Alongside the Tata Nano Europa at Geneva was another intriguing debut for the Indian company.

By teaming up with renowned design house Pininfarina, Tata Motors has produced the stylishly-understated Prima sedan; a model that Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata says will mark the automaker’s coming-of-age as a world-class car company.

Officially a concept, the Prima is virtually production-ready. The mid-size sedan boasts a 2700mm-long wheelbase (a smidge shorter than the latest Mazda6), will be powered by a range of Fiat-sourced engines and will be built entirely in India.

A big boot and large rear cabin are also key features of the Prima’s design, and it reportedly complies with current European safety legislation.

“Prima will be manufactured only in India. It will be imported from there for selling in the European markets,” Mr Tata said.

“It will take at least three years to complete the exercise of launching Prima in Europe. It is right now in the concept stage.”

While it might not be the most dynamically-shaped mid-size luxury car out there, it certainly holds a great deal of promise for the budget-oriented Indian automaker. After all, look at Hyundai’s sedan offerings from the mid-1990s and compare them with the stunning Genesis and Equus of today.

Sigh… they grow up so fast.

GALLERY » Tata Prima