Tata TL
Encyclopedia
Second generation
The second generation Tata 207 DI was launched in 2002.It is a Pick Up vehicle designed for both urban and rural use. The TATA 207 DI is powered with the same engine as in TATA 407 and is India's first 1.13 Ton payload Pick Up with Power Steering. Its 60 HP - 3-litre(2956cc)[58 BHP @ 3200 RPM 16.55 kgm @ 1500 RPM] engine minimizes fuel consumption and maximizes driving pleasure and refinement.Third generation
In 2005, Tata TL 4x4 was released in Indian market. It was Tata's first (and India's second) offering in the lifestyle pick-up truck segment. It was a spruced up version of Tata's hugely successful Tata 207 DI pick-up which was popular with commercial transport operators. It even sold in Britain as a working vehicle.It featured a turbo charged 1948 cc diesel engine that produces 91 bhp. In addition there were extra accessories such as a bull-bar, roll-over bar, power steering & air conditioning, power windows. The Pick-Up was available in both - single cab & double cab versions. The Tata TL 4x4 is a heavy duty pickup truck, probably one of the most heavy duty and reliable in its category. In some countries people tended to fit a 2.0l Toyota turbodiesel
Turbodiesel
Turbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
engine for more power. Value for money the Tata Telcoline was probably one of the best pick-ups as it was much cheaper compared to other vehicles in its class such as the Toyota Hilux
Toyota Hilux
The Toyota Hilux is a series of compact pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Most countries used the Hilux name for the entire life of the series but in North America, the Hilux name was retired in 1976 in favor of Truck, Pickup Truck, or Compact Truck...
and the Ford Ranger
Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a pickup truck produced by the Ford Motor Company. The "Ranger" name had previously been used for a premium styling package on the F-Series full-sized pickup trucks since 1965. The name was moved to this line of North American compact trucks for the 1983 model year.In North...
.
Fourth generation
A redesigned Tata TL debuted at the 2006 Bologna Motor ShowBologna Motor Show
The Bologna Motor Show is an auto show held in Bologna, Italy, in December. It is recognized as an international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles.- 2011 :...
. Released in late 2007 as the Tata Xenon. The Xenon is powered by newly developed 2.2L common rail
Common rail
Common rail direct fuel injection is a modern variant of direct fuel injection system for petrol and diesel engines.On diesel engines, it features a high-pressure fuel rail feeding individual solenoid valves, as opposed to low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors...
turbodiesel
Turbodiesel
Turbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
140 PS engine (DICOR). This will also featured the extended cab (X-Tend cab) for the first time but to the selected markets. The new Xenon will be launched in many countries around the world, whereas in India its platform also gives rise to the Tata Sumo Grande
Tata Sumo
Tata Sumo is a multi-utility vehicle produced by India's largest automotive companyTata Motors. The vehicle was launched in 1994 and was one of the first passenger vehicles designed in India. The Sumo received an extensive facelift in 2004 and was renamed the Sumo Victa in face of competition from...
, a passenger variant from Tata.
The car is assembled in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
by Tata-Thonburi JV
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
, and in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
by Tata-Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
JV. Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
's first body-on frame pickup will have the same styling as Tata Xenon
Tata Xenon
Tata Xenon is a pickup truck manufactured by Tata Motors. It was debuted as redesigned Tata TL at the 2006 Bologna Motor Show. Released in late 2007 as the Tata Xenon. The Xenon is powered by newly developed 2.2L common rail turbodiesel engine [i.e. Direct injection Common Rail]. This also...
and is to be named Fiat Terra . A variant, Xenon XT (Cross Terrain), a life style 4-door, 5-seater pick-up was launched in 2009. The vehicle combines stylish on-road presence and comfortable interiors with off-road capabilities of a 4x4. The Xenon has been well received in Europe especially in Spain and Italy
Background
SPRINT was the code name of the Project for development of Tata's World Pick-up ( truck). World Pick-up market ( other than USA ) is dominated by Japanese Auto majors like Toyota, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Nissan. As per the study conducted by Tata Motors, there is a big opportunity for TML to grab substantial market share of world Pick-up market. Tata initiated anin-depth market study was conducted in various countries in Europe, Middle East, S Africa, Thailand, Australia, LAT AM
etc. to understand needs of target segments from a new Pick-up.
Aggressive Timeline is the major highlight
While a new product development timeline takes between 36 to 50 months, It is said that so far only Toyota has achieved the Timeline of 18 months. Hence, the name SPRINT which signifies and continuously reminded project team about the Speed of the project.The team worked round the clock relentlessly, applied principles of "Concurrent Engineering", distributed work load in 9
different countries in order to crash timeline by overlapping maximum possible key activities. The team delivered project in 17 months—from styling freeze in Dec 2005 to SOP (Start of Production) in May 2007.
Launches / Motor Shows
Bologna Motor Show 2006 (Dec) was the occasion when Xenon was unveiled for public display and later in March 2007,it was also displayed at Geneva Motor Show 2007. Till date Xenon has been launched in 14 countries in Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Africa and SE Asia.
Xenon is available in 3 cab types-double, single and space cab,LHD and RHD,2 engine options - 3L and 2.2 L,4x4 (All wheel drive) and 4x2(2 wheel drive) and two interior theme options(Dark Grey and Beige)