Tata Nano: World's Most
Affordable Car
Motoring Channel Staff - 24/March/2009
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Tata Nano

The Nano is powered by a 624cc petrol engine
& will be much less polluting than many of the
2-stroke, oil-burning scooters on Indian roads

The interior of the Tata Nano is simple but not
devoid of style - the centre console looks happy
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Mumbai, India
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Powered by a 0.6-litre engine
and measuring just 3.1 metres from bumper to bumper, the Indian-made
Tata Nano could just the be biggest car launch of 2009.
Touted as the world's
cheapest car, Tata Motors has just launched the Nano compact car which
has been hugely anticipated since its unveiling in
early 2008.
The 4-door
Tata Nano is very cheap, priced
at around $2,800 in Australian currency, making a new car with safety
systems and warranties available to India's growing middle class.
"The Nano represents the
spirit of breaking conventional barriers," said Mr. Tata, the Chairman
of Tata Motors.
"I hope it will
provide safe, affordable, four-wheel
transportation to families who till now have not been able to own a
car," added Mr Tata.
Demand for the new
model is expected to be so strong in its domestic market that the
Indian company, which also
owns Jaguar and Land Rover,
has implemented a booking process to avoid long queues at
dealerships.
The company says it
can build 350,000 cars per year, but some analysts
believe this amount may not satisfy demand
particularly if exports into the rest of Asia, Europe, and the
Americas occur.
Engine
Power for the tiny
Nano comes from twin cylinder aluminium MPFI 0.6-litre (624cc) petrol
engine that outputs the following:
Power: 26kW @ 5250rpm
Torque: 48Nm @
3000rpm
Fuel Economy:
4.2L/100km
As the figures show fuel economy is especially
good at 4.2L/100km (23.6 km/litre or 56mpg
US), verging on hybrid levels of efficiency.
The Nano is recognised
as the world's cheapest car, but with
a kerb weight of just 600kg, it could also be the world's lightest mass
produced car.
Emitting 101
grams of CO2 per kilometre, the Nano has one of the lowest CO2
emissions ratings not only in India but globally.
The small 2-cylinder
petrol engine is mated to a 4-speed gearbox and has a top speed
of 105km/h (65mph).
It can 'negotiate
inclines with a gradeability of 30%' explains the Indian car maker,
which will be important to people living in mountainous or hilly areas.
Safety
Tata has built the
Nano to a budget but says the car's safety performance 'exceeds
current regulatory requirements'.
It passes the
roll-over test and
offset impact, despite the fact that these are not regulated in India.
It has an all
sheet-metal body, reinforced passenger compartment, crumple zones,
intrusion-resistant doors, and complies
fully with existing Indian safety standards.
Tata has also used
tubeless tyres, with the rears being wider to improve stability.
Dimensions
As one of the world's smallest cars, the Tata Nano is designed for ease of parking and
smooth driving in dense traffic. It measures 3.1 metres
long, 1.5 metres wide and 1.6
metres tall. It's tiny. But Tata claims it 'offers an incredibly spacious
passenger compartment which can comfortably seat four adults'.
It's high
seating position improves entry and exit and with it has a kerb-to-kerb
turning circle of 8 metres which is very tight.
All
together, three model variants will be offered:
-
Tata Nano: The
standard
version, in three colour options, single-tone seats, fold-down rear
seat.
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Tata Nano CX: In
five colour options, with heating and
air-conditioning (HVAC), two-tone seats, parcel shelf, booster-assisted
brakes, fold-down rear seat with nap rest.
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Tata
Nano LX: Same as CX with complete fabric seats,
central locking, front power windows, body coloured exteriors in three
premium colours, fog lamps, electronic trip meter, cup holder in front
console, mobile charger point, and rear spoiler.
Tata
will offer the Nano with an 18 month/24,000km warranty, whichever comes first.
A number
of accessories are also available with the car,
including alloy
wheels, body kits, decals and there's merchandise too, such as a Nano
phone, Nano watch, T-Shirts and so on.
Related Links:
- TataNano.com
(Official Site)
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