Tata Motors has hiked Na­no prices marginally as it begins bookings phase-wise, fi­rst being

RELATED ARTICLES Tata Motors hikes prices by up to Rs 12,000

in Kerala to coin­cide with Onam celebratio­ns, shortly followed by Mah­arashtra on account of Ga­nesh Chaturthi.

Tata Motors dealers told Financial Chronicle that th­ere is a marginal hike in pr­ice for Nano, across variants. Dealers in Mumbai said the car would be delivered in two weeks, which coincides with Ganesh Chaturthi, an auspicious day for Mahara­shtrians. The company is li­kely to open bookings in Gujarat next month, ahead of Dussehra.

According to dealers, the standard variant of Tata Na­no with BS-IV engine is likely to be priced at Rs 1.4 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). The CX variant with BS-IV engine is likely to be priced at over Rs 1.66 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai), while the price of the luxury variant LX will be Rs 1.93 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai).

When contacted, Debasis Ray, head — corporate communications, Tata Motors, said, “The firm will ma­ke appropriate announcements on open sales, including pricing decision for open sales.”

“We have opened booking for Tata Nano in Kerala and will be going ahead with other states in a phased manner,” Prakash M Telang, managing director – India operations, Tata Motors, had told FC last week. He also said the company would be looking to manufacture 20,000 units per month and touch the 2.5-lakh units per annum capacity by the end of this financial year. He, however, refused to comment on the pricing.

Auto analysts tracking the company said that once the demand for the car picks up in the domestic market, Tata Motors might go for another round of marginal hike — of two to three per cent.

Tata Motors plans to offer sales of the car off-the-shelf across the country from January next year.

On July 16, Tata Motors had informed the remaining 1.03 lakh retainees that despite a steep increase in input prices, their Tata Nanos are being priced only three to four per cent higher, depending on the model, than the price announced at the launch on March 23, 2009. However, when asked about the absolute price hike, Ray had said that the applicable price of the car for a retainee-customer would be notified at the time of delivery.