Team-BHP - TATA Magic IRIS, TATA Ace Zip - Age of NANO variants has arrived!

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TATA has launched two variants on the NANO platform.

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Tata Motors launches the Tata Magic IRIS, a 3-4 seater 4-wheel passenger carrier for public transportation and the Tata Ace Zip, a 600-kg micro truck for deep-penetration goods movement

Tata Motors today launched the 'Tata Magic IRIS,' a four-wheel, 3-4 seater small passenger carrier, a stylish, safe and comfortable alternative for commuters who depend on three-wheelers, and the 'Tata Ace Zip', a technologically superior and smart micro truck with a payload of 600 kg for deep-penetration door-to-door goods movement. Both the vehicles offer superior profitability to their owners.

Commenting on the launches, Mr. P M Telang, Managing Director - India Operations, Tata Motors, said, “Tata Motors has been a pioneer in creating and growing the Small Commercial Vehicles market in India with the Tata Ace and the Tata Magic. With the introduction of the Tata Magic IRIS and the Tata Ace Zip the company will more comprehensively address the burgeoning need of public transportation and goods movement. Their quality, affordable pricing and competitive maintenance cost throughout the life-cycle will further foster self-employment in the country.”

The Tata Magic IRIS

The 4-wheel fully covered, stylish Tata Magic IRIS has an all steel body with hard top and double steel sheet doors thus, making it a safe vehicle, offering complete protection from heat, dust and rain. With wide doors for easy entry and exit, comfortable seating, more headroom & legroom and seatbelts, the vehicle ensures passengers have a safe and comfortable ride. The car like independent McPherson strut suspension ensures a smooth and bump free ride. It comes with flexible seating options suited to meet different needs across states.

Equipped with a powerful 611 cc, water cooled engine with 11 HP power and 31 Nm torque, the Tata Magic IRIS delivers better power, pickup and gradeability which results in faster and more trips over long travel distances. With 12” radial tyres, the Tata Magic IRIS offers great mileage and superior performance. The strong and reliable aggregates come with an assurance of lower maintenance costs and longer life. Magic IRIS is thus a best in class vehicle superior in all aspects.

The driver experience is enhanced by class defining features such as stylish instrument panel, ergonomically designed sliding bucket seat, big windshield, side mirrors, glass windows, stylish dashboard mounted gear shifter.

The vehicle comes with a warranty of 1 year or 36,000km whichever is earlier.The Tata Magic IRIS is all set to be a head turner on Indian roads as it comes with 4 colour options - Arctic White, Ruby Red, School Yellow and Jet Black.

Tata Magic IRIS, BSIII version, is priced at Rs 1.95 lakh, ex showroom Thane (without octroi).

The Tata Ace Zip

A reliable, safe and efficient sub 600 kg micro truck with class leading features, the Tata Ace Zip has the agility to navigate narrow by-lanes owing to its small turning radius of just 3.5 metres making it apt for both urban and rural use.

With a single cylinder water cooled engine, delivering an output of 11hp and torque of 31 nm the Tata Ace Zip is set to change the way cargo is moved in the sub-600 kg category. It is the only vehicle in the sub-600 kg category to be powered by a water cooled engine enabling a comfortable travel over long lead distances. 12” radial tyres and large load body makes Ace Zip suitable for varied application.

Tata Ace Zip comes with a sleek steering wheel, comfortable seats and a roomy cabin, ensuring that the driver has a fatigue free experience, resulting in higher productivity and a significantly superior earning opportunity for the operator. The ergonomically positioned dash board mounted gear shift lever enhances comfort in ride and handling while enhancing the roominess of the walk through cabin.

Tata Ace Zip comes loaded with safety features like retractable seat belts and a sturdy all steel cabin, which ensures complete safety for its occupants. The micro-truck is versatile and adapts seamlessly to different terrains and road conditions.

The vehicle comes with a warranty of 36000 km/ 12-month, whichever is earlier.
Tata Ace Zip, BSIII version, is priced at Rs. 1.90 lakh, ex showroom Thane (without octroi).

source - Tata Motors : Media : Press Releases

I have no words to explain the look of TATA Magic IRIS. Wonders me how they finalize the designs.

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Originally Posted by rk_sans (Post 2347829)

I have no words to explain the look of TATA Magic IRIS. Wonders me how they finalize the designs.

May be they look at Disney's cartoon trucks and then decide.

One a more serious note - this is a totally utilitarian design with huge doors to provide easy ingress.

the price is on the high side for a three-wheeler auto-rickshaw replacement though.

One thought - for in-city taxi needs I usually use Dot Cabs Indicas in Hyderabad (or used to use till I got my car). Wouldn't this cannibalise that market for Tata?

I mean most of the time people do not sill up the taxi and I'm sure this will seat 3 passengers in comfort and 4 with some "Indian seating" - at far less than what an Indica cab sells for this should be attractive to in-city taxi operators.

Personally Iris looks better than the photograph.
Seen them testing at Coimbatore about 1 year back.

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Originally Posted by rk_sans (Post 2347829)

I have no words to explain the look of TATA Magic IRIS. Wonders me how they finalize the designs.

Its more of the angle of photography that makes them look like Disney Cars Cartoon. In reality it isn't that cartoon'ish. Its got a taste of utility without looking bland on design.

And the Ace Zip in sub 600kg category can really be a helpful load micro truck for urban requirements.
Well done Tata!

More than anything else, we need to appreciate Tata for being a trendsetter. Less than half a decade back, this segment itself was not there. All were relying on three-wheelers for carrying both passenger and goods.

Tata started it all with the Ace which signaled the end of all three-wheeled load carriers. Then came the Ace Magic which spelled the end of Piaggio and Tempo Minidor, which were doing duties in cities as share-autos. Talk about 'Platform Utilization' and it doesn't get better than this. Ace, Super Ace, Ace Magic and now Magic Iris and Ace Zip. They have absolutely dominated the segment and will continue to do so.

Well done Tata! And there are a whole lot of companies including Mahindra, Piaggio and Force Motors who now have copied the leader and have developed similar models to compete in that segment.

This is good. We need to get rid of Garuda/ Bajaj diesel vehicles which make terrible noises, runs at lesser speed than tortoise & make more pollution than a truck running on kerosine.

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Originally Posted by justwheels (Post 2347903)

Hey I love the cartoonish looks, and in fact would be disappointed if the reality is very different from the picture.

Does anyone know how much an autorickshaw costs ex-showroom? This will be competing mainly with autorickshaw so cost is an important consideration.

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Originally Posted by vina (Post 2348416)

Does anyone know how much an autorickshaw costs ex-showroom? This will be competing mainly with autorickshaw so cost is an important consideration.

One auot driver in Bangalore told me Bajaj auto with out roof top cloth costs 1.78 lakhs.

Iris is not based on NANO platform, it is based on ACE platform

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Originally Posted by hrishig (Post 2348412)

This is good. We need to get rid of Garuda/ Bajaj diesel vehicles which make terrible noises, runs at lesser speed than tortoise & make more pollution than a truck running on kerosine.

+1 Bajaj 4-stroke Tuk Tuks are fine by me but these horrendous single cylinder 2-stroke :Frustrati and polluting diesel engined ones need to be banned at all costs!

Hope the Iris comes with cleaner engines. BS III is good but BS IV is also needed.

And Kudos to Tata for creating vehicles and segments. True trendsetters they are

I don't understand this criticism about looks. Iris looks 100 times better than the Bajaj/Mahindra/Force products it is meant to compete with and replace. I saw Iris from close quarters at the last Auto Expo and absolutely liked its modern/cute looks. Apart from better looks, Iris offers superior safety, sturdiness & reliability. Best of luck to Tata!

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Originally Posted by rkg (Post 2348479)

One auot driver in Bangalore told me Bajaj auto with out roof top cloth costs 1.78 lakhs.

In Delhi, it costs over Four Lac rupees if you include the black money one has to pay to obtain a TSR permit! Issuance of fresh TSR permits is banned in Delhi due to Supreme Court order.

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Originally Posted by rkg (Post 2348479)

Iris is not based on NANO platform, it is based on ACE platform

Are you sure? The engine is completely different, being a single cylinder unit. Also, the engine is rear-mounted, unlike Ace. Rear-engine-rear-wheel-drive configuration makes it closer to Nano design philosophy than that of Ace.

By the way, can someone confirm whether the rear suspension too is independent? If I remember correctly, it is.

Do these run on diesel? If hope they don't. We have enough of Indicas, Sumos etc spewing dusty venom (hate them doing that early morning when you are out for a jog)

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Originally Posted by rkg (Post 2348479)

One auot driver in Bangalore told me Bajaj auto with out roof top cloth costs 1.78 lakhs.

Iris is not based on NANO platform, it is based on ACE platform

Is this ex-showroom? Autowallas rarely tell you the ex-showroom number, they tell you on the road prices. And with Autorikshaws on the road can be very high (permit charges, extra road tax etc.).

For comparison to Ace ex-showromm will be important, unless city authorities decide to treat them differently.

I think the Iris looks much better than any Auto-Riksha, with price being not much higher.

I was thinking whether its use should be limited to replacing Autos alone. It has a diesel engine. Considering the mileage it is likely to give, won't it make a perfect city run-about also ? NVH levels would be high and the image might be poor. But the running cost should be comparable to some bikes. Add to this the ability to carry 4 persons in comfort (5 if packed) protected from sunshine and rain and easiness of parking in tight spots and shouldn't at least a few get sold in the private market ?

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Originally Posted by vkumars (Post 2348641)

Autos run on CNG/LPG these days - that is cheaper than diesel and more hassle free.

However Iris is also weather proof with hard top - that is a definite ++ for Iris over autorickshaws.