Tata’s people’s car:
Tata’s one lakh car is the most expected car in recent times not only in india, the whole world is anticipating for the car. “The one-lakh car is a case study which the whole world is watching. If successful, the car can spark demand in a new segment all over the world” reports JD power an Automotive rating and research firm. That’s why every news and rumours about the low cost car is getting covered in almost every magazines, every newspapers and every webportals even the mighty Businessweek and BBC is reporting about the developments of the car. The most expected car has also become the most controversial car in indian history. Whether its the singur controversy or the competitors criticism in one or many ways the one lakh car is making news.
Whie the Chevrolet Aveo, currently the cheapest car in the US, costs around $ 10,350 while Europe’s low cost contender the Dacia Logan costs around 6000 euros. Coming to india while most manufacturers are finding difficult even to make a 100cc bike for Rs40000 Tata is building a car for 1 lakh ($2500) and Tata has to break its own achievements and has to set new levels of benchmarks in design, production, assembly, logistics and whereever they can to produce a car at such a price.
Can the Tata’s meet the expectations? Will the one lakh car convey the india’s potential to the world? Will Tata stick to its price tag? Will it make sense for Tata to have a car when other players are moving to premium segments? Will the more demanding customers will like the low cost machine? In this preview we will find answer for all these questions also we will know how tata is cutting the cost in all domains to adhere to its price tag.
Name for the Commuters car:
The most watched car in the Indian car space — the Rs 1-lakh ($2500) offering from the Tata Motors stables — is still unnamed, but company sources here believe that `Jeh’ is emerging as the `most favoured name’. “It has always been our Chairman Mr Ratan Tata’s dream to name one of the cars after J.R.D. Tata,”said a Tata official.
What’s the 1 lakh car all about?
Tata says the proposed Rs 1-lakh car would be a vehicle that “will seat four to five people and have a rear engine. It will not be a scooter, three-wheeler or an auto-rickshaw made into a car.” “It will also not be a stripped down car. It will be an inexpensive car,” he said, but added that it would obviously not have the finish or the high speed or the power of a larger car. It would be a rear engine, 4-5 seat, four-door car with about 30 hp (horsepower) engine.Though it is tough to preview a car which is guarded highly by its manufacturer, we will unveil as much we can in this post.
Engine and Transmission:
It is almost sure that Tata’s no frills car will be an rear engined car –to save the transmission cost. Tata Motors have tested an 550-650cc engine but felt it is not sufficient to propel a four seater and they decided to step up the engine. Robert Bosch the international Auto Electronics major has acknowledged that’ its latest success is an order to supply alternators, brakes, and gasoline and diesel management systems for the one lakh car from Tata’. So a diesel and petrol unit is sure for the one lakh car. It is believed that finally tata settled for a 660cc petrol unit and 700cc diesel unit to power the one lakh car.
For the 660cc petrol unit Bosch has designed a special fuel injection system called “value motronic” – the cost of the system is roughly half of a full scale system and it is said to be more efficient. For the 700cc diesel will be a CRDi unit( it’s DICOR for Tata) too Bosch has developed a special injection system for this world’s first twin cylinder CRDi engine. Earlier in 1998 when Ratan Tata unveiled a concept car named ‘zing’ he initiated the idea of producing the 1 lakh car using scooter parts. Yes, Tata opted a basic, automatic or variomatic transmission, instead of a manual transmission set up. Not only it will help the tata in cutting the cost as Tata targets millions of two-wheeler users for its 1 lakh car it will be easy for the tata to lure them. In the combination of a smart petrol unit or a DICOR unit with automatic transmission the one lakh car will be dearer not only while your buying it but also it will be softer on your monthly fuel bill. Overdrive reported petrol version of the one lakh car registered mileage/ fuel efficiency in the region of 26kpl(65mpg) in the internal Tata tests and but Tata is gunning for 30kpl!(70mpg) enough isn’t it? if not, Tata – Bosch DICOR unit may satisfy our thirst. On the performance side the petrol unit is believed to produce 33bhp with a top speed of 120kph(80mph)
Few disadvantages in a rear engine car:
* uneven weight distribution and hence poor traction control
* poor cornering and poor handling
* poor engine cooling and hence more chance for engine overheating
* almost no boot space and cramped space for rear passengers
Design and features:
Tata’s zing and indiva concept cars exhibited at 1998 and 2002 auto expo would be base for the proposed one lakh car. Apart from the concept cars, the one lakh car is sure to have few signs popular rear engined cars such as volkswagen beetle, Fiat model 500 and porsche cars. Tata has outsourced the design to Italy’s Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering (IDEA) which designed most Tata;s cars including indica. The one lakh car probably will not be designed to win any beauty contests but at the same time it will not be a ugly duckling either. As evident from the indiva, tata’s small car will embrace not so contemporary tall boy look similar to Maruti Suzuki’s WagonR. Under the front hood the one lakh car will have a small storage space, “like an overhead bin” on an airplane.
As bonnet is used for the storage space, headlamps will not be a wraparound, it may be quadrilateral in shape and the headlamps will sit on the smaller bonnet. As the one lakh car is a rear engined one, i believe drivers will have more fun with this car, starting from steep rake to the larger front windshield is truly what every driver loves to have. For the one lakh car there will not be a distinctive grille but because of the round bumper, Tata’s will carry its familiar ‘smiley’ front look to the one lakh car as well. Tata’s small car will make use of a single wiper instead of two, not only for giving the car a cleaner look also for cutting the cost of windshield wipers for the people’s Car in half. In the sides as Tata will source smaller tyres from its cargo carrier ace for the one lakh car and beacuse of this Tata will not spruce up the fenders. Not so full wheels and black door handles will feature in people’s car. Identical rear view mirrors will be used on either side to save cost. In the rear one lakh car will be more upmarket since the car will have pillar mounted taillamps similar to its sibling indica.
Inside, the one lakh car will feature all the basic amenities, instrument console would have a speedometer, an odometer and fuel gauge. You have to cut costs on everything—seats, materials, components—the whole package,” says Tata Group Chairman Ratan N. Tata. These are the words which are going to be reflected in upholsteries and door trims.
Some myths about the one lakh car:
Though too early to call some news about the 1 lakh car as myth, from Tata words we can atleast flush some rumours about it. Some scoops on car’s features includes – Curtains replacing glass windows, removable bolt-on seats instead of the regular ones, roof will be an optional add-on, and plastic body panels instead of the regular metal panels. Yes, Tata had talks with General Electric for using its re-engineered plastics for its low cost car and Tata may make use of modern adhesives instead of welding to cut down cost, but still there is no definite direction in this issue but certainly there will be no curtains. The one lakh car will be a complete car with definite roof and glass windows.
Will the much hyped 1 lakh car end in a flop??.. In Tata’s one lakh car – part2