Tata commuter concept advances to the prototype stage - Report
The Tata Super Ace Commuter van Concept showcased at MIAS 2017 in April has reportedly moved to the testing phase. According to Real World Drive, the 15-seater mini van built on the Tata Super Ace platform will begin trial runs shortly before entering the market for sale.
At the Tata Truckathon 2017 last month, the company showcased the Super Ace minivan with "UV Express Service" livery, a popular mode of transportation in the Philippines. The coachwork is by Centro builders, a reputed local truck body building company. It gets Cirrus rear air conditioning setup for the rear passengers. The minivan can seat as many as 15 people.
The report also claims the commuter van will be sold at an indicative price of PhP 909,500 (INR 11.54 Lakhs). Tata Motors has a factory built passenger application in India on the Super Ace platform, the Tata Venture, which perhaps due to the cost factor and the lack of high seating capacity has not been exported to the Philippines.
The vehicle is powered by a 1.4 L turbocharged diesel engine from the Super Ace pickup truck mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It has a maximum power output of 70 hp at 4,500 rpm and a peak torque of 135 Nm at 2,500 rpm.
This isn't the first instance of Tata outsourcing the Super Ace's platform to a coach builder for region specific solutions. Case in point being the Tata Super Ace 'Angkot' showcased at the 2014 Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS 2014).
[source - Real World Drive]