New TATA TL (Xenon): From South Africa To World-over....

Tata’s Telcoline series of pick-ups have bought the attention of budget consumers in the respective markets that Tata has managed to launch it in. Affordable, rugged, and quite a looker in its new form, the Tata Xenon is a formidable entrant into the mainstream SUV/pickup segment.

Tata
Xenon

Tata plans to launch a modified version of this car in Asian markets. Interestingly, the current version is primarily available for export to Africa. The Xenon sports a 3.0 litre common-rail diesel that pumps out a healthy 122 bhp & 290+ Nm of torque, but this powertrain is almost agricultural in terms of utility due to its narrow powerband and ultra-low redline of 3500 RPM. Nevertheless, the new versions are bound to get the new 2.2 litre common rail diesel that has been tuned by AVL, and is currently used in the Safari range of SUV’s.

Of special interest is the home-ground for Tata. The current top-of-the line SUV that Tata sells in India, is the Safari Dicor; a fully home-grown 4x4 that has reached the end of its life-cycle after being in production for almost 12 years.

Tata
Safari

Tata intends to fine tune the Xenon before going in for a full-fledged launch. The primary area of concern would be the rear suspension, which sports the archaic parabolic leaf-spring setup supporting a semi-solid axle. The Xenon was designed keeping the Thai market in mind, Asia’s largest consumer of pick-up trucks.

The new Safari (codenamed X2), slated for mid-2009 launch worldwide, is in all probability going to be the full-cab version of the Xenon, with all the bells and whistles; helped in no small measure, I hope, by all the technological knowhow that Tata will gain from the Land-Rover takeover.....