NEW DELHI: Tata Motors is planning to re-enter the UK market with some of its products soon.
The company had an assembly pact with British company MG Rover some years back, under which it produced Indica cars for Rover which were sold as City Rover in that market.
This arrangement ceased after Rover went bankrupt. Still, Tata Motors continued to
export pick-ups and Safaris to the UK, but now, for the first time, the company is eyeing a greater role in that country.
According to Rajeev Dube, executive director, passenger cars, Tata Motors, “We have decided to sell some of our products in the UK market, where the tie-up with Rover was discontinued sometime in 2005.”
Tata’s renewed interest in the UK comes at a time when the company is among the leading bidders for the twin British marquees of Land Rover and Jaguar.
It would also be opening up the UK market just before a whole range of new-generation products are launched from its stable.
According to already announced plans, Tata, along with joint venture (JV) partner Fiat, would start producing some of its new-generation products, engines and transmissions and also Fiat products such as the Grande Punto and Linea at the Ranjangaon plant soon.
While Dube declined to reveal the timeline for Tata Motors’ UK launch as well as products that would roll out from Ranjangaon, he asserted that the new-generation products would span the existing portfolio.
Some of them could be based on new platforms and be fitted with new engines.
Among the new-gen products would be the Indica.
“The new Indica will come in the higher end segment (of compact cars). Although it will co-exist with the old Indica, some of the existing trims could be done away with,” Dube said.
Meanwhile, Tata Motors on Thursday launched the new Safari Dicor 2.2 VTT range, powered by a new 2.2 litre direct injection engine.
From now on, three variants of the Safari (including the petrol version and the original variant) would be available.
