Australia says hello to TATA

Indian vehicle conglomerate TATA Motors is coming Down Under – again!

The new distributor for the brand is Fusion Automotive, a division of the same company that owns Walkinshaw Performance and has common shareholdings with HSV. According to Fusion, TATA Motors will relaunch locally with a light commercial vehicle (LCV) range from October (2013).

The brand will launch with its Xenon 4x2 and 4x4 one-tonne-style utility line-up. This will be followed by a small portfolio of “other models” which Fusion Automotive representatives say will be rolled out over the subsequent nine to 12 months.

“The operation that we have set-up will focus on launching with a light-commercial vehicle in Australia,” explained Fusion Automotive managing director, Darren Bowler.

“It’s a light commercial vehicle with 4x2 and 4x4 variants, and is Euro5 compliant.”

Bowler, the former general sales manager of Holden Special Vehicles, was coy about pricing and specification of the new model, but hinted that it would compete in the sub-$38,000 bracket.

At that price, the Xenon would compete directly with the Korean-built Ssangyong Actyon Sports ($26,990-$32,990), but above that of the Chinese-sourced Great Wall V200 and V240 range ($17,990-$27,990). The Xenon is powered by a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine developing 102kW/320Nm and offered in conjunction with a five-speed manual transmission.

“At $38,000-plus, there’s a lot of volume, [but] below that, there’s a lot of opportunity,” Bowler told motoring.com.au.

“We haven’t finalised pricing with TATA Motors in India. We’re still working on a number of things, including feature content.

“We want to put the car in front of the Australian consumer with as many features in it as possible, to represent value for money -- especially given the competitive set that we’re going to sell in,” he said.

Aware of the “perception issues” the Indian brand may face locally, Bowler said that Fusion Automotive is working closely with TATA Motors to “commit to a high-level of specification, safety and reliability”.

All models sold will be backed by a three-year/100,000km warranty and three years’ roadside assist.

“People’s perceptions are not always good about Indian products,” admitted Bowler. “But when we launch the product in Australia, everyone will be pleasantly surprised. The product offering is so far ahead of what it was a long time ago.

“Our message to TATA Motors is that, if we want to be serious about what we do, we’ve got to package these vehicles in the same [serious] manner,” said Bowler.

“TATA is very proud, and at the same time very concerned that its product will meet the expectations of consumers globally.”

TATA is an industrial giant in its home country. The group’s turnover accounts for four per cent of India’s GDP. The company manufacturers everything from bottled water to construction-grade steel, from cars to armoured personnel carriers and even communication devices. It is also the parent company of Jaguar Land Rover.

It has big plans for its automotive arm in Australia, too. And following the launch of the Xenon SUV in October, the brand will expand its portfolio with a variety of passenger, SUV and light commercial models, though these will not include the world’s cheapest car, Nano.

“We haven’t announced what products we’re bringing in yet,” clarified Bowler.

“In the fourth-quarter of this year we plan to be on sale, and we’ll be announcing pricing, specification and what the [additional] product is [then].

“There’s a whole range of TATA Motors products available, but not all are available in right-hand drive configuration, and not all are global cars. Some are purposefully [built] just for India, like the Nano. The Nano is not a car that we will bring in to Australia,” explained Bowler.

“We want to focus on the opportunities in the right segment in a vehicle that we believe meets the standards that the Australian consumer would want. The Australian consumer has the right to drive a quality product that’s priced right and delivers value for money,” insisted Bowler.

Bowler said that part of the value equation lies in TATA Motors ownership of the Jaguar Land Rover brand from which it has gained a lot of expertise.

“The infrastructure that they [TATA Motors] have in place with technology sharing from the ownership of JLR is starting to cascade through the business, and that technology is being used in TATA products.

“We don’t want to bring something in that is not to the standards or the satisfaction of the Australian consumer, regardless of the price.”

Consumer focus will be a primary part of TATA Motors operations in Australia, with Mr Bowler assuring that the arrival of the newcomer is as much about brand building as it is about product.

“Our plan is that we’re here for the long-haul. There’s a range of TATA Motors products that we’re going to look at in the future and our marketing plan is that we’re going to build the brand, build consumer confidence in the brand, and then start delivering that to the consumer,” he explained.

“We’re very much focussed on delivering customer service, customer care, the right customer approach and the right message. We’re very focussed on the after-sales side of the business.”

The local operation has already confirmed seven dealerships but will not announce the details of these until the October launch of the vehicles. Fusion is in talks with eight others and plans to have at least 13 dealerships onboard by launch. Plans include an expansion to 25 outlets by the end of next year (2014).

Pictured are TATA Xenon, Aria, Manza, Safari Strome, Vista and Pickup models.

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