Tata has given its new flagship model, the Aria, its European debut at the Geneva motor show. Conceived as a global model, it’s been developed to appeal to European and British buyers and is expected to go on sale here in spring 2011.
Crucially, the Aria has been designed to meet European crash legislation — the company is aiming for a four-star EuroNCAP rating — and is said to be the most sophisticated Tata to date.
See the official Tata Aria pics
However, the car uses a body-on-frame construction rather than a more modern monocoque shell, in order to give the vehicle the robustness necessary for dealing with rural Indian roads. At 4780mm long, the Aria is a similar size to a Kia Sorento.
One engine is available: a 140bhp, 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel coupled to a full-time four-wheel drive system. No official performance figures have been released, although it’s likely that for Europe, more power will be expected to improve the car’s performance.
Tata is considering a 170bhp version, although this would require a new gearbox because the Aria’s five-speed manual cannot deal with that much power. There are no plans for a petrol engine.
Inside, the Aria has a third row of seats and an LCD screen infotainment system, the first time such technology has appeared in any Tata.
Tata has launched an SUV in the UK before; the Safari was available here during the Noughties, but it was never a great success. In Europe Tata currently sells cars in Italy, Poland, Spain and Turkey.
Hormazd Sorabjee/Dan Stevens
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Re: Tata Aria to reach UK in 2011
I'm sure it's pretty good , but it doesn't look "butch" enough to appeal to the school-run set. It needs a more intimidating front-end to fit in with the usual suspects.
Re: Tata Aria to reach UK in 2011
"Tata is considering a 170bhp version, although this would require a new gearbox because the Aria’s five-speed manual cannot deal with that much power."
You have to wonder how long the gearbox is going to last with 140bhp. If it can't take another 30bhp (and probably +50-70lb ft) it can't be up to much cop in the first place. Good luck to any owners who decide to chip it.
Re: Tata Aria to reach UK in 2011
We don't actually know yet that it's a 'hunk of junk', do we? Personally, I'd like to give it the benefit of the doubt. And if, after it's been tried on UK roads, it turns out to be 'junk', that's fine - but until then, how do we know?
A separate chassis'd 4x4 still has a role to play. Otherwise, who would buy a Defender?Or a Nissan Pathfinder? I'm not comparing the Aria with either of those, but they both prove that there is a niche market for a hard-working, no-nonsense 4x4 that isn't just for the school run. And no sub-£20k Kia 4x4 (or any Kia 4x4, come to think of it) can claim to offer that. We'll just have to wait and see how good the Aria is...