Tata Xenon now Australia's cheapest ute

TATA has announced new driveaway pricing across its entire 2014 Xenon range, making the entry level $16,990 4x2 Single Cab Pick Up the cheapest light-commercial ute available in Australia.

However, the run-out 2014 Xenon misses out on the recently announced safety upgrades that will make their way into the range next year, including electronic stability control (ESC), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), hill-hold assist and Tata's proprietary Drag Torque Control, which prevents the rear-wheels from locking while engine braking.

The inclusion of these safety features boosted the Xenon's Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash safety rating from two to four stars for the 2015 version.

Previously priced at $20,990 driveaway for the base variant, the $4000 saving undercuts competitors including the Mahindra Pik-Up and Great Wall V240 by $2000. It also starts well below the price of mainstream offerings such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, which start at $19,740 and $18,990 respectively, before on-road costs.

The Xenon 4x4 Single Cab Pick Up also receives the same $4000 cut as its 4x2 sibling, now priced at $18,990. Single Cab Chassis variants – including tray – drop from $19,990 to $18,990 for the 4x2 and from $22,990 to $20,990 for the 4x4, a saving of $1000 and $2000 respectively.

The Dual Cab 4x2 drops from $23,490 to $21,490 and the Dual Cab 4x4 drops from $28,990 to $23,990, a reduction of $2000 each.

Prices for the four-star ANCAP-rated 2015 models are higher than the run-out two-star Xenons, with the 4x2 Dual Cab variant up by $3500 ($21,490 compared with $24,990), while the 4x2 Single Cab Pick Up is $6000 dearer ($16,990 compared with $22,990).

The Tata Xenon uses a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine, making 110kW of power and 320Nm of torque, and is matched with a five-speed manual transmission which translates to a towing capacity of up to 2500kgs and a payload of up to 1080kgs.

Tata importer Fusion Automotive marketing and communications manager Sara Smith, told GoAuto that the Xenon is now positioned even more competitively in the light-commercial vehicle segment and is expected to sell well.

“We [Tata], like most manufacturers, have run-out sales towards the end of the calender year in order to make way for the next model year,” she said.

With the roll-out of the updated Xenon next year, Ms Smith said Tata is looking to capitalise on the LCV market through a dealership expansion and increased brand awareness.

“The dealer network has grown from nine at launch to 36 as of today. We are in ongoing discussions with other dealers around the country and look forward to expanding our network footprint further in 2015.”

Tata confirmed that pricing for the run-out 2014 Xenon will remain in effect until the end of the year.

2014 Tata Xenon pricing*

4x2 Single Cab Pick Up	$16,990
4x4 Single Cab Pick Up	$18,990
4x2 Single Cab-Chassis	$18,990
4x4 Single Cab-Chassis	$20,990
4x2 Dual Cab	$21,490
4x4 Dual Cab	$23,990

*Driveaway pricing.