Premier Rio Launched – 3 Variants On Offer
Premier India which was once famous for its padmini sedan, has made a bang with the launch of all new SUV - The Rio. Premier Rio is basically the Zotye Nomada which is a mini crossover which is manufactured by leading chinese auto manufacturer - Zotye Autos. The factory occupies 500,000 square meters and there are over 6,000 employees. They have the capacity of annually producing 100,000 cars.
Premier Rio is a small city SUV which has been developed on basis of advanced technology from domestic and international autos. The company has tied up with a Chinese auto company Zoyte International. The CKD version of the car will be assembled at premier's Chinchwad facility in Pune, where it currently manufactures Sigma van and Road-star pick-up. Rio is less than four metres in length and has 1489cc engine which is below 1.5 litre engine capacity, so it gets the tax benefit of a small car.
Powered by Premier's own engine that is essentially a downsized Peugeot TUD5 diesel engine, the Rio's engine capacity now measures in at 1490cc and develops 65 Bhp of peak power. The engine is Euro-III ready and the company is taking adequate steps to meet Euro-IV emission norms, come April 1, 2010. The 1489cc Turbo Diesel engine generates maximum power of 65 Bhp at 4000 rpm with maximum torque of 152 Nm at 2250 rpm. Premier Auto has launched Rio in three models - The EX, which is priced at Rs 5.25 lakh, the DX at Rs 5.50 lakh and LX at Rs 5.95 lakh - all ex-showroom, Pune.
[Via: Cars India]