Over the past year, Tata has been building hype for a car that would cost a mere 100,000 rupees (roughly $2,500) and bring automotive transportation to the mainstream Indian population. It has been nicknamed the “People’s Car.†Over the course of the New Delhi Auto Expo, which began this week, anticipation had grown to fever pitch.
On Thursday Tata Motors unveiled what will be the cheapest car to hit the road anywhere in the world. At the Auto Expo in New Delhi, Ratan Tata drove the Nano, which the company calls the People’s Car, onto the stage and said it would still have the price tag of 100,000 (approximately $2,500) rupees promised four years ago, though commodity prices have since risen. “That’s because a promise is a promise.†In India, it’s called the 1-lakh car (“lakh†being the Indian equivalent of 100,000).
The four-door vehicle, which can comfortably seat four people, has a 33 brake horsepower, 624 cubic centimeter, two-cylinder gasoline engine in the rear. The basic model has no air conditioning, power steering, antilock brakes or electric windows, though a couple of deluxe models will offer air conditioning. It also has no rear seat belts. The car is 3.1 meters (10 feet) long, 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide and 1.6 meters wide. It has an all-sheet metal body and safety features like crumple zones and intrusion-resistant doors. The car will be ready for the market later this year.
Watch Tata Motors - One Lakh Car
First Look: Exclusive pictures of Tata’s Rs 1-lakh car
Picture Gallery from TATA Motors
Source: TIME, Forbes, Tata, IBNLive
So What are your comments guys? How do you think the car looks? Do you think it will be a big hit? How do you compare Tata’a Nano to Maruti’s 800? Please use comments section and start discussing.
Awesome .. this car is looking great for the price they are offering .. There is no comparison between 800 and Nano .. Nano is looking way better than 800 .. and its fuel efficient too .. lets see how far TATA goes with this car .. Way to go TATA and Way to go India .. The World’s Cheapest car ..
Good car.The dream of every middle class peoples.
Outstanding work by TATA’s engineers. Well done TATA.
Once again u made India proud. You are a real Patriot.
Great car certainly more and more traffic, hopefully people driving scooters would get rid of em for this lill masterpiece.
The car look like an Indian Auto. This is not worth the price being spent on it. One could rather have a 2-wheeler bought. A car is luxury and has to be something looked upon with awe…..A 2-cylinder 600 cc 4 wheeler is not called as a CAR….
TATA is taking all of India for a big confusion ride.
youth and middle class can enjoy,price is ok,problem about traffic
great achievement for the tata’s but it is not so great for the indian public unless the infrastructure is capable of handling hordes of these on roads. whats the use of a car if you can reach from A to B much quicker on a bicycle.
hi Ravi.if u think like that then u can use bicycle.
but u know one thing that is dream of middle class family.they can use their own car whenver they want with whole family.we should appreciate.
In UK also in the TV news they have praised about TATA & INDIAN TECHNOLOGY.and they r also saying that in £1200 a new car means its really wonder.really its very gudddddddd achievement.
anyway we should encourage this.
Tata is really great that whole world is discussing abt Indians proudly.
ofcourse i will accept that there will be traffic problem.but thraffic police system should find some alternative solving prob.then every middle class family dream will come true.
once again my heartful wishes to Tata.
its good to see that tata have launched some thing for indian plp considering indian traffic, indian roads and everything…
car is very good… now lets c how it performs…
This car will be greatly appreciated by people in smaller towns and elderly citizens who have to be independent. There will be no road congestion in small town and will also be easily affordable by them. For Sr. Citizens it would be more safer and convenient then using a bike or public transport
Hi its really awesome!! Proud to be indian , and proud to be an inventor for this car is indian .worlds cheapest car its miracle with TATA’s.
“CONGRATULATIONS TO TATA ENGINEERS” …………………………………
Folks,
Yes, it is a gr8 achievement. But, What you pay is what you get… Check this link…
http://www.toysgadget.com/tata-nano-car/transportation
If any accident, need to buy a new car….
I read in newspaper a century back Ford introduced Model ‘T’ for around $1000 and it changed the whole
US auto industry. I hope its the same with Nano ‘T’.
THE TATA NANO VS.
THE FORD MODEL T
How a revolutionary car stacks up against a potentially revolutionary car.
Tata Nano
• Introduced: 2008
• Cost: $2,500
• Horsepower: 33
• Cylinders: 2
• Top Speed: 60 mph
• Mpg: 50
• Seats: 4-5 adults
• Seatbelts: yes
• Airbags: no
• Radio: no
• Air conditioning: no
• Windshield wipers: 1
Ford Model T
• Introduced: 1908
• Cost: $850 (about $19,000 today)
• Horsepower: 20
• Cylinders: 4
• Top Speed: 45 mph
• Mpg: 13 to 21
• Seats: 6-7 adults
• Seatbelts: no
• Airbags: no
• Radio: no
• Air conditioning: no
• Windshield wipers: none
i don’t see why everyone thinks that the traffic will be a big problem…these “NANO”s will replace the bikes, which these days are as large as the cars are; the pollution, well it will be there no matter what;…anyway…its a great achievement from TATA…i hope it will be a big sucess in India and in foreign aswell…
Well said Kiran,
I have same thought about the car. Engineering design should be appreciated. I have apprehensions about this car. If TATA’s give something like Indica for one lakh then on the whole it should be appreciated, small car small money. Small wheels erode terribly due to more number of rotations also take all the shocks.
May be not good on saftey stands.
Great for TATA and INDIA and Its time to think and plan about new road systems