Every Fourth Tata Car Sold is an Automatic

Tata Motors has recently overhauled almost its entire line-up. The Tiago, Tigor and Nexon have received facelifts to keep them fresh, while the Harrier has received a more powerful engine. The Hexa has been axed for the moment, but is likely to return in a new trim, called ‘Safari Edition’. The Altroz went on sale earlier this year and there is another new vehicle on the horizon - the highly anticipated Tata Gravitas. To gear-up for success, the home-grown manufacturer is betting big on automatic transmissions, which will be provided all-throughout the company’s product range.

2020 Tata Harrier now features a more powerful engine and an automatic gearbox

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In a recent interview, Tata Motors’ Vivek Srivatsa revealed that nearly a fourth of all Tata cars sold in India featured automatic transmissions. This is quite a significant number, and it shows the shifting buying trends in India. Where consumers once almost unanimously preferred the cheaper manual versions, people today are leaning more towards convenience. With just a manual transmission, the BSIV-compliant Harrier had sold only 17,000 units, which is quite disappointing. With the new Hyundai-sourced 6-speed automatic option added to the range, Tata hopes to increase the sales number significantly.

“As a company, 25 percent of all cars we sell are automatics. The convenience offered by an automatic is finding an increasing number of takers, and we expect over 50 percent of all Harrier sales to come from this new diesel-automatic version.”

Vivek Srivatsa, Marketing head, Tata Motors' car division

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2020 Tata Harrier XZ+ and XZA+ Driven | Test Drive Review | Hindi

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While the Harrier has only recently added an automatic to its equipment list, the Tiago, Tigor, Nexon, and Hexa already feature the option for one.  Other than that, the Altroz is also expected to soon get a dual-clutch automatic option. A new engine is expected to be added as well, probably the same 1.2-litre turbocharged inline-3 motor from Tata Nexon. That powerplant is good for 120 PS of max power and 170 Nm. All in all, not only does the latest revelation give us a picture of the fast-changing market trends, it also shows that the the company's move to offer an auto option almost throughout its portfolio is paying dividends. 

[Source: Autocar]