Tata Motors to launch DiCOR engine cars  ( June '29,2006, HBL)

Tata Motors is powering up its line up of vehicles and is gearing up to launch at least two more fuel-efficient and powerful engines for its Indigo and Indica models this fiscal.

Top sources told Business Line that the company has firmed up plans to roll out the Indigo and the Indica models fitted with its DiCOR (direct injection common rail) engine beginning August-September.

The company is also simultaneously working on a 16-valve engine to supplement the current 8-valve petrol engine range for the Indica and Indigo."The engine is almost ready now and the company is planning to roll out the Indica and Indigo fitted with these engines 3-4 months from now,'' sources said.

Work is also under way for the launch of a 2.2-litre DiCOR engine on the Safari by August with plans being firmed up to ramp up the volumes by October by when it plans to hike the production level from 40 per day to 120 per day.

Tata Motors does not comment on the launch plans of its products, as a policy, the company spokesperson told Business Line.

The spokesperson, however, said: "Tata Safari had its best ever year in 2005-06, growing by 48 per cent over the previous financial year. The trend has continued in the current fiscal with a 240 per cent growth in April-May 2006 compared to the corresponding period of the last fiscal. The Safari's achievement is due to the success of the Safari DiCOR launched in August 2005.''

Eyeing CRDI front

The sources said the company is keen to enter the CRDi segment where a number of competitors have launched vehicles. While the Indigo with the DiCOR engine is expected to be launched in August, the Indica with the same engine will be rolled out by January-February next year, followed by the Marina.

According to plans currently being put in place, the company is not planning to completely shift to the DiCOR engines at one go but will initially offer customers the existing diesel engine and will shift to DiCOR technology only in a two-year window.

Betting big

"The company is betting big on the DiCOR and plans are being firmed up to make at least 20,000 DiCOR engines between October 2006 to March 2007,'' they said.

"Tata Motors plans to make a dent in this market by making the vehicles with the new engines available at a nominal additional cost.

"The DiCOR engines are expected to be at least 40 per cent more powerful than the conventional diesel engine,'' the sources said.

The passenger vehicle business reported a total sale of 18,115 vehicles in the domestic market in May 2006.