Tata Motors Nano car is cheap, small, light, fuel efficient, head hitting for tall people that sells for a lakh rupiah, RS 100,000 (UK£1,360 orUS$2,160). The Nano car is currently world’s cheapest car built by Tata Motors India. Being the cheapest car is one of the greatest marketing strategies of Tata Motors. The car was first unveiled on January 10, 2008 during 9^th India Auto Expo. It brings all mini car or K-Car (also known as “Kei car“, or “keijidōsha“which means light automobile or light car) lovers a brand new feeling and generating more than 200,000 bookings for the car during its commercial launch on March 2009. Isn’t it amazing for this new small car in this century?

The car has been described as an eco-friendly “people’s car” where it is expected to help in Indian economy and expand the Indian car market for the coming year. The aim of this car is to provide a safe, affordable four-wheel car to those who not able to own a car due to financial problem, doesn’t it sounds familiar to classic Mini in the 60’s?

Tata Motors Nano Design and performance

• The Tata Nano, with only 10 feet by 5 feet, approximately at the length of 3.29 meters and 1.58 meters. It must have go through the SWOT analysis of Tata Motors to come out with this design.
• It comes with a sloping roof, it says to be five seats but it actually is “Five-squeeze-seat” car.
• Only 624 cc. 2 cylinder petrol with Bosch multi-point fuel injection at 33 hp.
• The world’s cheapest car at the most basic model is without air-conditioning, no airbags, no radio, and no passenger side mirror and with only one windscreen wiper. World’s cheapest car, what else car accessories you expect? The model with heater, air conditioning and power brakes (ABS) will cost around US$3,800.
• Rear wheel drive. With 4 speed manual transmission.
• Surprisingly, the car achieved 0-60 km/h (37mph) in 8 seconds due to its light weight. Off course, this is the difference between world fastest production car and cheapest car.

Safety for Tata Nano

Whenever a small car or cheap car unveiled to the world, rumors about the car safety appear everywhere around the corner for sure, but it still a great concern to conquer the cheap car market and to boost the Indian company. According to the chairman of the company, Ratan Tata, he says “It is not a car with plastic curtains or no roof, it is a real car”.

• The Nano is without airbags, and ABS. In India, a car without air bags or anti-lock brakes system (ABS) will still exceed all Indian safety standards. (Check out the Tata Safari 4×4)
• The Tata Motors Nano car is without Disc-brake where most of the modern car does have it today. It fitted with front and rear 180 mm drum brake.

Let’s check out what else is so special about this car rather than just knowing the boring technical performance and hardly-understand technical information.

What is bad and what is good?

• It’s a tiny car with the even tinier price-tag.
• It claims to achieve 50 miles per gallon (See also How much per mile does it cost to drive a car)
• The “Nano” is means “Small” in Gujarati language that mainly spoken in India, but small isn’t smaller than “Mini”.
• Is that really bad about using hand to wind down the windows, no air conditioning, no power steering, funny and no power 624cc? It is ironic for some car lovers or automobile standards, but it is a very happy thing for some poor family to own such a car that allows 5 family members to go out together.
• The Times of India reported the vehicle as “a properly designed and built car”.

Every car has its pros and cons, it would definitely a big different when you buying the world fastest car or world cheapest car. The safety standard for everyone is different, there are some car accidents from some famous good cars including the recent Tiger Woods car accident, while some people drive safely in their daily life in India in such small car as the Tata Motors Nano car.