Tata Motors Nano – World’s Cheapest Car!

Posted on January 10, 2008
Filed Under Economy, Technology | Leave a Comment

Would you drive one?

Just unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo by the Indian car manufacturer Tata Motors Ltd is the “Nano” – the world’s cheapest car.

Touted as the means of bringing car ownership to millions, it is aimed at the country’s 65 million scooter riders who are currently unable to afford a car.

According to reports, the four-seater Nano will have a dealer price of 100,000 rupees ($2,500), and will go on sale later this year. This is less than half the cost of India’s cheapest car, the Maruti 800.

Tata Nano Car The car has rear-wheel drive, an all-aluminum body, and a rear-mounted 660cc engine with fuel injection, that delivers 33 bhp. It will get 60 miles per gallon, has a top speed of 75mph, and takes 21 seconds to get from 0 to 60mph.

It has a roomy passenger compartment with generous legroom, and has room for one suitcase in the front luggage compartment.

During the unveiling, Chairman Ratan Tata said “let me assure you and our critics the car we have designed will meet all safety norms and all foreign environmental criteria”.

But here are some more specifics before you decide… It has one windshield wiper, and for instruments there is a speedometer, odometer, and fuel gauge.

To further save costs, it makes extensive use of plastic, with no safety-beam reinforcements, no antilock brakes, and no airbags. It also has no radio, power steering, AC, or emissions control.

Oh yeah, and the wheel bearings are designed for speeds of 45 mph – any faster and they just wear out.

So what do you think?

On the up side, this is cheap basic transportation. I mean even if you got a new one each year you come out ahead since, most people spend way more than $2,500 a year on their car.

On the down side it won’t be as safe, but it’s only been in recent years that cars have come to have all the safety features we now expect. Besides, it’s safer than a scooter.

And although there may be no emissions control, I’m guessing it’s not that bad anyway since you’ve got to have a fairly efficient engine to be that small, while moving that load at the speeds mentioned. It’s just in their best interest to keep emissions low.

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