Tata Merlin is the substitute of Safari

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Tata Merlin is the next in line SUV this diwali and is one of the most awaited launches from the Tata Motors. The Merlin will not just be another factory output SUV. In fact the car can just not be considered as some re branding exercise for the Safari. The car is expected to come with a 2.2 litre DICOR engine with a twin accumulation flywheel and off course better technology in terms of the gear transmission. On the power front, the car has improved a great deal with a power of 140bhp at 4000rpm and gives a maximum torque of 320 nm at 1700 rpm. The insides of the car are also equally improved with strong internal design and are also expected to draw a lot inspiration from the Tata Aria. However all this improvements come at a cost and only this could be the only cause of concern.

The 4x2 model of the Tata Aria is also expected to see the light of the day by the next half of 2012. The car is expected to be sold off with a price mark of Rs. 13 lakh to Rs. 14 lakh approximately. The main areas of contention for the Tata Motors will be the smart option to position the Safari Merlin in a low cost category between Rs. 9 lakh to Rs. 11 lakh. This would also serve as an excellent competition for Mahindra XUV500 and the Tata Aria 4x2 variant. The only way to not make its own products dash against each other would be to market them differently in terms of driver options and cost value distinction.

However experts believe the smart option for the Merlin would be to face off with the Aria 4x2 model, Toyota Innova, Mahindra Scorpio and the Tata Aria 4x4 version. Rumors are also speculating that Mahindra too is very soon sending yet another contender in the name of a new Mahindra World SUV (soon to disclose). This would also mean the company would suffer a bit with Aria 4x2 version which might struggle in the market as compared to the Aria 4x4 version. So if Tata wants to regain its glory in the SUV market, they will have to come up with a master plan that ensures that all the three versions work out well. Surely who would have thought that the SUV market in India would see such a demand when the first SUV liberated in the year 1998 with a 2.0 litre Turbo Diesel engine.

The Tata Merlin looks are adorned by the projector headlamps, bigger front fascia and advanced grill, RVM studded with indicators, retractable footrest for the rear door, dual fatigues, and the chrome band with ‘Tata’ signature on the drive door. The all new tail lamps are also a never seen before and lots of other additional features studded into this SUV make it a hot buy. Now the time has come for the car to practically serve its purpose and let us hope that this new Tata Safari Merlin offers a wonderful driving experience and becomes value for money to its consumers.