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DELHI
Swap the family scooter for a car
Samuel Marsh applauds Tata Motors’ new Nano – at US$2,500 it’s now the world’s cheapest car
Ratan Tata’s ambition began with an everyday sight in rural India. “I observed families riding on two-wheelers – the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby,” says Tata. “It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family.”
Five years on, the dream of Tata Motors’ chairman is on the verge of coming true. He has just unveiled the Tata Nano at Delhi’s Auto Expo car show – and, with a basic dealer price of 100,000 rupees (US$2,500), it’s the world’s cheapest car.
The four-seater Nano, which goes on sale later this year, has a 625CC engine, but luxuries such as electric windows and air-conditioning cost extra. It’s still a remarkable achievement at half the price of its nearest competitor, the Maruti 800, also from India.
The car’s not without its critics, notably environmentalists and those worried about additional traffic on India’s already crowded roads. Tata initially aims to produce about 250,000 Nanos a year for the home market, and expects annual demand to grow to one million units, before the manufacturer looks at such foreign markets as south-east Asia, Africa and Latin America in two to three years’ time.
“It’s a dream come true,” Delhi policeman Ashok Singh told Reuters news agency of the Tata Nano. “I look forward to buying that car. My wife will be really happy.”
www.tatamotors.com
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