Tata Motors head Ratan Tata has stated he’d like to sell his company’s Nano city car in the United States by 2011, but Mr. Tata has never addressed one of that plan’s the biggest obstacles– a U.S. dealer network. However, Fiat’s recent tie-up with Chrysler could provide Tata with a solution.
Fiat and Tata already have a number of joint-ventures, and one more could be on the way. Tata sells Fiats in India and is currently developing a pickup truck for the Italian automaker. The two companies also share a factory in India. And, according to The New York Times, Fiat could soon market a version of the Nano in the U.S. for Tata.
It remains unclear what banner the Nano would be sold under, but the city car could show up in Chrysler /Fiat dealerships by early next decade. Fiat could sell the Nano under the Tata name, or could decide to brand the tiny four-wheeler under a new budget brand.
Although it might be difficult to imagine Americans buying in to such a small offering, the Nano could provide Fiat and Chrysler a way to clear upcoming CAFE regulations. The Nano is said to return about 65 mpg, which would allow both automakers plenty of clearance under the new CAFE standards. However, there are still plenty of other details to work out – including crash worthiness – before the Nano could ever be sold in U.S. dealerships.
