Tata Motors is planning to launch sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in Latin America. The company may launch the Sumo and Safari in partnership with Fiat by the end of this year. Fiat and Tata Motors already have a 50:50 joint venture in India, which was signed in October 2007. The JV will manufacture and market SUVs in Latin America.
“I can only confirm that something is on at the global level with Fiat. The Latin American market has a lot of potential for SUVs but it’s too early to reveal the exact plans,” said Tata Motors passenger car business unit president Rajeev Dube.
Tata Motors MD Ravi Kant had earlier announced plans to jointly develop some products with Fiat for some markets. The SUVs may be manufactured at Fiat’s existing facilities in Cordoba, Argentina. A new facility may also be set up in Latin America. In both cases, Fiat would be a strategic partner, and products may be developed at a later stage. The JV will market the products throughout Latin America.