The Hindu Business Line : Tata Motors launches Winger, Magic

Pune June 18 Tata Motors made an entry into the small capacity rural and urban passenger transportation segment with the launch of two new products. The first, a passenger version of the Tata Ace christened Magic and the other, a maxi-van modelled on Renault panel van `Traffic' called the Winger.

While the two new vehicles are diesel products, a CNG version of the Magic will come into the market before the end of the fiscal, Mr Prakash Telang, Executive Director, (Commercial Vehicles), Tata Motors said.

The Magic is a frills-free, last mile affordable transportation solution for the rural commuter that can transport four to seven passengers and baggage. The 9-13 seat Winger, on the other hand, modelled on the smart maxi-van and comes in four basic versions ranging from the Standard to Luxury. It can have applications for both rural and urban transportation as well as be used as ambulances and carrier vans.

Phased launch

Asserting that Tata Motors wanted to change the way people travelled in the country, Mr Telang said the company had decided to introduce the vehicles in a phased manner, starting with Maharashtra and Gujarat initially and subsequently rolling them out nationally.

The Magic has a tubular construction, rexine windows and two gates, one at the back and another on the left side. It meets BS III emission norms and is backed by a 36,000 km/12 month warranty and is currently available in a single model priced at Rs 2.6 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune). It will currently be sold through the existing chain of commercial vehicle dealerships.

Dealership chain

"One cannot rule the option of selling the product through the passenger car dealership chain in the future," Mr Telang added.

The larger Winger offers four basic variants - Standard, Deluxe and Luxury in the flat roof variant and a High Roof deluxe model. It has a `monocoque' construction (for better ride comfort) and a flexible seat configuration that can seat nine to 13 passengers. The vehicle comes with a 1.5 lakh km/18 month warranty, meets BS III norms and comes at an ex-showroom price tag ranging from Rs 4.70 lakh to Rs 6.55 lakh.