Tata Motors is viewing the Indonesian auto market to enter with its Ace range of light commercial vehicles. The company will start by assembling the Ace in Indonesia which it refers to as a replica of the Indian market. According to Mr. P. M. Telang, Managing Director (India Operations) Tata Motors, Ace would the first model assembled in Indonesia which would be followed by the introduction of passenger cars in the South Asian market.
The Ace has already been launched in Thailand in November 2010 and the company has an assembly facility in Bangkok in collaboration with the Thonburi Group.
Commenting on the proposed additional tax on diesel cars in India, Mr. Telang stated that the higher fuel efficiency of diesel powered cars makes them a natural choice in light of the rising energy bill of India. He added that the tax is uncalled for citing the study by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) according to which the diesel consumption by passenger cars account for about 1 percent of the total diesel consumption in India.