[Eddy]

Tata Motors @ The Geneva Auto Show, 2017

Tata Motor’s sub brand – TAMO was launched in February 2017. The aim of TAMO is to provide innovative mobility solutions by being a “low volume, low investment, fast go to market” player. TAMO aims to incubate new technologies in this low volume business, call it a proof of concept on actual roads instead of in a lab, if you may. Doing this on their mainstream cars with mass production would have been tough; hence they’ve taken this quicker and lower investment route. Of course, technologies that prove relevant may eventually find their way to the mainstream Tata cars.

The first offering of TAMO is the RACEMO – a sports car built for the Indian market. This is a “connected car” in partnership with the Microsoft Cloud platform (Azure). The sensors on the car will be used to collect data on the car user and his / her driving habits, car's performance, etc and store it on the cloud. The bigger challenge for TAMO will be on how to get value from this data and on how to build services around the data they would collect. This will remain the focus area between now and the car's launch, expected (but not confirmed) at the Auto Expo 2018. Without going into specifics, TAMO also expects its connected cars to integrate well with the hundred smart cities being developed in India. But what TAMO is striving for is to create a brand pull by using the data to offer solutions for improved productivity on the move, remote monitoring, predictive maintenance & improved safety for the driver by running analytics on his driving techniques etc.

The underlying technology of creating this platform is the patented MO-Flex Multi Material Sandwich (MMS) Structure. The car is made up of a limited number of highly integrated components & composite mouldings. The assembly of these components is slightly more labour intensive than production on a regular assembly line. What makes this platform quicker and low cost is the absence of monetary and time investment needed for dyes, stamping, tooling, floor space, assembly lines etc. The sketch to production of the C-Cube project, for example, took 24 months instead of the 48 months it usually takes for a regular mainstream car.

All of this information was a precursor to the car's unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show the next day...

[Eddy]

Coming to D-Day, here's how the TATA stall looked at the Geneva Motor Show on 7th March, 2017:








And the star of the show was still under wraps with a timer counting down to the unveil:




Of course there were also the two other cars that will go on sale in India before the RaceMo:


The Tata bigwigs Mr. Ratan Tata and Mr. N. Chandrasekaran arrived:


Tata Motors CEO and MD Mr. Guenter Butschek then took centre stage for the unveil:


The event started with the unveil of the Tigor and Nexon "Geneva Editions":


And then the RACEMO was uncovered...




... along with its specifications:


We had a chance to experience the car virtually in an interactive gaming environment in Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 3 video game, which is currently available on Xbox One and Windows 10:


The RaceMo is the first Indian car to be made available on Forza 3:

[Eddy]

I must say that Tata had done a good job of keeping this car under wraps. The surprise element was very evident in the crowd when it was unveiled. The sports coupe design was very impressive at the first look:








The butterfly doors look great and will be a huge eye-catcher for the car on our streets:


The front of the car smiles at you, almost like a shark that’s on the attack. The Bi-LED headlamps are not very prominent and kind of get lost in the bulky front setup:


The side profile is where the car looks at its best. The wheel arches, the design lines and the shape give it a very muscular yet sporty look. Some may, however, find the car a little overdone in terms of design:




This car will be produced in limited quantity and each car will have its own serial number stickered on (this car is 001). TAMO mentioned that the initial plan is to build 250 units:


Center mounted twin exhaust and LED tail lamps. The tow hook could have been better placed and concealed IMO, though it's probably been done deliberately for that 'racing' look:


Overall the build quality felt very solid and paint quality of the body was top notch:


A view of the rear mounted engine. The grill on the engine did not feel very solid and I hope that is rectified in production:


The fuel cap sticker was made prominent, lest people confused this petrol sportscar with an electric car:


There was also a race track version on display, called the RACEMO+:

[Eddy]

We also got a quick sneak peek at the interiors, and they were a pleasant surprise visually. Getting in the low seating position is difficult and poses a challenge to the back and the calf muscles. But once you do that, it is easy to find a good driving position quickly:


Leg room is aplenty, although the headroom is at a premium. Visibility is poor due to the small windscreen and windows.:




Overall, the interiors seem sporty & futuristic:




The butterfly doors require effort to pull down, and they close with the proverbial thud:


Opening them from the inside is easier – as they are operated with an electric release button:


After a point, the strut supports the weight of the door and assists the push all the way up:


The sporty steering wheel is clad with a very premium suede leather and houses a lot of controls. You can see all the buttons – start / stop, dual horns, washer, high beams, indicators etc. Also seen behind the steering are the paddle shifts for the AMT:


The car has three screens. The center screen (not a touch screen) shows the dynamic data and vehicle information. The left and the right screen are touch screens and will provide all other functionalities. This was only a dummy version playing a video loop, so I could not check the usability:


Say cheese to the selfie camera:


The center console is very minimal and while the AC vent is very stylish, I think they could have made the toggle switches on the dash more premium looking:


The dash gets a touch of carbon fibre treatment in the RACEMO+ and suede on the RACEMO. Both have their serial number emblazoned on the dash. The serial number (yet again) on the side of the centre console seems to be overkill:


The foot-well is narrow, but comfortable. The pedals and floor mat have a nice design flair to them:


Dual airbags are on offer. The passenger airbag can be switched off:

[Eddy]

TAMO did not provide us with a lot of details in terms of a service catalogue or functionalities on the 'connected car' front. All we know is that about 300 data points will be collected, and internal / external videos can be shot, curated and viewed (including the functionality for a drone camera).

The other unknown is the on-road behaviour of the car. Key questions that will determine the success of the car:

- How will the 3 pot engine perform? Will it be fast enough and will the exhaust sound be befitting of a sports car?
- How well will the AMT be mated to this engine?
- Longevity of the components and build (given the unique manufacturing method)?
- After Sales service?
- Price point!

TAMO will have to be very clear in the execution of this connected car and more importantly, put in marketing manpower to good use in communicating those benefits to potential customers. While they will sell only a limited number of cars under this sub-brand, they are hoping to find mass acceptability around the technology & solutions so that these can be incorporated in mainstream Tata vehicles.

[Eddy]

The Tigor (Geneva Edition) was the second highlight of the Tata Motors stall.

The car will be launched in India in the next week or so and is the sub-4 meter sedan version of the Tiago. The Tigor was showcased as the Tata Kite at the 2016 Auto Expo:


The front view has that trademark Tata smile:


Note that the lower portion of the bumper grill and the fog lamp console are very different in this 'Geneva Edition' from the production Tigor and Tiago. Also different is the glossy finish on the grille, compared to the matte one on the Tiago:


While the front view is good, it is the well-integrated boot that actually makes the car look like a stunner. A majority of BHPians agree (link):






Black roof:


16 inch alloys shod with Pirelli rubber; which we can assume is only for the Geneva show car:


This Geneva edition had a tinge (actually more than a tinge) of red inside:


As was with the Tiago, the ergonomics are spot on. There is enough space in the front and the rear legroom is pretty decent - as is with almost all Tata cars:


The interior entertainment console is very similar to the Tiago's, with minor differences like the SD card slot and the boot opening button:


The seat belt is not height adjustable, but it is a striking red:


The ORVM controller is located conveniently:


Push the button to open the glove compartment, which also contains an internal shelf for storing a small laptop:


The spec sheet of the Geneva Edition:

[Eddy]

The third and the final car at the Tata pavilion was their upcoming compact SUV – the Nexon.

This car is slated to launch in India later this year. It will be an option in the hyper competitive compact SUV segment, currently dominated by the Maruti Suzuki Brezza and Ford EcoSport. Tata will have to ensure that there is a USP for the Nexon in order for it to compete with the more established players in the segment.

The Nexon Geneva Edition was the designer’s visualization of the Nexon Concept and very similar to the one shown at the Auto Expo 2016. Tata claims that this is very near to the actual production version. The car on display was powered by a new 4 cylinder 1.5L Revotorq diesel engine, coupled with a 6-speed manual gearbox. There was no news on the petrol, although that may change when the car launches in India, considering the recent shift in consumer trends in favour of petrol vehicles.

The front view of the car retains the Tata family grin and looks butch. The honeycomb design on the broad front grill makes for strong visual appeal, at least to me. However, it is not a very neutral design so people may have contrasting opinions:


The DRL & projector headlamps are a good addition:




Black eyelids on the foglamps are a nice touch:


Quirky at the back, though that may be accentuated by the multi-color scheme. I am guessing it will look better in more sober shades:


The side profile is sporty. The roof rails, coupled with the design lines and the rear windscreen styling make it an appealing side profile:




The shark fin antenna:


I loved the design of these 17” alloys, shod with Pirelli rubber:


The Geneva edition boasted of very premium suede leather interiors and seat covers, which I doubt will be replicated on the production version:




The seatbelts are height adjustable and you get a bag / coat hook towards the rear of the B-pillar:


The dashboard is made of quality materials and looks premium. The dash-top touchscreen display looks like it is from a segment above. The music system will be powered by Harman:


The auto AC & other controls are not too different from the other Tata cars:


Press a button to open the glove compartment, which contains a shelf for your laptop:


The armrest console’s cover slides to reveal a lot of storage space inside:


The drive mode selector knob:


The rear AC vents and the blower control:


Steering mounted controls:


The ergonomics of the car felt nice. The front seats were very comfortable, and while the leg space at the rear was quite nice, I think they could have done with some extra under thigh support. Comfortable for two adults at the back, but three will be a tight fit especially because of the rear armrest.

To conclude - the Nexon looked nice, felt solid and premium. Again, depending on how it rides and is priced, it might become a decent contributor to Tata's sales numbers in India.

Disclaimer: Tata Motors invited Team-BHP for the Geneva Motor Show. They covered all the travel expenses for this event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the International Automotive Scene. Thanks for sharing!

[extreme_torque]

Very impressed with the Nexon. If priced right this can be a formidable competitor to Creta's and EcoSport's of this world.

[justwheels]

I like how TAMO has been introduced to increase the appeal of the brand, specially in other countries. Its a good marketing game and the product is well worth its styling atleast.

Since the Tiago, Tata's products have got that additional appeal for the consumers which is heartening to see from an Indian manufacturer. I hope Tigor gets the success similar to Tiago.

Tata is betting on an offbeat design with Nexon, which is a good gamble, because even if you have less takers, your brand stands out and that might help the other offerings. With the interior quality improving leaps and bounds and a fresh air being pumped into the brand, I just hope it all translates into numbers and Tata can inch toward the older #3 in the Indian market.

[sharktale]

On closer look of the right monitor on the RaceMo+, I could notice "Take selfie", and "Drone camera" listed in the option.

Wondering whom are they planning to target. :P

[Tanmay K]

Any word on how much will the... umm, Racemo weigh? 188 BHP can be good, great or superb depending on that. Max torque at 2500 RPM is always welcome.

Since it is supposed to sell just 250 units, the pricing will be steep. Surely they will sell those 250 units though.

I know looks are a subjective thing, but the smiling facia of Nexon is not likely to be successful in the compact SUV segment. Call me old school, but I still like the Safari Dicor followed by the Sierra and Storme better than any other vehicle ever manufactured by Tata. And none of them "smile" at you.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by Tanmay K

Any word on how much will the... umm, Racemo weigh? 188 BHP can be good, great or superb depending on that. Max torque at 2500 RPM is always welcome.

TAMO did not reveal the exact weight but mentioned that it will be in the ballpark of 1000 kilos.

[Ascari]

The Nexon looks like a well thought out and thoroughly engineered product.The interiors are very similar to the Mazda CX5 and that's a compliment.Just hope the ride and handling package is well sorted.

Regarding the Racemo I feel in my humble opinion that it needs to refined further.Design wise and engineering wise it looks like an incomplete venture.Tata could have atleast designed a proper modern 2 Litre Turbocharged Petrol and that would have shown the world that they are serious about competing all over the world and not just in our fuel economy obsessed country.Whats with this,"lets use the revotron everywhere" concept?

But there is hope in all of this and its that Tata motors wants to be aspirational and not just sell Taxis to survive and hope is what keeps us all going.

Ascari

[AJITHAAA]

Went all the way to Geneva with this? Being such contrasting colors it just jumps out at the viewer...