The Hindu Business Line : People movers from Tatas

Tata Motors has finally launched the reworked version of the Renault Trafic Panel van, a new people mover that will join the company's fleet of passenger vehicles. The new Winger, as Tata Motors calls it, is being offered with two different roof heights and two different wheelbase lengths, just like the French company's original.

The new Winger has been launched simultaneously along with the new passenger carrier version of Tata Motors' mini-truck. Based on the same platform as the Ace mini-truck, the new passenger version, christened Magic, which is also being offered with a soft-top, will aim to capture the market for the cheap people mover or share-auto category.

Just like Mahindra & Mahindra's two new launches at either ends of the price and value spectrum, Tata Motors' two new vehicles, Magic and Winger, will try to cater to the two ends of the taxi segment. The Winger, which is a sturdier and more refined product, will attempt to wrestle market share in the private taxi and ITES/ BPO employees transportation segments.

Winger

The Winger, whic can seat nine to13 passengers, comes with generous saloon space, spacious headroom and legroom, and wide luggage space. Passenger comfort has been further enhanced with all front-facing seats and, depending on the variant, will come with magazine pockets, bottle holders, spot lamps and grab handles, besides provision for a music system.

The Winger is being offered in six variants and two seating configurations too. The top-end luxury, flat roof, air-conditioned variant is a ten-seater, while the remaining five versions are offered as either 13 or 14 seaters, taking the total number of variants to 11.

The fully enclosed body with moulded interior panels, uniquely placed fuel tank, a seat belt for every seat, child lock, fog lamps and a rear demister (compartment ventilation fan) provide complete safety and good comfort for all the passengers.

The Winger is powered by what seems to be a modified version of the same 2-litre diesel engine that is currently offered on the Sumo. Further, as with the Sumo, the 1,948cc engine comes with a turbo-charged, inter-cooled (TCIC) version in all the variants except in the smaller length, entry-level Winger van. The non-turbo-charged version of the engine develops a peak power of 68 bhp compared to the 91 bhp that the TCIC version puts out.

The Winger van is front-wheel-driven and except for the base variant, which meets Bharat Stage II emission norms, the rest are BS-III compliant. The Winger's rugged suspension ensures both ride comfort and load carrying capacity, while the vehicle's monocoque design minimises noise, vibration and harshness.

The Winger's configuration is expected to offer it enough versatility to be deployed for both long-distance transportation across different terrains and also intra-city and be adapted for use as staff vehicles, hotel and airport transfers, tourist transportation, ambulance, and school van among others.

The Winger standard, deluxe and luxury variants are backed with a 1.5 lakh km/18-month warranty. Prices start at Rs 4.70 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune).

Magic

Can it work the Ace's Magic?

Based on, and identical looking to, the Ace mini-truck, the new Magic features an all-steel cabin. It offers a flexible seating capacity of 4-7 passengers with adequate legroom.

Powered by a 16-bhp, 700cc water-cooled diesel engine, the Magic offers high fuel efficiency and very low maintenance. The 12-inch tyres provide higher ground clearance, and the rigid front axle is designed to handle tough roads. The Magic's turning radius of 4.3 metres is nimble enough to navigate the bylanes and traffic of our crowded cities. The Magic has a clearly visible instrument cluster, utility tray and a digital clock in the dashboard and also a provision for fitting a radio.

The Magic meets BS-III emission norms and has been developed for use in any market — be it urban, semi-urban or rural. It is backed by a 36,000 km/12-month warranty. The Magic range starts at Rs 2.60 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune).

Both the Magic and the Winger are being launched nation-wide, starting with Maharashtra and Gujarat, after which availability will be extended to other parts of the country in a phased manner.

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