NEW DELHI — As India revs up its burgeoning car market, Tata has unveiled the Magic Iris at the 2010 New Delhi Auto Show, a five-passenger conveyance that boasts a "sheet metal roof" and is designed to get people off of bikes and rickshaws.
Tata's official statement on the Magic Iris did not mention pricing, but observers here expect it to come in at under $2,000. The Indian automaker said the Magic Iris will be launched later this year, "offering safer and more comfortable mobility for those who depend on three-wheelers."
The Magic Iris comes equipped with a 611 cc diesel engine and a 2.6-gallon fuel tank and has a top speed of about 34 miles per hour, according to Tata.
This one is definitely not bound for the U.S. market
Inside Line says: It's fascinating to watch how an auto industry grows in an emerging market and how a "sheet metal roof" can really get some people excited. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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fredschumacher says:
05:44 AM, 03/31/2010
Yesterday I walked past a group of Kubota RTV 900 maintenance vehicles: diesel engined 2WD and 4WD mules for hauling yard maintenance equipment for a condo complex. These vehicles cost over $10,000 and are about the size of the Magic Iris, which is diesel engined, has good ground clearance, and costs $2,000 in India.
It seems to me that the Magic Iris would have a market niche in the U.S. as a slow speed utility vehicle for retirement villages, golf courses, condo complexes, airports, and at a fraction of the cost of what is available today. It could have a pickup bed. Configured as an EV, as is being done to the Nano, it would be a winner.
firstclass says:
05:50 PM, 01/06/2010
What an awkward short wheelbase and with that front overhang it looks like it would do cartwheels if I made an emergency stop. But I guess it's safer than a 3 wheeler? at any rate, I know four Ninja Turtles that are going to be very excited about this car.
ielshareef says:
05:36 PM, 01/06/2010
That's one ugly car.