When it comes to the "all-new" Tata Altroz unveiled on Thursday, one might wonder if it's truly a complete overhaul or just a refreshed take on the familiar.
Tata Motors on Wednesday said it has expanded the Tiago range with the launch of a new sporty trim, Tiago NRG, with price starting at Rs 6.57 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The new sporty version of the hatchback comes with high ground clearance, bigger tyres, body cladding and roof rails to give it a SUV look. The Tiago NRG is powered by 1.2 litre petrol powertrain (86 PS power) which comes mated to five speed manual and AMT (automated manual transmission) transmission. The model has a four star safety rating by Global NCAP.
Leading automakers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra, and Tata Motors saw a dip in dispatches to dealers in August amid dip in demand with many prospective buyers postponing their buys anticipating a reduction in vehicle prices on account of the new GST framework. The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India reported an 8 per cent year-on-year dip in dispatches of passenger vehicles in the domestic market last month.
The transaction - the second one in less than a year - is seen as an effort to restore investor faith in the company following a dismal performance by its UK subsidiary, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive.
The UK government on Sunday announced that it will support "iconic British brand" Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) with a loan guarantee of up to 1.5 billion pounds to give certainty to the Tata Motors owned carmaker's supply chain following a devastating cyber-attack. The loan will come from a commercial bank, backed by the Department for Business and Trade's (DBT) Export Development Guarantee (EDG), provided by export credit agency UK Export Finance, to be paid back over five years.
Sales of luxury brands from Jaguar Land Rover were at 20,358 units during June, up one per cent from the same month last year.
Tata Motors plans to have 10 new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in its domestic product portfolio by 2025 as it looks to drive its business model towards sustainable mobility going ahead, as per Tata Motors chairman N Chandrasekaran. In his message to the shareholders, he noted that the auto major aims to be amongst the world leaders in sustainable mobility solutions and as part of that it is also exploring tie-ups in cell and battery manufacturing to secure supplies for its portfolio of green vehicles. "In India, EV penetration in our portfolio has now doubled to 2 per cent this year and we expect penetration to increase exponentially in the coming years. "Tata Motors will lead this change in the Indian market. By 2025, Tata Motors will have 10 new BEV vehicles and as a Group, we will invest proactively to set up charging infrastructure across the country," Chandrasekaran informed shareholders in the company's Annual Report for 2020-21.
Surinder Kapur, president of the company's 'vendor council,' said it has about a dozen representatives from Tata Motors and an equal number from the vendors. "We supply for about 4-5 per cent of our revenues to Tata Motors and we do not have payment issues," he said. Lumax, which derives about 15 per cent of its turnover by supplying almost half of the lighting solutions for Tata Motors worth about Rs 60 crore a year, said they had not experienced any payment issues.
Tata Motors on Monday said its president for the passenger car division, Rajiv Dube has resigned from the company.
Multiple tailwinds for the automobile sector, including a cut in goods and services tax (GST) rates, are keeping analysts bullish on auto stocks from a long-term perspective, even as they see the rally running its course in the near term.
BMW is over-capitalised and is awash with cash and it could quickly lower JLR's investment costs and raise margins by leveraging its own platforms, powertrains, purchasing scale and quality control.
Food delivery and quick commerce firm Eternal, which owns the Zomato and Blinkit brands, on Monday reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 25 crore for the June quarter, as continuing investments in quick commerce and going-out businesses weighed on its bottom line. Titan, Hindustan Unilever, Bharat Electronics, Maruti, ICICI Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra were also among the gainers. However, Tata Motors, Adani Ports, State Bank of India and Reliance Industries were among the laggards.
Tata Motors is looking to ramp up the production of electric vehicles as demand continues to outpace the manufacturing activity by a huge margin, according to a top company official. The Mumbai-based automaker, which led the passenger electric vehicle space in the domestic market in last fiscal year, has been receiving an average of 5,500-6,000 bookings in the past two months for its EV range. The company sells three electric products -- Nexon EV, Tigor EV and XPRES-T -- in the domestic market.
The country's leading automakers Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor reported a decline in dispatches to dealers in March as shortage of electronic components impacted production. On the other hand, Tata Motors, Skoda and Kia India posted their highest ever monthly wholesales last month. Toyota Kirloskar Motor said its dispatches in March were the highest in the last five years while Mahindra & Mahindra also reported a robust increase in its passenger vehicle dispatches in March.
This will ensure its vehicles reach dealers much faster and delivered to buyers in a maximum of three days, reports Shally Seth Mohile.
The range will also be gradually introduced in South Korea, South Africa, the SAARC countries and the Middle East. "The developing infrastructure in India makes it possible for transporters to reap the benefits of trucks with higher power, speed and carrying capacity. The new range from Tata Motors will meet those needs and will help us penetrate international market more effectively and competitively," Tata Sons and Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata said.
Powered by Ziptron technology, the electric SUV for the personal segment comes with a range of 312 km on a single charge and a high voltage system, fast charging capability, extended battery life and class leading safety features. Besides, it has 35 connected car features as well. The Nexon EV will be available in three trim levels across 60 authorised dealerships in 22 cities, the company said at the launch.
Managing Director Ravi Kant said that 75 per cent of the company's purchases from vendors were covered by a tripartite arrangement, between vendors who had chosen to be covered by the scheme, Tata Motors and banks. As per the scheme, the bank paid the vendor and Tata Motors paid the bank, he said. "For the remaining 25 per cent purchases, there could be some delays," Kant said, without giving details about the outstanding debt or when payments will be made.
Among the cars unveiled at the Auto Expo on Wednesday was Mahindra and Mahindra's e-KUV for Rs 8.2 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi. With a single charge range of 150 km and a 55 min fast charging upto 80 pc, it was both a head-turner and a conversation-starter.
'Some buyers get carried away by festival offers and purchase higher variants or larger vehicles than they truly need, which impacts running cost and long-term affordability.'
Safari Storme powered by 2.2 litre VariCOR engine, turbocharged with Variable Turbine Technology, delivers 140 PS Power and 320 NM Torque.
Tata Motors on Wednesday said it has extended warranty and free service period by one month for those commercial vehicle customers whose tenures are due between April 1 and June 30 amid the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Bajaj Auto, too, extended the free service period of all its brands in the country till July 31. In view of the restrictions announced by several state governments across the country to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Tata Motors has extended warranty and free service period for all its commercial vehicles that were scheduled to expire in the period of April 1 to June 30, 2021.
The company believes there is a shift in consumer demand, more buyers could opt for Skoda in future
Zest buyers are forced to wait up to six weeks for the automated manual transmission version, available only on this car in the compact sedan segment.
Tatas have a presence in Korea following the acquisition of Daewoo's heavy commercial vehicles business some years ago.
The commercial vehicle business is one of the mainstays for the Tata group, highlighting the importance of Girish Wagh's appointment.
However, raised prices of its sport-utility vehicles by up to Rs 11,000.
From the Sensex firms, Trent, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finserv, Reliance Industries, Infosys, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HCL Technologies, and NTPC were among the biggest laggards. However, Eternal, Tata Motors, Sun Pharma, Tata Steel, and Titan were the gainers.
Increasing competitive intensity in JLR's key luxury car market and weakness in domestic business dampen sentiment.
From the Sensex pack, Sun Pharma, Eternal, Tata Motors, Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finserv were among the major laggards. In contrast, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Asian Paints and Maruti were among the gainers.
'We want to be number three by 2018 and every month we are moving closer to that ambition.'
The net proceeds of the fund raising will be used to repurchase certain equity shares issued to Tata Motors and for general corporate purpose.
Ratan N Tata, chairman of the Board of Tata Motors, said, "Board respects Carl-Peter's personal circumstances that led to this move. We would like to thank him for his contributions to the successful development of our company in his role as Group chief executive officer and managing director."
V Sumantran has resigned from the post of executive director of Tata Motors.
Tata Motors, India's largest automobile company, on Monday said it has entered into a joint venture with Thailand's Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Co to build, assemble and sell pick-up trucks in that country.
For UK automakers, market access to India will be limited by quantity caps and phased tariff cuts, especially on petrol, diesel and electric vehicles.
As it makes inroads into the quality-conscious global markets, Tata Motors on Wednesday said it was in the process of "shrinking" vendor base as part of a "strategy" to rationalise supplier chain.
