Indian carmaker can't afford for buying public to dwell on the past in terms of the Indica, Indigo and Telcoline.
Indian carmaker Tata has announced that it is re-entering the South African passenger car market eight years after its exit.
The manufacturer, who still sells trucks and busses locally, announces its plans and initial passenger model line-up later this month.
Tata Motors Limited is one of the biggest manufacturers in India which sold the Indica hatchback, Indigo sedan and Telcoline bakkie during its first stint in Mzansi.
Tata makes a Pitstop
In this week’s episode of The Citizen Motoring‘s Pitstop podcast, we discuss Tata’s return. The carmaker needs a proper return strategy to make sure it does not get lost in a landscape that differs vastly from the one it left behind.
Since its exit over a dozen Chinese brands have started to operate locally and have started to hurt almost all the so-called heritage manufacturers in terms of sales.
As the Tata Indica and Indigo were not exactly the world’s best cars, the Indian carmaker will not only need to win buyers over with its new products, but also convinced them that they won’t be as bad as their previous ones were.
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Chery a shining example
It will be tough task, but not impossible. Chinese brand Chery managed to not only wipe the slate from its ill-fated first attempt clean, but quickly also established as one of the best-selling brands in South Africa. The Tiggos and QQ3s from before are all forgotten now as buyers line-up to get their hands on Tiggo 4s, 7s, 8s and Crosses.
The current Tata portfolio includes two A and B-segment hatchbacks, the Tiago, its sedan sibling, the Tigor, and the Altroz.
Then there are two B-segment SUV in the Punch an Nexon and two C-segment SUVs in the shape of the Harrier and Safari.
