon. The Nano does not have air bags or antilock brakes — neither of which is required in India — and air conditioning and power windows are extra.
It has as few moving parts as possible. There's only one windshield wiper, one side mirror and the headrests aren't adjustable. The dinner-plate-sized wheels have three bolts rather than four. The tiny trunk doesn't open; you access it from the inside, behind the rear seats. There are four gears, plus reverse.
The dashboard of the base model has only a speedometer, an odometer and a fuel gauge.
Tata Motors, which also owns Jaguar and Land Rover, plans to start selling versions of the Nano in Europe in 2011, and later in the U.S.
"As of today, is Tata good enough to take on the world? I would say no," said Deepesh Rathore, an auto analyst at IHS Global Insight in New Delhi. "On quality standards, Tata barely makes the cut."
There are fewer than 30,000 Nanos on the road today, which means that on a percentage basis, the problem rate is fairly high, he said.
"The Nano is a wonderful product, but these incidents really tarnish the image of the car as well as the company," Rathore said. "This is the time for Tata to have a deep look at quality."
He said the company recently made a step in the right direction, hiring Carl-Peter Forster, former head of General Motors in Europe, as group chief executive.
"They've got a guy running the show now who knows how the industry should work," he said. "How soon will the effects be seen across the Tata product range? Well, that will take time."
Car fire raises safety concerns for Tata Motors - LA Daily News
By Erika Kinetz, The Associated Press
Updated: 03/26/2010 04:42:30 AM PDT
A brand new silver Tata Nano, heralded as the world's cheapest car, stands in flames on the suburbs of Mumbai, India, Sunday, March 21, 2010. The car belonging to Satish Sawant, a software engineer, burst into flames as he was proudly driving it home from the showroom, draped with a celebratory garland of marigolds. Sawant managed to get his wife and five-year-old son out of the back seat before the smoke billowing from the rear engine turned into flames that engulfed the tiny car. ( AP Photo)
MUMBAI, India — When it was launched less than a year ago, the $2,500 Tata Nano was promoted as a safe, ultra-cheap car for poor Indians, an alternative to the motorbikes that zoom precariously around the country.
New questions about the safety of the pint-sized auto are being raised, however, after one of them burst into flames Sunday as it was being driven home from the showroom.
Software engineer Satish Sawant, his wife and 5-year-old son escaped from the silver Tata Nano — which still bore a celebratory garland of marigolds on the front hood — before the tiny car was engulfed by fire.
A chauffeur initially was at the wheel, but Sawant said he had taken over driving before the fire broke out. Tata has offered Sawant a replacement Nano or a refund.
"My wife now doesn't want to buy any car," Sawant said by phone from his home in northern Mumbai on Thursday. "She doesn't even want to go for a Mercedes."
His ordeal showed just the latest problem with the low-cost Nano as Tata Motors sets its sights on global expansion and aims to ramp up production of the car with a new factory next month.
Tata Motors spokesman Debasis Ray said the company is investigating the cause of the fire. Although Ray said the automaker believed it was "a one-off, stray incident," he also said he did not know how the blaze began.
"It did catch fire. We're trying to figure out what may have caused it," Ray said.
Last fall, three customers in India complained that their Nanos started smoking, but Ray said Thursday the incidents are not related to this week's fire.
Tata Motors attributed those to a faulty electrical switch and said it had changed suppliers and done additional tests to rule out a recall or redesign.
The switch problem, he said, "has been comprehensively addressed."
"Safety has never been an issue with Tata cars," Ray added. "They are one of the safest cars on Indian roads."
The Nano has gotten rave reviews and awards, but some say the smoke and fire problems are symptomatic of pervasive quality control issues at India's No. 3 carmaker.
The Nano was meant to bring automobile ownership to the impoverished masses — first in India but eventually around the world — by offering a safe car to people who couldn't otherwise afford one. Ratan Tata, who heads the Tata Group empire, has said he conceived of the idea for a "people's car" after seeing entire families crammed precariously on motorbikes. He decided they deserved a safer, all-weather transport option.
The four-seater can travel up to 65 mph and gets 55.5 miles to the gallon. The Nano does not have air bags or antilock brakes — neither of which is required in India — and air conditioning and power windows are extra.
It has as few moving parts as possible. There's only one windshield wiper, one side mirror and the headrests aren't adjustable. The dinner-plate-sized wheels have three bolts rather than four. The tiny trunk doesn't open; you access it from the inside, behind the rear seats. There are four gears, plus reverse.
The dashboard of the base model has only a speedometer, an odometer and a fuel gauge.
Tata Motors, which also owns Jaguar and Land Rover, plans to start selling versions of the Nano in Europe in 2011, and later in the U.S.
"As of today, is Tata good enough to take on the world? I would say no," said Deepesh Rathore, an auto analyst at IHS Global Insight in New Delhi. "On quality standards, Tata barely makes the cut."
There are fewer than 30,000 Nanos on the road today, which means that on a percentage basis, the problem rate is fairly high, he said.
"The Nano is a wonderful product, but these incidents really tarnish the image of the car as well as the company," Rathore said. "This is the time for Tata to have a deep look at quality."
He said the company recently made a step in the right direction, hiring Carl-Peter Forster, former head of General Motors in Europe, as group chief executive.
"They've got a guy running the show now who knows how the industry should work," he said. "How soon will the effects be seen across the Tata product range? Well, that will take time."
Car fire raises safety concerns for Tata Motors - LA Daily News
SpArK
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- May 5, 2010
- Messages
- 22,519
- Reaction score
- 18
- Country
- Location
Tata Nano Bags Gold Prize In 2010 Edison Awards
Tata Nano has won the Gold prize in the Best New Product segment under the Transportation category at the 2010 Edison Awards. Recognised as Americas innovation award, the Edison Awards (Edison Awards 2010 honoring innovation in the development and launch of new products and services) symbolise the persistence and excellence personified by Thomas Alva Edison. They are judged on marketplace innovation, marketplace success, technological innovation, market structure innovation, societal impact and design innovation.
Similar threads
