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Customer LoginsGeneva Motor Show 2017: Tata unveils TAMO Racemo sports car, launches Tiago AMT
Soon to be introduced Nexon crossover and Tigor compact sedan also unveiled at the show.
IHS Markit Perspective:
- Significance: Tata Motors unveiled first product under the TAMO brand at the Geneva Motor Show in the form of two-seater Racemo sports car. Back home, the automaker also equipped its popular Tiago hatchback with automated manual transmission (AMT).
- Implications: The Racemo will fit perfectly under TAMO brand's guidelines of housing small volume, quick-to-market, and niche products. As such, annual sales volumes of the model are expected to remain in the range of 500-1,000 units.
- Outlook: While the sports car is likely to improve the brand perception of Tata Motors in the future, the introduction of the semi-automatic transmission on Tiago hatchback is a development that is likely to offer immediate benefits.
Tata Motors has unveiled its Racemo sports car under the TAMO brand at the Geneva Motor Show. The two-seater sports car features a low-slung design and is just 3,835 mm long. The mid-engine vehicle is powered by 1.2-litre turbocharged Revotron engine that puts out maximum power of 190 hp at 6500 rpm and maximum torque of 210 Nm at 2500 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) with push button reverse and paddle shifters. Designed at Tata Motors' design studio in Turin, Italy, the Racemo is capable of accelerating from a standstill to 100 mph in under six seconds. Underpinning the vehicle is the MOFlex Multi-Material Sandwich structure which the company claims to offer greater freedom in surface design and more efficient large-scale part integration.
Visually, the vehicle draws attention with its sports car-like features but also features Tata Motors' design language that includes elements like Humanity Line which are visible on mass-market vehicles from the brand. The brainchild of veteran automotive designer Marcelo Gandini, the Racemo is the first offering under the recently unveiled TAMO brand.
"Racemo is the first innovation from TAMO, and our emotional, unexpected leap to the future. Symbolising the change that is taking place at Tata Motors, Racemo is the proving ground of the TAMO family of vehicles and will drive the future of India's connected generation," said Guenter Butschek, CEO, Tata Motors while indicating that sales of the vehicle will begin in early 2018.
The automaker also unveiled its soon to be launched Nexon crossover and Tigor compact sedan at the show.
Separately, the automaker equipped its Tiago hatchback with an AMT option to broaden the appeal of the popular vehicle which has registered sales of 50,000 units so far, reported Autocar Professional. The AMT option has been offered in the top trim of the Tiago and has been priced at INR539,000 (USD8,075) in New Delhi. As of now, the option is made available with petrol (gasoline) engine, although the automaker has indicated that it will make the option available in lower variants as well.
Outlook and implications
The sports car from Tata Motors has been long awaited ever since the automaker unveiled its TAMO brand. In line with Tata Motors' strategy for the TAMO brand, the Racemo is expected to feature advanced navigation, predictive maintenance, remote monitoring and over-the-air updates using Microsoft cloud-based technologies, although the automaker has not divulged specific details.
At the time of unveiling the TAMO brand, Tata officials hinted that the brand will be used as a test-bed for new technologies and concepts. As such, the Racemo will fit perfectly under TAMO which will house small volume, quick-to-market, and niche products. Although Tata Motors has hinted that the Racemo will enter production, volumes are expected to be low. IHS Markit forecasts annual sales volumes of the model to remain in the range of 500-1,000 units. Nevertheless, the sports car has the potential to vastly improve the brand perception of Tata Motors.
Meanwhile, the introduction of the semi-automatic transmission on Tiago hatchback is a development that is likely to offer immediate benefits. Ever since the launch in April 2016, the vehicle has been a popular choice and has played a crucial role in bringing back Tata Motors into the consideration list for buyers (see India: Tata Motors launches Tiago hatchback at aggressive price). The vehicle competes with Maruti Suzuki's Celerio which has a broader range of variants with the AMT option. As such, Tata needs to offer the option in lower and diesel variants to compete effectively with Maruti Suzuki. Nevertheless, we forecast that the addition of this cost-effective solution will offer tailwinds to the nameplate which is expected to register sales growth of 48.4% to 59,400 in India this year.
About this article
The above article is from IHS Automotive Same-Day Analysis of automotive news, events and trends, and is a deliverable of the World Markets Automotive Service. The service averages thirty stories per day and also provides competitor and country intelligence. Get a free trial.