Tata Motors Sales Cross Over 1 Million Units In 2018

The last few years have been eventful for Tata Motors owing to the company's new product range. It now seems that the efforts are paying off as the automaker has added a new milestone to its name. Tata Motors has become the first Indian automaker to sell over one million vehicles in a calendar year. The Indian auto giant sold 1.049 million vehicles globally in 2018, as opposed to 0.986 million vehicles sold in 2017. The sales figure includes light vehicles, both passenger and commercial, including cars, utility vehicles and small pick-ups up to 3.5 tonnes. The company is the 16th largest automaker in the world in terms of sales volumes.

Speaking on the new milestone, Tata Motors - CEO and Managing Director, Guenter Butschek said, "We are delighted to have crossed the milestone of one million units of light vehicles for the first time. It is a testament to the strong connect we have established with our customers globally by offering exciting products and great value propositions across our extensive range of vehicles. We continue to focus on filling white spaces in our portfolio, aim to be amongst the technological leaders in the auto world and endeavour to provide aspirational products to our customers that are designed immaculately around their evolving needs. While doing so, we remain steadfast in our turnaround journey by focusing on brilliant sales activation, rigorous cost reductions and strong cash flow generation"

Tata will be expanding to a number segments going forward starting with the Altroz premium hatchback

The massive hike in volumes has allowed Tata Motors to beat popular Chinese players like SAIC and Changan on a global scale. The maximum volumes were contributed by Tata vehicles, followed by its luxury arm Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which has been struggling to create the right kind of demand globally in the luxury vehicle segment. The manufacturer's product portfolio in the light vehicle range is extensive including hatchbacks, SUVs, commercial pick-up trucks and more. Tata retails its products in 54 markets and is expected to grow into new markets in the coming years.

The following years will also see Tata Motors expand into newer segments with more products. The company has already revealed the Tata Altroz hatchback at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, which will be offered in both petrol and electric powertrains, while the company's future line-up inlcudes the H2X concept based micro-SUV and the seven-seater Tata Harrier.

There's also the new entry-level hatchback set to be under development that will be a Maruti Suzuki Alto and Renault Kwid rival. A new SUV positioned above the Harrier is also said to be in the making. Furthermore, there's the next generation of the popular Tata Tiago and Tigor cars that will arrive early next decade and will be based on the ALFA platform.