New TATA 4WD Pick-Up Launched
Interest in pick-ups as alternative dual-purpose vehicles has been increasing ever since the JPJ relaxed the regulations some years ago. Earlier, pick-ups could not be registered for private use as they were considered as being only suited for commercial purposes.
The change in regulations saw many companies introducing double-cab or crew-cab versions which have longer cabins and an additional row of seating behind the front seats. Ford led the pack with its Courier and made owning a pick-up trendy. Before long, other companies also offered dressed-up versions of their pick-ups and promoted such vehicles as ‘lifestyle machines’. The appeal of pick-ups is likely to be their rugged looks and they don’t cost as much as the 4WDs which now have pricetags around RM200,000.
This growing market encouraged Scott & English (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to introduce a locally-assembled Tata Telcoline 207 4×4 Crew Cab. If you’ve never heard of it before, that’s because it’s never been sold here. In fact, as far as Tata products is concerned, the public would perhaps recognise the name as being on larger vehicles like buses and lorries.
But Tata Engineering, a subsidiary of India’s largest automobile manufacturer, also has a range of pick-ups, SUVs and even a small passenger car called the Indica which was developed entirely in-house. In recent years, the company has been exporting such models to Europe and Australia and now it’s in Malaysia.
“When we acquired the Tata franchise in 1993, we had a long-term plan to broaden the range of products because just selling buses and lorries wasn’t a significant volume,” Ng Kong Chin, the CEO of Scott & English, told AUTOWORLD.COM.MY. “And in recent years, Tata has also given greater attention to product development with a view towards a higher volume of exports in the light of India’s WTO obligations which will open up that market to foreign competition.”
“Our Malaysian operation is the first to assemble the Telcoline 207 outside India and apart from the need to assemble locally to avoid high import duties, Tata also recognises that our quality is high and we can help them refine the products further,” Mr Ng said.
He revealed that the company has even exported about a dozen units to Australia where they were snapped up by buyers immediately. “To sell in Australia, a vehicle must comply with their tough Australian Design Rules – ADRs – and the Telcoline 207 meets those regulations which are quite strict on safety, noise and exhaust emissions. The units we sent from Malaysia were of a high standard and finish so they were readily accepted,” he explained. “The vehicles we sell in Malaysia are also the same in specifications and meet the ADRs.”
Mr Ng also drew attention to the fact that the Tata diesel engine meets Euro-2 emission control standards which are higher than what the Malaysian government present requires. It is thus a Green Engine and qualifies for a 50% reduction in annual roadtax.
Mr Ng said that Scott & English is also discussing with its principal the possibility of having a regional production facility in Malaysia in the medium-term. He said that with AFTA coming up, it would make sense to assemble the vehicles here and ship them to other ASEAN markets duty-free. “The Indians are impressed with our assembly quality as well as the high standards of our locally-made components,” he added.
But for the time being, the company will concentrate on marketing the Telcoline 207 which was officially launched today at the Glenmarie Golf & Country Club in Shah Alam, Selangor. Prior to the launch, dealers had already taken some 150 orders for the vehicle which has an introductory price of around RM59,000. Scott & English expects to sell about 400 units during the remaining months of this year and 1,200 units in 2001. That translates to about 10% of the pick-up segment.
“We believe that 60% of purchases will be made by companies for non-commercial usage because the Telcoline 207 is really quite an ideal vehicle for managers to use when they need to visit construction sites or plantations,” said Mr Ng. “Of course, there will also be customers who buy it for purely recreational purposes, which is why we have added some accessories like the K-bar and also chosen bright colours and stripes.
The Telcoline 207 will be sold through the company’s network of 10 branches and 33 dealers with authorised service centres appointed throughout the country. “In fact, through our bus and lorry business, we already have quite an extensive after-sales network throughout East and West Malaysia so owners will not have any difficulty getting service and spares,” assured Mr Ng.
As reported by AUTOWORLD.COM.MY some months ago, the company is also looking at the possibility of introducing the Safari 4WD in future and will display the Indica hatchback at the coming KL International Motorshow. However, unless it is assembled locally, the price of the 1.4-litre car would not be attractive so its introduction here is not being considered seriously.
