Tata Motors Ltd. (TML) will continue to produce diesel cars, unlike its peers who have decided to discontinue these vehicles in favour of petrol variants, said a top official.
“We will continue to produce diesel variants of our popular models as long as our customers want them,” said Mayank Pareek, president, passenger vehicles business unit, Tata Motors Ltd.
“Let the customers decide whether they want diesel variants or not,” he said.
Announcing the launch of petrol and diesel variants of Tata Altroz here, he said: “We will give our customers a choice. Other car manufacturers are doing away with diesel variants without giving a choice to the customers. This is the only car in the premium hatchback segment to come with a diesel variant.” Asked about the status of BS-IV cars, he said as on December 31, 2019 the company had cleared the entire lot. Currently, all the vehicles produced and rolled out by TML adhered to BS-VI norms. TML had 7,300 BS-IV units, equivalent to one week’s stock, with dealers and they too would be cleared soon. Going forward, the company would strive to maintain at least two weeks’ stock of BS-VI vehicles with dealers.
Mr. Pareek said Altroz was the second vehicle from TML’s portfolio to have bagged a five-star safety rating in the adult occupation protection category at the Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP) crash tests.
“None of the Indian auto majors have given their cars for GNCAP tests. They are not doing anything of this. We have done it and bagged the award. I request all the global auto manufacturers to make their vehicle safe for others,” he said.
He also said Tata Motors had decided to follow the ‘one India-one price’ for its vehicles. Whatever the price difference, it will be borne by the company, said Ravindra Jain, head of marketing for cars, Tata Motors Ltd.
