Returning to SA’s car market with a more upmarket line-up

TATA is returning to the South African passenger vehicle market after a six-year hiatus, and the products on offer may surprise you.

- JASON WOOSEY

During its previous 15-year stint on the local market, Tata primarily sold variations of its Indica hatchback, which was a back-to-basics vehicle that epitomised no-frills motoring.

The Indian carmaker’s range has since been modernised, and now offers a full lineup of crossover and SUV models, some with striking designs that could turn heads on our streets.

The new Tata passenger car range will reportedly be imported by Motus, a retail giant that also represents popular brands such as Hyundai, Kia, and Renault in South Africa. This is not related to the Tata commercial vehicle operation, which never exited our market and which continues to trade under Tata International South Africa.

We'll have to wait until the official launch event on Tuesday for official confirmation of which new passenger models are coming to our shores, but from the darkened teaser images released by the local importer on social media channels, we've managed to work out that the initial lineup will kick off with at least four models, including one hatchback and three SUVs.

Tata Tiago

Tata will once again target the entry-level hatchback market in Mzansi with the Tiago, which is the direct successor of the longstanding Indica, which was also referred to as the Bolt in later years.