Tata Nano: First-hand impressions from an EcoModder member

[rk113]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Raj: I don't suppose you've had exposure to the Tata Nano yet? Just curious for some first hand impressions.

Hi, Thanks for asking. Might not be much but please read below to what I feel about the nano



Image: Anugrah Adams

Nano
Looks - I rate it at 6/10. They've done well with the exteriors but still there is a lot of scope to do with the exteriors and the interiors (plastics pretty cheap though). being a car that raised Tata's share price, market value and reputation in the global scene, it is normal to expect the car to grab your looks the first time you see it. honestly it does look like the "smart" but a bit better (personal opinion)... News leaks suggest that they are prepping an upgraded version of the nano that'll fix most of the minor setbacks of the original.

Performance
It handles well in city conditions (Busy roads of Chennai), very easy to drive in stop and go conditions as the acceleration and the torque is decent. Didn't get the chance to drive it in highway conditions but owing to the tallboy design I guess it might be a bit unstable at speeds over 80 kmph (50mph) due to the crosswinds.

One thing I hated is the beat of the car. it sounds like a muffled autorickshaw (A commuter three wheeler that is used for public transit in India) from heard from the outside (you still could hear a marginal noise in the inside when the AC's on and windows rolled up)... This is the only drawback of the Nano as for I am concerned (Donno why reviewers don't highlight this as the other drawbacks as something you can live with and are common to most expensive car brands but your sounding cheap ---- that is something out of the ordinary) if they just fix this problem alone, the Nano would score really high against the other cars

Fuel efficiency - 26 Kms to the litre (3.9 L/100 km, 61.2 mpg US) under test conditions. Expected a lot more than this. When 1100 cc cars are claiming to return around 21 kmpl (4.8 / 49) under test conditions you'd expect something more than 38 kms to the litre (atleast 32 kms to the litre (3.1 / 75) as an incentive to buy the alto than the other much decently powerful smaller cars available but they've failed here) given tata's commitment towards fuel economic vehiclesfrom their cargo vehicle days. Hope they'd figure it out in the next release

Lets hope they fix the Nano up and make it into a better car than it is now, making it more of a peoples car as they claim it to be

[MetroMPG]

Thanks for posting that.

Hope you don't mind I copied your post into a new thread. I think other members will be interested in reading your thoughts on the car and may not have seen them in the other thread.

The little car has generated a lot of discussion already.

cheers
Darin

[fairdinkumfrankies]

I read somewhere that they might try and make a US version of the Nano. Assuming the quality is up where it needs to be, I would buy one.

[NeilBlanchard]

I think the US version is similar to the European version:

[fairdinkumfrankies]

Nice

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

I think the US version is similar to the European version:

...what's the little silver thingee just ahead of the rear wheel--exhaust pipe?

[Frank Lee]

Nice styling. Hope they make it to the U.S.

[JasonG]

Geo Metros watch your back !

[MetroMPG]

I just can't see a US version happening.

OK, Tata may have a plan in place for the US, but it is stored in a wall mounted box behind a pane of glass with this stencilled on it:

"IN CASE OF $5 per GALLON U.S. GAS PRICES, BREAK GLASS"

[CigaR007]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I just can't see a US version happening.

OK, Tata may have a plan in place for the US, but it is stored in a wall mounted box behind a pane of glass with this stencilled on it:

"IN CASE OF $5 per GALLON U.S. GAS PRICES, BREAK GLASS"

Hahaha...Good one !