Tata Motors’ ambitious global truck project, all set to debut in August 2008, will be based on design specifications provided by Fiat arm Iveco, reports India's Economic Times. Iveco’s involvement in the global truck project — seen as one of the most critical R&D projects inside Tata Motors to further its global ambitions — remains a closely-guarded secret, known only to a handful in the firm and a clutch of vendors working on the project. All that Iveco’s CEO Paolo Monferino, who was in Mumbai to announce the new MoU with Tata Motors, was willing to confirm was that the collaboration on the global truck project remained "a possibility".

The project, which was initially a collaboration between Tata Motors and its South Korean subsidiary Daewoo Commercial Vehicle, was meant to be the company’s entry vehicle into developed markets in Europe and US. The Tatas had initially planned on base the global truck’s design on the Tata Daewoo’s Novus range of heavy trucks which was launched by Tata Daewoo in December 2005. But the Tatas apparently decided to seek Iveco’s help after they realised that Daewoo’s design would not be in sync with the needs of sophisticated European customers.

A source in the company said “Daewoo’s design’s are dated. And as far getting a product that is compliant with the western market conditions, Tata Motors was better off with Iveco”. When asked about the global truck project, a Tata Motors’ spokesperson maintained that “Iveco is not involved in Tata Motors world truck project.” But sources in the know say that work on the new design is on in full swing.
 

According to blueprints already available with some key vendors, the new project will cover the entire range - right from the medium capacity trucks and going all the way to super heavy trucks. It will have 11 different variants ranging between 16 tonne and 48 tonne capacities. The engine for the new platform will be sourced from Tata Motors’ long time partner Cummins. But Tata Motors is unlikely to use its Joint Venture with the US-based company for manufacturing the engine.

With the entry of MNC commercial vehicle giants into India, Tata Motors announced its global truck project in 2003. The Tatas had a two-pronged strategy behind their new truck platform: one, enable the company to defend its turf within the country and two, expand into more developed overseas markets. After completing the acquisition of Daewoo Commercial Vehicle company in 2004, Tata Motors decided to rope in the Korean company to speed up progress on the global truck platform.

Report courtesy of the Economic Times