4 Tata vehicles for 2008

Tata Motors will roll out a compact car, a sedan and a multi-utility vehicle next year apart from the much talked about Rs 1 lakh (Rs 100,000) car, according to a city-based dealer.

The auto major which has forged an industrial joint venture with Fiat for production of passenger cars and engines at Ranjangaon (Maharashtra) will also jointly launch a compact car and a sedan along with Fiat in India next year.

"Tata Motors is likely to come up with many new offerings in the passenger car segment next year but I can't comment as to whether they will be compact cars, sedans or multi-utility vehicles," S Krishnan, vice-president (commercial) of the company's passenger car business unit said on the occasion of the roll-out of the company's one millionth car on the Indica platform in Kolkata.

Krishnan was tightlipped on the much awaited Rs 1 lakh car but hinted that Tata Motors is likely to manufacture Indica, Indigo as well some of its upcoming models at the Ranjangaon facility.

Among the four products which are to come from the Tata Motors stable next year, the multi-utility vehicle is expected to hit the market first among the launches.

Barring the small car, the other offerings from Tata Motors will be priced in the range of Rs 3.5-9 lakh (Rs 350,000-900,000). However, the company officials refused to give a specific comment on the launch of the new models.

Tata Motors is keen on expanding its dealership network in West Bengal which includes expansion of the existing showrooms in Howrah, Barasat and Krishnanagar and also opening of new outlets in Uluberia and Chinsura in Hooghly district,

In the passenger car segment, West Bengal accounts for 21 per cent of the company's overall sales and the state clocked a sales volume of 8,500 in 2006-07 out of which around 7,000 units were sold in Kolkata alone.

To observe the roll out of its one millionth car on the Indica platform, Tata Motors has announced attractive discounts for its customers.

There is a discount of Rs 51,000 on Indica V2, Indigo and Indigo Marina, Rs 45,000 on Fiat Palio Stile, Rs 49,000 on Sumo Victa and Rs 73,000 on the Safari Dicor 2.2 model.