Tata Motors to unveil Rs 1-lakh car at Auto Expo '08

New Delhi, Dec 19 (UNI) Auto major Tata Motors will unveil its one lakh car in the upcoming Auto Expo here, but the commercial launch will take place in the later part of the year.

''Tata will also present its 'People's Car', which will be unveiled on January 10, but the commercial launch will take place later in the year,'' said a company statement.

Tata Motors will also display a range of new passenger vehicles, while joint venture partner Fiat will display passenger cars from its international range.

The Rs 1-lakh car is slated to roll out of Tata Motors' Singur factory in June 2008. R A Mashelkar, former CSIR Director General, who is now an independent non-executive director on the Tata Motors board described the car as ''an eco-car with a 25 km-per-litre mileage on petrol, meeting every international standard and specification, including Euro-4 norms. Acceleration wise, it's the same as a Maruti 800.'' He was recounting his recent ride on the prototype at the Tata Motors' Pune plant.

''It's a tool for inclusive growth,'' Mr Mashelkar had said in Kolkata yesterday at the 'Resurgence of Innovative India: The Phenomenon and the Consequences,' organised jointly by East India Pharmaceutical Works and The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture.

Mr Mashelkar further said, ''every other company manufactures products for the top of the income bracket pyramid and I am concerned about middle, lower middle and the bottom of this pyramid.

The issue is how do we create products for them and, therefore, the Rs 1-lakh car is like the dream as far as I am concerned.'' The New Delhi Auto Expo, a biennial event, has been showcasing Indian automobile and auto component industry for the last 18 years providing a platform to display latest developments in the automotive industry.

From its commercial vehicles business, the company will display buses from the joint venture with Marcopolo of Brazil, newly developed multi-axle heavy trucks, pickup vehicles, applications of panel vans, and new mini-trucks.

According to reports, Bajaj Auto, Renault and Nissan are also looking into the feasibility of making a 3,000 dollar car.

Tata Motors is also believed to have offered 2.05 billion dollars for the Ford's brands.

Ford, which is spinning off the British luxury brands to focus on restructuring its loss-making North American operations, is expected to close the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover in the first quarter of 2008.

UNI