Tata Aria to reach UK by 2011

Tata will give its new flagship model, the Aria, its European debut at the Geneva motor show next week. Conceived as a global model, The Aria is expected to go on sale in the UK in spring 2011.

Crucially, the Aria has been designed to meet European crash legislation — Tata Motors is aiming for a four-star EuroNCAP rating — and is said to be the most sophisticated Tata to date.

However, the car uses a body-on-frame construction rather than a more modern monocoque shell, in order to give the vehicle the robustness necessary for dealing with rural Indian roads.

Engine on offer will be the 140bhp, 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel (same as the Safari) coupled to a full-time four-wheel drive system. No official performance figures have been released, although it’s likely that for Europe, more power will be expected to improve the car’s performance.

Tata is considering a 170bhp version, although this would require a new gearbox because the Aria’s five-speed manual cannot deal with that much power. There are no plans for a petrol engine.

Inside, the Aria has a third row of seats and an LCD screen infotainment system, the first time such technology has appeared in any Tata.

Tata has launched an SUV in the UK before; the Safari was available there, but it was never a great success. In Europe Tata currently sells cars in Italy, Poland, Spain and Turkey.