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RESIDENTS of KwaZulu-Natal like to think their province hosts the
most Indians outside India.
This is an urban legend, as a visit to Dubai or Indonesia quickly
shows otherwise, so it should come as some comfort to know that South Africa
does buy more Tata vehicles than any other country outside India.
The source of this startling claim is Phonnie Cilliers, CEO of Tata
cars and light commercial vehicles in SA.
While the uninformed are still laughing about the “dog bowl” hub
caps of the first Telcoline bakkies that Tata now no longer imports, Cilliers
said Tata these days assembles 20 different types of vehicles — from hatchbacks
to buses — at its factory in Rosslyn, north of Pretoria.
They sell ’em, too — in September Tata SA had on each working day
sold on average 17 cars and 15 commercial vehicles.
Among these, Witness Wheels has
repeatedly recommended the Xenon Fleetline with its 300 Nm engine as the
strongest engine for the money in SA.
For the past two years, KZN journalist Malcolm Kinsey’s basket of
parts comparisons have also shown the Xenon double cab was number one in South
Africa for having the cheapest parts basket.
At its launch last week in the Western Cape, Cilliers told Wheels24
the new Xenon XT will continue to offer great value for money, ultra-reliability
and cost of ownership, complete peace of mind, advanced safety and some real
style and comfort.
The new XT has a 2,2 diesel with a turbo that has variable vanes
and a direct injection common rail. In Europe, this engine is rated as a green
Euro V, but to suit SA’s dirty diesel, Tata had to detune the injectors to
combust 500 ppm (parts per million) without quickly getting as stuffed as a
bulldog with a gob full of peanut butter.
The first Xenon could idle up inclines with a Hilux, and the new
engine also makes its power at low revs, with peak torque of 320 Nm from 1 500
to 3 000 rpm and 110 kW at 4 000 rpm.
The new Xenon XT comes in two drive options: 4X2 or
shift-on-the-fly 4X4 selection.
The double cab has a differential lock and the single cab has a
limited slip differential that helps it pull away on slippery or wet surfaces
without spinning.
The Xenon rides on a ladder frame chassis, which Tata claims is
more durable than any competing bakkie’s frame. This is because Tata’s real
business is making steel, and the company can afford to put its best steel into
all its vehicles, which, of course, includes the Range Rover, Land Rover and
Jaguar.
Payload for the single-cab Xenon 4X2 is 1 225 kg and the 4x4 can
load 1 135 kg. Both single cabs ride on 215/75R16 tyres. Riding on higher
sidewalls (235/70R16), the double cab is aimed at leisure owners with a bin
liner as standard, but the 4x2 still loads a respectable 1 015 kg. The 4x4
double-cab Xenon loads 975 kg — not the best in the business, but more than
enough for a family’s holiday gear.
All Xenon models have a five-year/90 000 km service plan, a
four-year/120 000 km warranty, a four-year/120 000 km anti-corrosion warranty
and four years’ unlimited kilometre roadside assistance.
