Vehicle manufacturer Premier Automobiles, which once dominated the Indian car market, will soon be making a comeback with a compact SUV – the RiO. Premier is expected to launch the RiO along with its Chinese partner, Zoyte Auto, within this week. The vehicle will be brought to India in Completely Knocked-Down (CKD) form, and will be assembled at the company’s Chinchwad plant near Pune. Expected to be priced between Rs 5.5 lakh and Rs 8 lakh, the Rio will be 30 per cent cheaper than the Tata Safari. Deliveries will start in December 2009.
Premier Automobiles once sold the very successful Premier Padmini in the country. The Padmini was a favourite with taxi drivers till the 1990’s, but couldn’t keep up with changing emission norms and increasing competition. Its production was stopped in the late 90’s. The company then entered the LCV segment, but remained a minor player. It hopes to revive its fortunes in the country with the new SUV. A Premier official said that the company will open three dealerships in Mumbai and 100 across India to market the RiO.
