The Hindu Business Line : Tata Motors hopes to garner 40 pc of SUV market

TATA Motors has targeted a 25 per cent rise in the sales of the Tata Safari SUV in the current fiscal. Last year, the company sold around 3,500 units of the Tata Safari at an average price of Rs 8 lakh per unit.

Turnover increase from sales of the Tata Safari in the current fiscal, too, is expected to go up by 25 per cent in the current fiscal, according to Mr R.J. Chinoy, Head-Marketing - Utility Vehicles, Passenger Car Business Unit, Tata Motors Ltd.

Addressing a press conference held here today to mark the launch of the Safari Dicor in Kolkata, Mr Chinoy said the present size of the Indian market for SUVs has been pegged at around 1,000 units per month. This was expected to go up to between 4,000 and 5,000 units per month within the next five years. On its part, Tata Motors was hopeful of garnering a 35-40 per cent share of the domestic market for SUVs by that time.

Mr Chinoy said that, with the launch of the Bharat Stage III compliant Safari Dicor, all Safari models manufactured by the company would henceforth be Bharat Stage III compliant.

According to him, the Safari Dicor would be available in three trim levels and these variants would be priced at between Rs 7.76 lakh and Rs 12.61 lakh ex-showroom Kolkata.

According to him, Tata Motors exported around 250 units of the Safari in 2004-05. Exports of the Tata Safari were expected to go up by 25 per cent in the current fiscal.

In the current fiscal, exports would be made to countries such as the UK, Spain, Italy and South Africa, he said.

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