India’s third largest car maker, Tata Motors was the first company to roll-out a product measuring sub 4-meter in length with engine capacity below 1.5-litre diesel /1.2-litre petrol to make it eligible for the tax benefits provided by the government which means that the cost of the car will decrease. The Indigo CS (Compact Sedan) is a well accepted car and now the Manza is set to spawn a CS version in early-2013.
Other companies too followed this strategy of launching sub 4-meter cars, to avail the excise duty benefit like New Maruti Swift Dzire and recently launched Mahindra Quanto. Mahindra Verito CS and Honda Brio sedan are also on the cards. Now according to Overdrive paper magazine, Tata Motors is silently working on a compact version of the Aria MPV to compete with the likes of Ertiga and Quanto (both of these models has already proven success).
The Aria mini might not use the similar hydro-formed ladder-frame X2 platform, on which the fully grown-up Aria has been built, Instead Tata might use the Manza platform with shortened wheelbase and is likely to borrow Fiat’s 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine that already powers more than 10 cars in Indian auto market to avail the benefits of the lower tax rates. However, as of now nothing on the specifications has been said by the company officials, as that is still under discussion.
Like the newly launched Quanto and Renault Duster, the Aria mini will be a 7-seater (5 adults + 2 jump seats) the last two seats might be for the kids. The Aria mini is expected to be priced below Rs 10 lakh that means about Rs 5 lakh lesser than the existing Aria’s price. According to one of the leading newspaper, Tata Motors is going to launch 6 new cars in the coming year, so we can expect Aria mini to be launched sometime in 2013.
Checkout more pictures below the jump.
Also see – Tata Manza CS coming in Late-2012
Tata Motors stunning concept vehicles of all-time (Updated)
Source – Overdrive (Paper Magazine)
Image credit – Team-BHP
