Business Times reports quoting sources that there are currently four runners in the race for the Tata franchise in Malaysia, currently held by DRB-HICOM’s Scott & English (M) Sdn Bhd. The current franchise agreement will expire in May 2008, and DRB-HICOM holders themselves have expressed that letting the franchise go is one of the options being considered pending results from an internal evaluation.
The interested parties are: 1) DRB-HICOM of course, this would mean they would keep the franchise, 2) the owners of Brooklands Motors Sdn Bhd (Citroen) and Competitive Supreme Sdn Bhd (Ssangyong), 3) Sime Darby Berhad (BMW, Hyundai, Inokom, Alfa Romeo, Land Rover) and 4) Naza.
If Naza gets a hold of the Tata franchise, it will be able to sell the Tata Nano here, probably positioned lower than the Naza Forza. Sime Darby will already have a relationship with Tata through its Land Rover distributorship here as Land Rover has just recently been bought over by Tata.
Related Posts:
Tata Nano archive at this blog
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Naza Nano Lelong Lelong!!!!! Cheap cars for sale, buy 2 Nanos for the price of one!!!
TATA cannot make it in our narrow minded ‘T’ badged obsessed citizen. (Sorry to say the ‘T’ not for TATA). Please do a market research first before entering Malaysia. Naza seem like too ‘tamak’ this days. Does the other contender really realise why is it DRB-HICOM don’t want the franchise to be extended in the first place? There must be something wrong somewhere. Do you think Nano will price better than the still not defunct 660 Kancil? I don’t think so.
Soon or later,we will hear a new version of Nano advert in TV,courtesy of the Nano-nano candy…”Nano,nano nano nano…no no no…….”…keke…
Short of sounding pompous, I really can’t fathom what’s so “groundbreaking” about the Tata Nano. Bolehlanders will likely not accept the super-basic Nano at its super-budget price point. Of course, features and accessories can be added by Naza (if they do snatch the TATA franchise) but that’ll bloat up cost while shrinking its power-to-weight ratio. Thus, the Nano’s intended aims of frugality and bargain-basement affordability will be compromised.
Bolehlanders like to think theyre a bunch of sophisticated car loving first world society. But obviously, with third world diesel and ancient tax structures, i dont think so. If the unresolved, half baked new Saga can sell by the droves, then the Nano will sell. Look at what the big ‘T’ ie. Toyota, sells us, rebodied eight year old Altis and we go waaaaaaahhhhhhhh, the Avanza is crap and Rush????? It doesnt sell well in Indon, so we get it here at a crappy price. There is a possibility for the Nano to be slapped with bargain basement prices and i think it will sell well though i agree with Azrai that Naza is becoming greedy.
hmmm..interestin point of views…but wat does ppl in NAZA gon care..?? if its sells to hell wit all da -ve opinions..hate all u wan they’re gettin all da $$…until m.sians know wats social/customer responsibility we gon c these goin all over again
if who so ever gets the franchise and brings in the Tata Nano, they must be crazy. If the government even thinks of approving, its every crazier. That would official bring Malaysia two step backward from being a developed nation with what ever transporation safety act/regulations thrown out of the window (since we don’t even have proper readily available recycling facilities as well)…ha!
the problem with tata nano is that the wheel is too small
azrai said,
April 15, 2008 @ 7:39 am
…Does the other contender really realise why is it DRB-HICOM don’t want the franchise to be extended in the first place? There must be something wrong somewhere. Do you think Nano will price better than the still not defunct 660 Kancil? I don’t think so.
————————-
i think all conterders have their men thinking about that… :) anyway…
1)Naza/Tata Nano = RM10k (can sell?)
2)Naza/Tata Nano = RM 30k plus c/w sportivo kitz as always (go to hell!!)
p/s: out of topic, did anyone watched the LMG advert on TV? saw it last night (8tv if not mistaken)… it said something about ‘japan technology’? or i heard it wrong.. just want to confirm… btw, LMG is another of our ‘car maker’ is it? somehow ‘they’ fade-away after that famous ‘just add water’ launch.. supprised to saw that advert yerterday.. still alive? what happen to water for fuel technology?
Maybe can use these cars for the RTD test. Side parking would be so much easier.
Too small la the nano…. how 2 seat????? I’m big myself…..
im not interested in any tata
knight_templar, people happen to see the saga as a bargain for what you get. half-baked or unresolved is of course totally your own opinion. but to compare it with a nano? i think you’re taking a bit of a longshot there. at least the saga is a “real” car. you cant even adjust the seats in a nano. but if, and only if the the car can come in at slightly more than “kapchai” prices, i’m sure they can sell quite a few. not because of the reasons you stated above, but wholly from a price point of view.
A cheaper Smart for two here? i think they’ll sell well, at least we don’t hav to buy small car with “big” price.
BanyakMasukWorkshop, i did mention that the Nano will sell well with the right price. Come onlah, if Bolehlanders buy Naza Sutera a.k.a Hafei Lobo, for its current price, i think my case doesnt need much convincing. On the other hand since the new Saga is derived from the Savvy will it have rear wheel bearing problem too? Guys, for Saga money, or a teensy bit more, u can get a good secondhand Japanese or Conti. And reliability issues with Conti are really not an excuse, big ‘T’ also has recalls for power windows so there’s really no excuse for a good second hand alternative. Think abt it, when we buy a new car, whether local or not, we pay duties and taxes. But the right secondhand purchase will relieve that burden.