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Tatas may launch petrol Safari by year-end

V Phani Kumar in Mumbai

Tata Engineering is planning to launch the petrol version of the Safari by the end of this calendar.

The petrol variant, which will come with a 2.1-litre engine that has been indigenously developed by the company, will compete with the petrol variants of Toyotas Qualis and Mahindra & Mahindras Scorpio, which are already available in the market.

Without disclosing the pricing details of the new model, V Sumantran, executive director, said, "We will be ready to launch the petrol variant of the Safari by the end of this calender year."

Industry analysts, however, expect the company to price the vehicle competitively in the Rs 750,000-850,000 bracket.

They said the new variant will fill up a gap in Tata Engineerings product portfolio.

The petrol variant of the Safari will be one of the 12 new product launches from the Tata Engineering stable during the current fiscal.

Of these, the company has already launched the Ex series of heavy trucks, the re-launched Tatamobile pick-up and the Sumo Plus series of multi-utility vehicles.

The launch of Safaris petrol variant will coincide with the launch of other products from the company.

The company's mid-sized sedan Indigo, which will also be the first major spin-off from the Indica platform, is also expected to hit the roads by the end of the third quarter.

Further, the Indica sport, which will occupy the top-end of the Indica line, is also expected to be launched around the same time.

The company is hoping to sell significant numbers of the Safari (petrol) in the exports markets.

Also, the euro-III petrol variant of the Indica, which is expected to give a boost to the company's exports, is currently under development.

Tata Engineering will be offering additional safety features such as anti-lock braking system and airbags in the vehicles meant for exports.

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