Tata Nano: World's Cheapest New Car at $2,500

by Tina Kells | February 5, 2009 at 02:48 pm

1632 views | 5 Recommendations | 7 comments

The Tata Nano, dubbed the People's Car by creator Ratan Tata, resembles a golf cart with a hard shell and even if it only costs $2,500 it just looks unsafe to me. However, since I live in Canada I probably don't have to worry because it is only being marketed in South East Asia (for now).

Hailed as India's gift to the auto industry the Tata Nano is a kissing cousin of the Smart Car by Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes version I do have to see since Smart Cars are all over the place in Canada, and it chills me to the bone.

These little nano-cars frighten me enough to make me cringe every time I pass one on the road, and I'm not even trapped inside. I'm pretty sure that a heavy rain storm, or an aggressive car wash, would pummel the Mercedes-Benz Smart Car into the pavement. Death trap is putting it mildly.

But I digress...

The Tata Nano, with it's tiny frame and even tinier engine isn't being marketed as a green car, like its Smart Car counter part, instead, at $2,500, it is being touted as the cheapest brand new car on the market. Sometimes cheap really isn't a good enough enticement.

Mini-tiny-micro-nano-smart-cars have no place on roads that are still populated with monster SUVs, mass transit vehicles, semi tanker trucks, or relic cars from the 1980's. Even if I were PAID $2,500 I wouldn't set foot in one of these glorified bumper cars. Yet apparently they are expected to take the South East Asian market by storm.

It's called the Nano, for its high technology and small size. It's cute, compact, and contemporary. It's a complete four-door car with a 623-cc gas engine, gets 50 miles to the gallon, and seats up to five. It meets domestic emissions norms and will soon comply with European standards. It's 8% smaller in outer length than its closest rival, Suzuki's Maruti 800, but has 21% more volume inside. And at $2,500 before taxes (value-added taxes increase the price by about $300), it is the most inexpensive car in the world. Starting this fall, the Nano will roll off the assembly lines at a Tata Motors (TTM) plant in Singur, Bengal, and navigate India's potholed roads.

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Mike Young (not verified)

at 18:43 on February 5th, 2009

The North American perception of vehicles is a rather spoiled one. I was recently in southern Brazil and was amazed by the small vehicles on the road there. Mercedes even has an "A" class vehicle that makes me wonder why we wouldn't have it in North America. If you think that oil reserves are unlimited, think again. It's about time that smaller cars were on the road, I drive an Aveo and enjoy it for it's great economy and sticker price. I would welcome a car with open arms that was that inexpensive! If everyone drove a smaller car, would there be an issue then? Changes are coming... change with it or walk!

fantomdesigns

at 20:17 on February 5th, 2009

The US has been spoiled and is not looking at the big picture, regrettably Canada shares the same market. If you look at almost every other country, be it in Asia or Europe, everyone is going for smaller and more fuel efficient. Only here are we still pumping out large trucks or SUVs to soccer moms and guys that apparently want to pretend they have a landscaping business on their way to the 9-5 desk job. Europe and Asia have smaller vehicles, with small turbo diesel engines that have better emissions numbers then our Hybrid vehicles and have as much power if not more. This country has to wake up. As for the Smart car, as much as I hate the looks of them they are actually one of the safest vehicles out there because or it's built in roll-cage design. I would be too concerned about them being in an accident.

citadelmedia

at 23:04 on February 5th, 2009

Ms. Kells,

If memory serves the Tata concept was originated in a European design studio, which the West Coast Midnight Run was interested in working into a lengthy magazine review and they adroitly gave us the slip. More to the story these mini cars or carts, call them smart cars or the green attempt to outdo the VW Beatles, were meant as environmentally-friendly designs for surface streets and local shopping errands, where velocity is low and the risk of being crushed to death is supposedly far lower. Nevermind of course statistics at home in North America which tell us that most accidents take place on small roads, in the parking lots and as far as cars in the USA certified by the DOT, impacts at velocities as low as 40 mph supposedly can be fatal. So we're not sure either how these vehicles will fare in the long haul with the consumer but kudos to you on voicing a sentiment that is shared by many industry watchers.

Many thanks,

Editorial Staff of the West Coast Midnight Run

eastvanray

at 13:39 on February 6th, 2009

I don't know about the new Nano but the smart car is pretty safe based on US government crash tests. It is built like an egg and anyone who has tried to crush an egg lengthwise understands how strong that organic shape really is.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/14/autos/smart_fortwo_iihs_crash_test/?postversion=2008051410

Tiny Smart car gets crash test kudos The Smart ForTwo earns the top rating for front and side impact protection in crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The ultra-tiny Smart ForTwo earned top marks in side and front crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Wednesday. The two-seat car did not earn the Institute's Top Safety Pick designation, however, because it didn't earn top marks for whiplash protection. - from "Money" Either way this is far from a scary propisition for me since I drive a 6,000lb SUV!

eastvanray

at 17:11 on February 7th, 2009

Also keep in mind the "average" means of transportation in S.E. Asia is a bicycle, motoped or tuk-tuk. These "little" cars will be the Hummer H1's of the roads there. Likely these will be amungst the SAFEST