January10
Tata Motors has officially taken the wraps off of its highly-anticipated $2,500 mini car. Dubbed the Nano, the car made its debut earlier today at the New Delhi Auto Expo. At a length of just 3.1 meter, the Nano comes in 26 inches shorter than the Honda Fit.
Power for the Nano comes from a 623cc two-cylinder gasoline engine — featuring multi point fuel injection — and outputs about 30 horsepower. In combination with the car's four-speed manual, the Nano is said to return 54 U.S. miles per gallon.
As expected, the interior is one of the most basic on the market and only features a speedometer, fuel gauge and oil light.
Two versions of the Nano will be available to the Indian market: Standard and Luxury. Tata's press released failed to mention the differences between the two models.
Despite being light on features and short on cost, Tata says that the Nano meets — or exceeds — all safety and emissions regulations. However, with "strong seats" listed as one of the car's safety features, it's unlikely that the Nano would pass safety tests in more developed regions.
According to Tata head Ratan Tata, the Indian automaker is targeting 200,000 units a year, but Tata has a much loftier sales goal for the Nano. "When we were planning facilities for the car and working out a business plan, the business plan shown to me was looking at a figure of 200,000. I said 200,000 cars is crazy. If we can do this we should be looking at a million cars a year, and if we can't do a million then we shouldn't be doing this kind of car at all," Tata said.
At just $2,500, the Nana comes in as the cheapest car in history when compared to today's dollar. In comparison, when converted into today's dollars, the Ford Model T stickered for $19,700 with the original Volkswagen Beetle fetching $11,333.
that's hot!
I'd honestly take it over a Smart going by the design.
.
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Still - you think we'll see a $5,500 Jaguar soon???
What the hell is that? There are much better ways to reduce population growth.
The environmentalists are already complaining about this car. This car for the masses will bring pollution and oil use.
On the other hand Al Gore can still travel by limo and ride the jet to meetings.
Let the little people live in their town forever. Doom Them All.
Jaguar XXX. Make that $5,499.99
THE FUTURE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY! Scary!
looks like a playskool toy! Toyota will soon copy!
That looks like a complete deathtrap.
I want two. That way I can say I have bodacious Tatas!
It looks like a compacted toyota yaris. . .ugly!!!
It even has the "T" logo on it.
this would have to be the ugliest, shittest and most uninspiring car i've ever seen, lets hope some of its design features makes its way to jaguar!!!!!!
Get Real:
What a lot of these environmentalists don't understand is that pollution is already and huge problem in the developing world. Travel to Mexico City or Bangkok; your lungs and eyes will burn. The most popular form of transporation in these cities is cheap two-stroke scooters that spew blue smoke into the air. At least this car is built with emissions in mind. If it takes a good number of old vehicles off the road, then it could actually improve the air in these countries. Then compare the safety difference between this car and the scooters…
Unstable, DEFINATELY UNSTABLE. Should have called it the Tata Shopping Trolley.
Oh and Crash testing? That wont pass the Elk Test.
I know this is a 2500.oo car, but please. This thing is hidious.
No way would I ever climb into this deathtrap.
The front seat pedastals look hilarious, some angle iron and bolts.
holy crap this car is horrible. but whats worse is having to use a manual trans with a 30hp. engine.
it might be all that some poor 3rd world dude can afford. As a car guy, I endorse car ownership and understand that not everyone can afford a Bimmer like me.
Congrats to Tata. I hope that it's a reliable product that allows poor people all over to buy a new car in the color that they choose.
I should add, that what we call a "death trap" today probably exceeds the safety standards of cars 25 years ago and we seemed to think that this was adequate then.
get ready to die………..
I want to see crash testing videos of this thing.
This car addresses the need of the market. It is Indian market and for people who never dreamed of having their own car it is a godsend. It also extreme example of creative engineering, something big 3 incapable of doing with their stratospheric budgets and resources.
That's the same price of a decent coffin
AND in addition
5L/100km is not good at all from such a small engine. the Mini gets 6.5L/100km with a 170HP, so 5L/100km from a 33hp is quite bad !
This is better than putting 4 ppl on a scooter! If all cars on the road were similar size (like in India) it wouldn't be a death trap. Its awesome when you think about what TaTa has accomplished.
i bet planet drive loves it.
Beat it, schizo … nobody cares what you think … in fact, nobody knew you were gone.
Oh, like your posts here were ever worth anything …. pleeeeeease.
Badge engineered Jaguar XXX indeed, RH & g2. It stil has some kind of fan. Bring your own music player ….and airbags!
Thank you LamborghiniZ for once again gracing us with your presence. But if you'll excuse me, I'm off to collect my welfare cheque now so that I can afford some hooch for tonight when I take my cousin on our date. It's no fun dumpster diving if you haven't got a bit of a glow on! By the way, we're trying to get back together because of the kids.
Ok, so we got rid of Lambo, finally, and similarly GM_Sales is also thankfully gone. Rarely see AssclownMartin around here which is good, and 1115 is very close to being gone. Plus that gay dead ukrainian buttstain is gone. Now if LLN would get a decent writing staff, this site might be good.
Is this the 3rd world car that failed German crash tests & folded like a tin can? That was a couple months ago. I bet if a bug hits the front of the car it dents. No doubt we will see pictures of 10 people crammed into/on-top of this car like every other photo you see of Indian transportation.
Are those 6 inch rims? Looks smaller than the spare doughnut on a mini. Anyone that has visited India knows these small tires will not hold up to what they call roads.
This car is a absolutely hidious!!!…You would be better of buying a used car for $2500…it doesnt even have a radio!!!!…The build quality is that of a cheap lawn mower…
I would rather have a model t
Wow, they sure pulled Lambo's comment in a hurry. Guess they didn't like the link to his new site.
'angelo', I'm dead serious when I have to say that I think your Bimmer is nearly as ugly as this entry level mode of transportation … and like 'F3….' stated, I hope it was enjoyable overspending on your ego booster.
Good riddance, 'Lambo', you worthless monkey.
Considering where it is going to be used, the crowded side streets and slower roads in Indian towns, It should be more than adequate. Here I thought the Suzuki Swift/Geo Metro was dinky.
Those commenting as if every car in the world should be a top drawer luxury or exotic hyper car really needs to get off their high horse. It's a car made for the people who are actually going to buy it in the market it is going to be bought and used in for the situations those people must contend with.
This thing isn’t as bad as I feared, but it’s probably too small for the U.S. Those of you talking about the size of cars in India are on the ball. Here, it’d be best for senior-citizen golf communities, but I don’t think a tottergreis would want a stickshift.
It should come in bright colors like the iPod nano.
BASIC BASIC BASIC transportation. wow.
Hopefully, there's a VSC option (I know there won't be), because that thing looks like it'd flip over in a second.
This is the most disgusting hideous looking contraption in the history of the automotive industry.
Ive seen more safety features in a push bike
Oh how i feel for Jag employees
I can honestly say i've seen titties bigger than that car
i swear my daughter pulled one of these out of her happy meal
"Tata says that the Nano meets — or exceeds — all safety and emissions regulations."
In a country where the speed of traffic is much lower than in US and where gov officials can be bribed. Yea… that comment holds true. Regardless, I have to give them respect for making cars more accessible to the common folk though it won't be good for my business.
A room-full of axxholes here.. this car is for very first-time buyers in a poor country who, unlike all of you lucky people who don't deserve the fortune of being born in a wealthy country, have worked hard to earn the joy of having their very first family car. So dont' deride it. Show respect to the marvelous ingenuity Tata showed to make this car a dream-come-true for a lot of people.
wunderkind is right. It is also good to consider the fact that a car this cheap will change the perception of those who have access to it. 20 years from now when those people have money they will consider Mercs and Bimmers as unnecessary luxury, much in the same vein as Ferrari and Lambos. Heck with the release of the Genesis, if it's that good, I'd consider a lot of premium large sedans as unnecessary as well.
I agree:
Better than a motorcycle to crash in.
You can carry your friends or family in it rather than hanging off the rear fender and sitting on the gas tank.
You can drive in the rain and not get wet going to work.
Max speed is 50mph….seen a superhighway in India ???
For a third world country this is great, but Al Gore will have nightmares along with the environmentalists.
The People will have freedom, such an evil curse this freedom.
Reiteration of a YUGO! So the country died, but the product lives on in India!
And Tata called, they offer $2500 . . . for your life, Deal or No Deal?
My wife says it's cute
400SS: how big was the stomach?
I would rather take the bus or get a very used car.
Hey Jackjim Larry Flynt hHustler Club, East St. louis Illinois……..plenty of sillicone for everyone
Hey Jackjim Larry Flynt Hustler Club, East St. louis Illinois……..plenty of sillicone for everyone
Reminds me of the Johnny Cab from Total Recall.
"Sue me, d**khead"
According to TATA, this car meets EURO 4 emission standards(so why the hell r u cribbing abt pollution) and passed front collision test,
this is ideal for city drives.
This is for different segment of people…. Congrats to TATA..
I don't why people in US always follow double standards……while speaking about pollution caused by other countries..think abt this….Americans contribute highest amount of green house gases in the world and American press never talk about it. Thats a joke..clean up your own shit before commenting on others…haha
What's with the Al Gore comment, who gives a squirt of pee about him anyway? None-the-less it's a little less than the equivalent of a 4 stroke 650 motorcycle engine…cleaner and way more efficient than most cars on the road. This car was not developed to sell to the western market anyway, it will be mostly sold in the east. I heard that Tata's goal was to build a car that would change a society where one-in-one-thousand owned a car and turn to a one-in-one-hundred. Kudos to them for producing this vehicle, affordable transportation to those who would otherwise not be able to own a vehicle. If it indeed comes to market, which now looks like a certainty, will be the one of the biggest accomplishments in automotive history, regardless of it's utilitarianism.