Tata Winger grows bigger
Tata Motors aims at the tour and travel segment with a new, 15-seater Winger.
Tata Motors aims at the tour and travel segment with a new, 15-seater Winger.
Tata Motors has introduced a 15-seater variant of the Winger. Aimed at a segment that has been dominated by the Force Traveller, the 15-seater Winger is priced at Rs.12.05 lakhs. Available initially in Maharashtra, and at 23 dealerships across the state, the 15-seater Winger has been engineered to provide enhanced levels of comfort and superior on-road experience. Based on an earlier generation Renault Trafic as far as its monocoque body construction and appearance is concerned, the 15-seater Winger has been dressed with an interior that would make for a comfortable journey. If the comfy push-back seats add to the premise, the van has been engineered to provide a quiet, smooth and refined ride. Fitted with dedicated AC vents for each seat, the van also offers USB charging points for each row of seats. If the independent front suspension with Mcpherson struts, coil springs and an anti-roll bar results in a plush ride, the vehicle, due to its high roof construction offers good amount of space for the occupants to stand, to board, and to exit. Boasting of an internal height of 1900mm, and a lugage space worth 600-litres, the Winger is powered by a 100 hp, 2.2-litre common-rail turbo-diesel engine that is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. A front-wheel drive design, the vehicle rides on 15-inch dia. wheels.
Measuring 5458 mm in length and having a ground clearance of 180 mm, the 15-seat Winger, according to Sandeep Kumar, Head – Sales and Marketing, Passenger Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, will be a game changer. Addressing the pressing needs of product performance and fuel efficiency for tour and travel operators, the vehicle, backed by an extended warranty of three years or three lakh kms (whichever is earlier), is designed and engineered to address the need of a country that is rapidly urbanising; is facing issues like traffic congestion and pollution. Offering a unique
combination of passenger comfort and operating economics, the 15seat Winger is also aimed at large families, businesses and shuttle operators. Adding to the already wide range of Winger variants Tata Motors offers, the 15-seat Winger is one of the 50 products that Tata Motors has planned to launch in an effort to retain its leadership position in the Indian CV space.
An LCV segment offering under the ‘commercial passenger vehicle business’ vertical, the 15-seater Winger should offer a new dimension to the Winger portfolio that has been in existence since 2008. With a starting price of Rs.5.91 lakhs, the Winger was introduced by Tata Motors in 2008 in the guise of a maxi-van. Available in different wheelbases and forms, the vehicle could seat between nine and 13 people. Claiming to offer a blend of car-like comfort with the spaciousness of a bus for intra-city and longdistance transportation when it was launched in 2008, the Winger portfolio has come to spring an ambulance version, a cargo version typical of a panel van, and as a school bus. Made at Tata Motors Pune plant, the Winger has traditionally been offered in three comfort levels – standard, deluxe and luxury. Changing overtime to address the changing requirements of the people-mover market, and to fill the gaps, the Winger is today a common sight on Indian roads. It could be found as a staff carrier, as a hotel and airport transfer van, as a tourist vehicle, as a private large family vehicle, and as a school bus or as an ambulance. The introduction of 15-seater Winger elevates the brand to a level where it has now entered the 15- to 20-seater van market. It has been largely dominated by the Force Traveller since the last two decades almost.
A full range player, Tata Motors recorded a strong performance in the CV space in the first quarter of FY2018-19. Cumulative sales growth of CVs in the domestic market for the quarter (April-June 2018) were 111,642 units, up 71 per cent as compared to 65,283 units sold in the same period last fiscal. Posting good growth in the first quarter of FY2018-19 on the back of an economy that is continuing to gain from improved industrial activity, robust demand in private consumption and government spending on infrastructure, the commercial passenger carrier segment (of which the Winger is a part) posted a growth of 33 per cent with sales amounting to 5,732 units in June 2018. This was led by the significant demand for school buses and vans (ambulances especially). The STU buying showed an uptick in demand too.