The Tata Nano, touted as the world’s cheapest production car
and nicknamed “The People’s Car,” is expected to be available to the Indian public this fall, according to its manufacturer, Tata Motors.
The
city car, which debuted at the 9th annual Auto Expo on Jan. 10, 2008 at
the Pragati Maiden in New Delhi, was originally announced with a cost of 100,000 rupees, the equivalent of $2,500,
not including taxes and delivery charges. But it could be less.
The Indian government recently announced a 4 percent reduction of excise tax on small cars. Tata hasn't yet announced any changes to the original Nano price.
Named
after the word nanometer (an extremely small unit of measure), the Nano
will be priced at less than half the price of the world’s
current cheapest car, the mini Maruti 800.
The
Nano is slightly longer than 10 feet, slightly narrower than five feet in
width and features a 623cc, two-cylinder, 33-horsepower engine. It has a maximum speed of 65 mph.
The
rear-engine, four-seat car is expected to be within the budgets of
millions of young Indian families and available to them in dealers by
September or perhaps October.
Other Tata Nano models, which will include features like sun visors and radios, will be available at higher sticker prices.
According
to
a Tata representative, the car will be manufactured in three or four
locations, including West Bengal and Uttarakhand states. The manufacturing plants are expected to employ 10,000 people.
Upon the car's debut, Ratan Tata, the company’s chairman, was
quoted in the New York Times in glowing,
prideful terms:
"Today,
we indeed have a People’s Car, which is affordable and yet
built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel
efficient and low on emissions,” Tata said. “We are
happy to present the People’s Car to India and we hope it
brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who
need personal mobility.”
In
addition to its debut in India with about 250,000 units, Tata expects
to sell the Nano in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America within
four years.
Despite its well-publicized status as the world’s least expensive car, the moniker may not last.
Tara,
a competitor of Tata, is said to be preparing to launch an electric
vehicle, the Tara Tiny Ev. It will have a price of 99,999 rupee (the
Indian currency), one rupee less than the Nano.
