NEW DELHI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Tata Motors Ltd (TAMO.BO),India's top vehicle maker, on Wednesday launched a range of newpassenger vehicles it hopes will help it gain a larger share ofan increasingly competitive market.
Tata Motors, which will be unveiling its new "People's Car"priced at about $2,500 on Thursday, will sell the newgeneration Indica, the latest version of its best-sellinghatchback, from the latter part of 2008, Chairman Ratan Tatasaid at an auto show.
"Ten years after it was first launched, we have a car thathas a respectable market share, is very visible on the roads inIndia and some roads elsewhere," Tata said at the unveiling ofthe new Indica.
Though a booming domestic economy and stricter emissionsand safety rules have boosted demand for vehicles in India,growing competition, higher interest rates and rising rawmaterial costs have weighed on car makers such as Tata Motors.
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Tata Motors, India's number three car maker, also launcheda compact variant of its Indigo sedan, and a new variant of itsSumo multi-utility.
The company will also launch the Xenon XT, a pick-up truck,later in the year.
The new Indica is fitted with a 1.3 litre diesel engine anda 1.2 petrol engine, which will be made at a new Tata-Fiatjoint venture plant in western India. It will be offered at ahigher price that the present Indica range.
The new Indigo, which goes on sale later this month, willalso come in petrol and diesel variants.
Shares in the company eased nearly 0.5 percent at 770.45rupees in a Mumbai market .BSESN that ended flat. (Reporting by Rina Chandran, Editing by Mark Williams)