The Tata Nano, India's $2,500 Car

in General
The car may be tiny and spartan, but the implications of this car, for India and the developing world, are huge.
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"A Cornell University-trained architect who personally helped design the Nano, Ratan Tata had long vowed he'd develop a car cheap enough so Indians could trade their motorbike in for one."
Tata Nano: The World's Cheapest Car (Inside Line)
There's some more links in Straightline.
As the Nano, stands it will not pass U.S. crash standards
-Rocky
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Just a thought.
Which one of the cars mentioned above gets 50mpg?
As much as F150 king ranch edition comes with a factory fitted confederate flag on the front grill.
None of the cars I mentioned gets 50 mpg, of course. You make a good point, but speaking of gas mileage, 50 mpg doesn't sound too impressive from a two cylinder engine in a feather weight body.
PS
I would not drive it on the freeway anymore than I would a Yaris.
As someone else indicated, there are plenty of used cars for $3k that I would probably rather have and enjoy more.
The only advantages I could see here would be good mileage and maybe a warranty. (??)
But just because something is "New" doesn't necessarily make it better than something "old".
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Since you are considering used cars, how about pre-owned Nano for $1k? That leaves enough money to fillup for the next three years.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Given the vast difference in fuel economy, among other things, isn't this an apples and oranges comparison?
And the point is precisely that many buyers would give up something like mileage to avoid a crappy car.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Couldn't resist.
I see the Nano as the second coming of the Model T ... transportation for the masses.
I see the Nano as the second coming of the Model T ...
It's probably the third or fourth coming of the Model T. Cars like the Citroen 2CV, the Fiat Topolino and the VW Bug brought cheap auto transportation to Europe after WWII.
Interestingly the Tata Nano has a lower HP rating and top speed than my 40hp '65 Bug which could do 70mph all day long if the terrain was flat but India probably has few roads that would allow even a Jag to hit 70.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
How many Americans wear rea seat belts?
Considering Vespa Scooters sell for $4000+, the is quite a bargain. It is more fuel efficient to boot.
I would hope ALL parents make their kids wear seatbelts in the back, at the very least!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
This is the way cars need to go again. Lighter weight, smaller would be great in this country also. Maybe $10 per gallon gas will help?
To be safe AND light AND sufficiently powered takes money!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Putting such a small car on the streets here in the US would be questionable given the size of the vehicles already in use. As strictly a city car, restricted to surface streets only it might have a niche. It surely would increase parking spaces by a magnitude of X.
It's doubtful that it would win any prizes in the stoplight grand prix or challenge the boy racers in their coffee canned (otherwise stock) Honda Civic hatchbacks.
Given the American motorists' mentality which is just now being conditioned to accept "B" class vehicles it seems like a long shot for Tata Motors to even consider a move on this side of the Atlantic with the Nano.
If it was me I'd use one of these>
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Of course it's an academic comparison, since, (A) there are no plans to offer the Nano in the US, and (B) the Nano would cost more than $2,500 if it had to comply with our safety and emissions standatrds. I find it an interesting comparison, even if it's kind of an an apples and oranges comparison.
Would you prefer to own a new federalized Nano for, say, $3,000, just to pick a number, or a $3,000 Corrolla, Civic, Miata, or whatever? While the Nano looks intriguing, I think I'd choose a used something else. Maybe even a '00 or '01 Intrigue.
Which is the same thing some of us have previously stated in this very topic.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
"The wonderful era of the ultra cheap car — the People’s Car! — could be over before it’s begun. Introduced to great international fanfare in January at the New Delhi Auto Show, the Tata Nano was heralded as the great hope for the Indian middle class. A bare-bones sedan with a 623-cc engine, the Nano was promised to sell for only $2,500. It was going to get Indians off their scooters and into cars. But that was before prices for steel and other raw materials began to climb — and climb and climb.
From the Times of London:
Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata, has admitted that he faces a dilemma. “If we pass on all costs to the consumer, it will affect demand, and if we don’t, it will affect margins,” he told investors recently. The economics underpinning the Nano, which is due to go on sale this autumn, make it especially vulnerable to commodity market moves."
I found this very interesting, but not too surprising. $2500 sounds just too good to be true for a new car, even a minamalist micro car produced with cheap labor. It'll be interesting to see where the Nano goes from here.
Just a week ago we read that the Nano will probably miss its prce target, and now we learn that production may be delayed yet again.
News about the Nano doesn't matter to American motorists, but it may matter in the future if the Nano becomes the world's spiritual successor to the Model T or the VW Beetle.
I think there might be a niche market here for such a car for local driving and short commutes. Of course, that name would have to be replaced with something more appealing to Americans.
lFerrari Increases Link to India's Tata as Situation Worsens in Industry (Inside Line)
You have to wonder how well Tata can afford the tie-in though.
Tata may have to invest $1billion in Land Rover and Jaguar