Tata Nano coming to USA (Supposedly)
 

Ha! "$3k" Nano coming... The writer needs a smack upside the head! :D

Regardless, should be interesting!

In India it was marketed as the 1 lakh (100,000 rupees) car. I think that's where the "under $3,000" came from. Although, according to exchange rates today, 1 lakh is just under $2,000.

...other reports have said "...Nano under $10,000..." but not much else.

This is an un-ecomodder thing of me to say, but the Nano is too small for me, and debates over standard safety features like airbags notwithstanding, it does not look like it would do so well in a collision from any angle.

Still much safer than a motorcycle... and it will have airbags. U.S. law requires active restraint that requires no operator effort. Cars used to have those horrid automatic seat belts that required the user to still buckle the lap belt, but those fell out of favor to the aribag... which is why there is precicely zero chance this will be a $3k U.S. car.

Anyhow, that article was good for 5min worth of jokes for my family to laugh about.

I am sure it will be just like the Smart once it was offically imported and available for sale. Over priced, under mpg performer and require high test mixed with an addative per a tank. :eek:

They know their marketing: If it comes, it'll be a sub-$10k car, and that'll be the main selling point.

They have done a total restyling:

http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims...pixel-live.jpg
(click on image for link)

http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims...pixel-live.jpg

that's not as bad, but it still seems like playing roulette with your life.

God I hate it when people get all "Drama Queen" re: "safety". :rolleyes:

Car can never be a $3000 car in North America, North American infrastructure costs of running a dealership cant compete with that of India. Plus they have to put it on a boat to get it here.

My guess: they'll hard pressed to be under 10k dollars, and if they manage it, it'll probably be $9,999.99

They sure are putting up a lot of TV ads for that thing lately. I think they listed the starting price at $12,950 or there abouts.

If it actually got these doors and these seats, in the model I can actually buy...

Tata Megapixel: Geneva 2012 Photo Gallery - Autoblog

But of course it won't. Because nobody's interested in making anything new.

I never understood why someone would want to buy a brand new cheap car when that same $10k can buy so much more from a private party.

The very small cars have disappointed me in the mpg deptartment. None seem to do substantially better than a Corolla, which is a fairly cheap car with a lot more to offer.

I suppose there is a use for these in crowded urban environments where parallel parking is the norm.

Many people want something "new," that has a warrantee, and hasn't been abused who-knows-how by the previous owner/lessee/renter.

Like with the Smart car, for inner city use where you will almost never get over 45 MPH (except for those few times in the 'burbs) this is a perfect. An easy to street park, A to B car. If they made a diesel option, I'd be interested in one or both.

As it stands, I'd only get a Smart to do a 'busa conversion for poops and laughs.

Frank if you are not putting your self and your family into a 5 ton truck with a 4 inch tubing steel safety cage, it just shows that you don't care about those you love.

The ones you get.

The ones we get here are well capable of 60 mpg with no hypermiling.

Still don't know why they put that turd of a 1.2 in the US Spark when it offers no economy benefit over the 1.0, and is only 1 second faster to 60 mph.

The Tata Nano... good luck. With the interior and build quality that car has, the Mitsubishi i, the Hyundai Eon and the Suzuki Celerio/A Star are all better bets to send Stateside.

Us too :D

Qute an in depth hands on review of a Nano here in English too. I've been a member on there and they police posts with a rod of iron especially for any mistakes in spilling and anything which is badly grammared.

One key factor which could kill it off outside India is the 110 kp/h speed limit (about 68 MPH). This is due to the low gearing to stop the ending lunching itself at sustained high revs.

The build quality (actually mainly the design and component quality) is pretty dire too.

I'm in love with it myself, small things can always be redone yourself, added or taken away. First thing i'd want to do is pay that sucker off ...in like 1-2yrs time! then drop a small deisel in that puppy

AutomobileMag Tata

Here's some more rumor stuff on it in addition to speculation it'll be based on the Tata Europa model like this:

http://strumors.automobilemag.com/fi.../15121019.jpeg

Looks like the hardware store owners are in favor of it since you can get your new wheel barrow tires from them.:D (I made that up)

The problem is that car makers come here with bottom of the market cars and move upmarket over the years as their customer base ages and makes more money. Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Suzuki already sell cars here and don't want to move down to cheaper, less profitable cars. People here have already heard of Tata and the Nano, and Tata wouldn't mind a new market. Of those four cars, the Tata is the only one that's ever coming here, and that's still a bif if.

Yeah, the Europa model - I'm surrounded by them... :rolleyes:

Honestly this model had a production run of 1.

Team BHP is an awesome resource. :thumbup:

13-14 km/l is pretty disappointing. You can do the same with the Maruti Alto or the Hyundai Eon. Both with bigger engines. And the Eon has more space, a better interior and a better chance at passing the NHTSA crash tests.

What I dislike in the Tata Nano is its under-rated quality standards. Instead of rationalizing the usage of high-quality materials, some questionable-quality stuff is used.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ksSnogV6M9.../Photo0552.jpg
As far as low-cost mini car project goes, the Brazilian Gurgel BR-800 SL from late 80's was more reasonable, altough the absence of rear doors could be an issue when modern competitors have this practical functionality.

Reminds me of this practical small car

http://www.jhwclassics.com/wp-conten...7-1024x768.jpg

The Nano is alive and well - there is going to be a new "CNG" (Autogas) version, according to rumours, with a Diesel model later.

http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/wp-con...-Small-Car.jpg

Also a video review here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sZitve3SUw

I really liked that video review of the car. Aside from the sad looking wheels and the horrid dash, if the design can be better refined, this seems like an excellent car!

Apparently the Nano Diesel will do 112 MPG (imp).

http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/wp-con...ar-Spyshot.jpg

This is a very interesting car, and I am pondering a trip to India maybe soon, but I really can't see it in the USA at the moment.

The Diesel Nano is expected to come with a 800cc 2cyl turbodiesel. But probably a lower-end version without the turbocharger can be expected for some export markets...

if they're smart they'll offer 8 year financing and watch all the suckers line up! kill 'em with interest

I don't believe any American would buy a Tata Nano. It's too poorly-built and not so advantageous mileage-wise as a Toyota Yaris or a Chevrolet Spark with the 1.0L engines would be.

...we got a LOT of stupid people in USA!

TBH tele I think Mr Rooster has it right. We are talking about a car which can just about carry 4 people at 65 MPH max. It works in the Indian market (where freeways are rare) and other Asian markets. In places like Europe, Australia and the USA it just won't work outside a city - and at some point every car has to do that.

It is a very cool car though.

We got many of those in Brazil too. And gun ownership, which would ease to hunt them down, is not so easy back here :mad:

We don't know the MSRP of the car in the states yet but if it's significantly lower, I would believe it would sell quite well, especially if the car has good looks. If people buy the Nissan Leaf, they'll buy this. My opinion of course...

Leaf has the "Green" lectric car thing going for it. The argument is that if people will buy the Shart Car they will buy this.

I don't think it would sell against the Smart - even a Smart is probably more suited to US conditions than the Nano.

If it was sold cheap enough to actually find buyers there is little or no profit to give decent customer service, spares backup, repairs, warranty etc. which means anyone who does buy won't come back again - just like what happened to Yugo.

Its clever though - some more linkys:

Very interesting owners review, includes lots of pictures and experiences - worth a read...

List of owners faults.

The kind of roads it has to deal with :
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...owner-mud2.jpg
No Nano was harmed in the making of this picture.

The competition has heated up though - Maruti (local Suzuki remakers) have remodelled this :

http://oceanmotors.in/wp-content/upl...800-714218.jpg

into this :

http://www.rushlane.com/wp-content/u...es-600x385.jpg