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Tata plans to launch 'Xenon' in Argentina with Fiat
sify.com
— January 12, 2008
Tata Motors today said it
is in talks with Fiat to produce its utility vehicles
'Xenon' in Argentina.
''We are in talks for the Argentinian
market and are yet to decide if the vehicle will have
a Tata or a Fiat engine,'' company Commercial Vehicle
head P M Telang told reporters at the 9th Auto Expo
here.
Earlier this year, Fiat and Tata Motors had inked into
an agreement which calls for a Tata licence to build
a pick-up vehicle bearing the Fiat nameplate at Fiat
Group Automobiles' plant in Córdoba, Argentina,
follows a feasibility study started in July 2006.
Annual production is supposed to be about 20,000 units.
Total planned investment in the project is about $ 80
million.
''The Xenon is extremely popular in Iataly and Spain
and we are also planning to take it to West Asia and
considering setting up a plant in Thailand,'' said Telang.
The new Xenon XT is a lifestyle pick-up with 4 x 4
off-road capabilities. It offers a loading volume of
870 litre and is powered by a 3.0 litre direct injection
common rail (DICOR) diesel engine with a maximum power
of 115 PS (at 3,000 rpm) and maximum torque of 300 Nm
(at 1,800 - 2.000 rpm).
The vehicle will be launched later in 2008 in India.
The Indian automobile major has set in motion a joint
venture company with Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant,
the Thailand-based independent assembler of automobiles,
to manufacture, assemble and pick-up trucks.
Tata Motors is developing the World Truck, a top end
heavy commercial vehicle along with its subsidiary Daewoo
Commercial Vehicles on a completely new platform.
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