More mystery surrounds the exact nature of the relationship between Tata and Iveco as a result of this piece in the Times of India. The report, which suggests that Tata is to use Renault’s Trafic van platform in order to produce a three tonne passenger / commercial range, allowing it to plug the gap between its recently launched Ace one tonne product and the heavier duty 407 van.

The three-way alliance between SAIC, Tata and Fiat becomes yet more confused. Leaving aside passenger car business for a moment, it would appear that Iveco and SAIC are now well wedded, but the more obvious Iveco – Tata relationship is far from consummated. Indeed, with the exception of a joint strategy in Latin America – in itself a strange move given Iveco’s existing reckonable business in both Brazil and Argentina – there appears to be no obvious move towards consolidating the efforts of Tata – one of the world’s biggest CV manufacturers and indigenous to one of the world’s biggest potential CV markets – and Iveco – in itself a not unreckonable force in the CV business.

Post Ashok Leyland, Iveco has no presence within India at the moment. It – and any other CV manufacturer – probably needs one. So why the absence?

Is Iveco’s future as a part of the Fiat Group still uncertain? We can think of no other reason for the delay in sorting a Tata-Fiat relationship out. Certainly, there are one or two other European CV OEMs sniffing around a piece of the Indian giant – DaimlerChrysler for one – and so you’d have thought that Turin would have been keen to nail this deal down. That it isn’t suggests – possibly – that it might be keen to have an unencumbered Iveco ready to take to market at some point in the not too distant future.