Telcos Midi Passenger Car May Take Some More Time

Will Telco put the Magna into production? Yes and no. Yes, because the Auto Show concept car is now being tested thoroughly by Telco's research and development wing. No, since it may carry a brand new name altogether as it arrives. The test mules (almost 15 of them, we believe) are now powered by the turbocharged 2000 CC, 91 bhp diesel mills as seen in the Safari, driving the rear wheels. The most important difference though is that this is a monocoque chassis we are talking about, unlike all the other 207-derived products from the Telco range. This is the first time Telco is using the 207 powertrain on a monocoque application. The concept car Magna was derived from a project codenamed `Midicar' and is conceived as a full-size sedan that can compete with the likes of the Hyundai Sonata and the Skoda Octavia.

 

That said, the Magna, as we saw it at the Auto Expo, is bigger than both the Sonata and the Octavia. Informed sources also believe that the Magna will definitely get the brand new Telco petrol engine - a 2200 CC, 135 bhp unit - developed for the Safari and other Telcoline products exported to European markets.

It is still not known whether Tata will make this automobile from its `J Block' assembly line at the sprawling Pune facility from where the other body-on-chassis vehicles, including the Safari are built.

Since it is a monocoque design, the Magna may also share space with the Indica at the new `K Block'.

With Telco selling every Indica they can make and the proposed variants of the Indica having to wait, the Midi may take its own time coming. Expect a launch at Auto Expo 2002.