Though there have been rumours swirling in the market that Tata Motors maybe scouting for another acquisition, Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons denied that the company will be considering acquiring another car company. "Right now, we have our hands full with the acquisition we have already made and there is still work to do with the two brands we acquired". He was referring to the British luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover that Tata acquired in 2008.
Speaking at the sidelines of the Geneva Motor Show at the Palexpo here, Mr Tata said that it didn't make sense now to make another acquisition in the car manufacturing space, even though there may be opportunities in the market. "I doubt very much that we will be in the market for another buy. A great amount of strategic fit is needed for us to add to the current portfolio," he said.
He however confirmed that the company will be looking out for acquiring companies that can bring in technology and so an acquisition in the auto components space is a possibility. "A great deal of energy is needed to build an enterprise and a great deal of effort needed to make an acquisition work," Mr Tata said. He took the example of the joint engine development work that is on between JLR and Tata Technologies.
Talking about the Nano, Mr Tata said that there will be electric and diesel variants of the ultra compact soon. But he refused to mention a time frame within which the variants will be available in the market. "We have a lot of experience with diesel, after being one of the companies to launch a diesel engine in a passenger car in India," he pointed out.
In the context of the market performance of the Nano, Mr Tata said that it is a bit unfair to say that the Nano didn't meet expectations, when you look at it in the context of the nearly two-year delay in the production and bringing to market of the car. "I think we didn't do enough to market the Nano in the real market for the car, which is the semi-urban and the rural areas in India. We have only now started to look at those markets, Mr Tata said.
Launches Megapixel concept car
Tata Motors unveiled the Megapixel concept car at the 82nd Geneva Motor Show. The new four-seater, global, range extended electric vehicle (REEV) concept takes some of its design and technology cues from the Pixel concept that Tata Motors showcased at the Geneva Motor Show last year. The new Megapixel concept is said to have been developed by Tata's design centres in the UK and Italy.
Combining a lithium ion phosphate battery and an on-board petrol engine generator for recharging on the move, the Megapixel is capable of offering a range of 900 kms on a single tank of fuel. It is also said to be very environmentally-friendly with just 22 gms/ km of CO2 emissions and a mileage of 100kmpl (under battery only power). The Megapixel is also said to denote Tata Motors' future design direction.
The Megapixel also takes forward the zero-turn drive system of the Pixel showcased last year. The car's electric drive has four independent electric motors, one at each wheel taking maneuverability to a new high, when parking, the electric hub motors drive the wheels in opposite directions, enabling an exceptional turning radius of just 2.8 metres.
Also on display at the Geneva Motor Show were the next generation Tata Safari Storme SUV, the Aria crossover MPV, the Manza sedan and the Tata Indica Vista hatchback.