Tata Motors officially launched the Nano city car in India earlier this week and, if the Indian automaker has its way, it could be holding a similar launch event here in the United States in just a few years. Per a new report, Tata plans to market the Nano in the U.S. as early as 2011.
Tata showed a European-spec Nano at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show and, according to the Financial Times, Tata is currently working on a version of the Nano for the U.S. market.
When Tata first started developing the Nano, it had no plans to sell the city car in the States. However, Tata head Ratan Tata says the company is reevaluating that strategy in the wake of the recent economic collapse. “In this economic situation, we see perhaps there is a place [for the Nano in the US],” Tata told the Financial Times. The Nano went on sale this week in India with a starting price of just under $2,000.
Work on the U.S.-spec Nano has reportedly already begun, with the new model slated for a 2011 or 2012 launch. However, the prospect of U.S. sales will take more than a revamped interior. In order to be sold in the U.S. the Nano will have to pass more stringent crash and emissions standards, not to mention the monumental hurdle of establishing a U.S. distribution network and overcoming a less-than-stellar U.S. reputation.
