Zica is Tata Motors’ new hope in the hatchback segment

Tata Motors has launched a new car named Zica, and the officials hope that it would open new gates for the company, taking it back to the good old days when it used to be at the centre of the Indian car market.

Talking of their latest offering, Zica is a compact hatchback that is put in the market to compete with Maruti Suzuki's Wagon R and Celerio, and Hyundai's Grand i10. This segment sells somewhere between 40,000 to 45,000 cars a month.

The car was unveiled to the media last week and sales are expected to begin from January. Aimed at young, first-time car buyers and is a part of Tata Motors' aim to make `cool cars', offering desirable vehicles which are dependable and sturdy. Zica would be priced between Rs 3.59 lakh and Rs 5.59 lakh.

Tata Motors, which is India's largest automotive manufacturer by revenue have plans to entice buyers by giving out lavish features that are not usual in affordable hatchback segment.

Zica has been built on an all-new platform and has been designed and developed after enough research, taking inputs from around 1,000 prospective buyers. It is developed under Tata Motors' Jaguar Land Rover-inspired new product introduction process, and more than 200 engineers worked on the project for 3 years.

"Zica is a fresh start for us, a new beginning," Mayank Pareek, president of passenger vehicle division at Tata Motors, told ET. "I am quite confident that the market will respond favourably as it is the bestlooking car, which delivers on style, performance and value."
Talking of specifications, Zica comes with two all-new engines -a three-cylinder 1.2L all-aluminum petrol engine, estimated to deliver 1820 kms to a litre and a 1L diesel engine offering 25 kmpl.

Like Nano, Zica too would be produced in Sanand. Zica is also backed by an overhauled ecosystem that delivers on cost, quality, network, sales experience and not to forget, a strong branding with world-famous footballer Lionel Messi as the company's new brand ambassador.
With the launch of Zica and plans to bring out two new products every year, Tata Motors expects that the sales volume would pick up fast.

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