Tata Motors which was the first company to offer a true SUV in the country, in the form of theSafari. The company was a significant player in the market but with time and an aggressive push from Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors’s presence in the SUV space has eroded.
Though the company has lost 10% market share in the last couple years, it is now stitching together a new strategy with its new launches.
With its flagship SUV Safari regaining some of its lost glory due to aggressive pricing, Tata Motors is now banking on new launches like Aria and the new 2011 Safari to regain its lost market share.
Tata is looking at doubling SUV annual volumes to over 70,000 units in the next 12-18 months, including exports.
Tata Motors is set to offer utility vehicles at every price point right from Rs. 6.5 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh. Sources say the company intends to launch next gen Safari called Safari 18 internally by January-February 2011 at a price of Rs. 8.5-12.5 lakh.
It will be positioned between the existing Safari and recently launched Aria and co-exist with the current Safari.
The company is also working on refreshed Sumo Victa for the transport segment, which will be launched in six months and it is also tweaking the new Grande Mark II to boost volumes.
Tata will launch the Victa with a new engine to meet BS4 emission norms and will refresh the interiors of the Sumo Grande
