Indian conglomerate Tata has inked a five-year deal with local vehicle distributor Motus to bring back its passenger cars to the South African market.
The the automaker’s commercial division has been active in the country continuously for quite some time, but its passenger cars haven’t been available since the late 2010s.
In Motus’ interim results presentation for the six months ended 31 December 2024, the company revealed that it intends to bring four Tata passenger cars to domestic roads before the end of the year.
It added that it is busy homologating these models to conform to domestic regulations, and that they will play in the entry-level car and small-to-medium SUV segments.
While it didn’t divulge any specific names, there are several options in the manufacturer’s Indian portfolio that fit the bill.
In terms of entry-level cars, Tata has the Tiago to offer as well as the slightly pricier Altroz hatchbacks.
Regarding SUVs, there’s the Punch, Nexon, Curvv, Harrier, and Safari, several of which match the “small-to-medium” description.
Tiago
Starting with its smallest and most affordable model, the Tiago is a compact city car driven by a 1.2-litre petrol motor with a power output of 63kW and average fuel usage of as low as 5.0l/100km.
Dimensions for the Tiago comes in at 3,765mm in length, 1,677mm in width, and 1,535mm in height.
This is slightly larger than something like the popular Renault Kwid, which is one of the smallest cars you can buy in South Africa right now.
The Tiago is currently the only one out of the names mentioned above that is registered on the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission in South Africa, lending credence to the idea that it will eventually be available here.
In India the little hatch starts at 5 Lakh, translating to roughly R110,000 at current exchange rates.
Altroz
The next one possibly in line for South Africa is the Altroz.
Available in 1.5-litre diesel or 1.2-litre petrol guise, the hatch churns out either 65kW or a fractionally higher 66kW depending on which option you go for.
Both are pretty light on fuel, though, as the diesel does a best of 4.2l/100km while the petrol returns 5.2l/100km.
From nose to tail the car measures 3,990mm, from left to right 1,755mm, and from top to bottom 1,523mm – somewhat similar to the VW Polo Vivo.
The floor price for the Altroz is pegged at 6.65 Lakh, which is R147,000.
Punch
Moving onto the crossovers and SUVs, one of the most likely options for our market is the Punch.
It’s shipped with the same 1.2-litre mill as the Altroz that develops 65kW and is equally frugal with an average reading of 5.0l/100km.
It’s quite tiny at 3,827mm (W) by 1,742mm (H) by 1,615mm (W), which puts it in the crosshairs of models like the Indian-made Citroen C3.
With a starting price of 6.2 Lakh (R138,400), the Punch is the most affordable option in Tata’s crossover/SUV catalogue.
Nexon
A tier above the Punch sits the Nexon, which is slightly bigger, more powerful, and pricier.
The Nexon sports turbocharged versions of the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel powertrains.
The petrol now develops a higher 88kW at an average fuel usage of 5.7l/100km, while the diesel does 85kW at 4.1l/100km.
Both variants also bring Eco, City, and Sport drive modes.
The Nexon occupies a space of 3,995mm in length, 1,804mm in width, and 1,620mm in height. This is more or less equal to the fan-favourite Suzuki Fronx.
The 8 Lakh starting price for the Nexon is equivalent to around 178,500 of your finest South African rands.
Curvv
Tata’s mid-range SUV is the Curvv, which comes in a stylish coupe-inspired silhouette.
It has the same powertrains as the Nexon, though its diesel option is slightly uprated to 87kW, reflecting an improvement of 2kW.
The Curvv is significantly larger, though, marking the ruler at 4,308mm (L), 1,810mm (W), and 1,630mm (H), pinning it against crossovers like the sought-after Toyota Urban Cruiser.
The Curvv goes for a minimum of 10 Lakh, or R223,000.
Harrier
The Harrier ups the ante with a much more potent 2.0-litre, turbo-diesel powerplant.
The system generates a solid 125kW that is put down to the tarmac via the front tyres, and it sees a consumption rating of as low as 6.0l/100km.
Size-wise, the Harrier is 4,605mm long, 1,922mm wide, 1,718mm tall, which is slightly smaller than the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro.
Prices for the Tata SUV run from 15 Lakh upwards, or approximately R334,800 when directly converted.
Safari
At the top of the Tata SUV catalogue is the Safari, the largest and most expensive one of them all.
It’s shipped with the exact same powertrain as the Harrier with the main selling point being that it’s a seven-seater instead of a five-seater.
As such, the Safari measures 4,668mm in length, 1,922mm in width, and 1,795mm in height, which again renders it slightly smaller than the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro.
The barrier to entry for the Indian seven-seater is set at 15.5 Lakh, or R346,000.
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