Alka Kshirsagar

Pune, Dec. 19 The much-awaited Rs 1-lakh car from Tata Motors will be launched in manual and automatic (continuous variable transmission) versions, and will also be manufactured at its Uttarakhand facility, where a separate assembly line is being installed, in addition to the plant at Singur.

According to industry sources, work on the new small car assembly line at Tata Motors’ Ace plant at Uttarakhand, which involves a financial outlay of Rs 400 crore, commenced a couple of months ago. The line will have an installed capacity to manufacture 60,000 cars annually, and is expected to be ready for trial production by early April.

The plan to manufacture the car at Tata Motors’ Uttarakhand plant seems logical as it has around 20 per cent of the components in common with the Ace, that is already being manufactured there.

The remaining components will be sourced from Pune, sources say, adding that the initial plan is to produce 30,000 cars.

Responding to queries on the continuous variable transmission (CVT) version of the small car, a Tata Motors spokesperson said, “We will not share any information on our People’s Car’s features”. The spokesperson also declined to comment on whether it would also be manufactured at Uttarakhand, stating that the company was setting up the first plant for the car at Singur and that it expects “to commence production by the middle of the next financial year”.

However, those close to its development here reveal that it has a rear engine, weighs around 600 kg and is powered by a 32-HP engine.

The cars will be Euro 3 compliant, and a version that will meet Euro 4 norms is also on the cards subsequently, they added.

Both manual and CVT versions are to be unveiled at the forthcoming auto expo in New Delhi, in January.