India's Tata unveils world's cheapest car ($2500)

[illusion81]

The four-door, five-seat sporty-looking car, which defied pre-launch predictions that it would be little more than a "motorised bullock cart on wheels", is due to hit the roads later this year at just 100,000 rupees (2,500 US dollars), excluding tax, after the Tata Group cut costs to the bone.

The Nano has a two-cylinder 623 cc, rear-mounted engine with a top speed of 105 kilometres (65 miles) per hour. The basic model has a four-speed manual transmission, no air conditioning, electric windows or power steering, although two deluxe versions will be available.

http://afp.google.com/media/ALeqM5gk2lW6v5tCeVZ8c9yPzXsNLZD-DQ?size=m

Source:

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hwEA8oI3avDgacjYi9OklEgqTe5w

[Spray]

Do you REALLY want to go over 100kmh in that? I mean honestly those wheels look like they were stolen from my nephews fisher price wagon.

[chickenbones]

Do you REALLY want to go over 100kmh in that? I mean honestly those wheels look like they were stolen from my nephews fisher price wagon.

You can't go over 100 km /h, it has like a 30 hp 2 cylinder engine. It's goes 70 MAX.

It's funny, 'cus one of the safety features it listed was "Tubless tires"! Awesome!

[onecoolloser]

Heh, i really want them to bring Tata into Canada...see how'd they would fare in our market.

[Asad_A203]

Still too much. I will wait until it drops in price; then see if I can find something to PM it with; hopefully get one for under 1k.

[Asad_A203]

You can't go over 100 km /h, it has like a 30 hp 2 cylinder engine. It's goes 70 MAX.

It's funny, 'cus one of the safety features it listed was "Tubless tires"! Awesome!

It says 105 km/h in the quote.

[weales]

http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2008/01/medium_2182170359_1d6c5cbeef_o.jpg

Not pretty to me but perfect for those small cramped city cores and since India does boost a pop. of roughly a billion people it would perfect for them.

[konfusion666]

FYI, about TATA...

It's India's largest conglomerate/corporation. Basically their "General Electric".
They were established in 1868 during the British Raj.

They're also likely to be the next owner of Jaguar and Land Rover, since Ford wants to get rid of those two brands. That particular story was all over the automotive news lately - at least before this "Nano" came out.

So don't be comparing them to a copycat Chinese brand like Chery. ;)

[mudmojo]

This Indian Volkswagen is far from Fahrvergnügen for North America

[professionaldude]

Yeah I heard it on Radio that it has 1 windshield wiper :cheesygri . It's probably not for the Canadian weather.

[afong56]

i think this car would be perfect for a city dweller who has no interest in driving out of the city. it may not have the same cache as a smart car, but would certainly service the same niche.

if i lived in a condo downtown and didn't have a family to haul around, it would be a solid alternative for me to haul groceries.

no one needs to drive faster than 90km anywhere inside the city

[kuqdew]

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080110/capt.938a842b079d43daa340178628a8d405.india_ultrac heap_car_gfx539.jpg

[rchong]

50 mpg us or imperial? If this car was available in Canada, it would compete with the Smart car. I've seen smart cars advertised for $20,000+ here :confused:

[elty]

Do we really need another 1 billion people driving up the oil cost?

[TMoS]

FYI, about TATA...

It's India's largest conglomerate/corporation. Basically their "General Electric".
They were established in 1868 during the British Raj.

They're also likely to be the next owner of Jaguar and Land Rover, since Ford wants to get rid of those two brands. That particular story was all over the automotive news lately - at least before this "Nano" came out.

So don't be comparing them to a copycat Chinese brand like Chery. ;)

Chery LOL. I love those copycat brands that have slightly different names. Kind of like Sorny.

[brendonp]

50 mpg us or imperial? If this car was available in Canada, it would compete with the Smart car. I've seen smart cars advertised for $20,000+ here :confused:

The car doesn't meet North American safety standards; it's not really a competitor for anything that the West (NA/Europe) sells as a vehicle. An interview I read with some of the Tata management mentions that the price of the car will increase in the coming years as India puts more (some???) safety regulations in place. It was a rather marvel of minimalist thinking though - everything was looked at to cut costs - the single wiper is an example of this (saved them $10 in manufacturing per car, IIRC); they had even considered going with brakes on only 3 of the 4 wheels!

[TMoS]

I wonder how many people can hang on the sides of this.

[chickenbones]

50 mpg us or imperial? If this car was available in Canada, it would compete with the Smart car. I've seen smart cars advertised for $20,000+ here :confused:

You can't be serious, the base model has no passenger side mirror!

There are tons of $2500 used cars you can buy that'll still be 10 X better than this car.

I mean the car is GLUED together to meet the target price. Most parts are plastic to save cost. Did I mention it's mostly GLUED together???

[konfusion666]

You can't be serious, the base model has no passenger side mirror!

There are tons of $2500 used cars you can buy that'll still be 10 X better than this car.

I mean the car is GLUED together to meet the target price. Most parts are plastic to save cost. Did I mention it's mostly GLUED together???

at least they didn't remove the seat belts to cut costs. ;)

[gman]

You can't be serious, the base model has no passenger side mirror!


Most cars in my old days did not have passenger side mirror. It is nice to have but it is not a must have especially for a tiny car. It is no where as important as the driver side and center mirror. If that is the only thing it is missing, it would be pretty good.

[rayner55]

How big are those rims like 9 inches? One pot hole = stuck car.

[tikus]

Like early British Mini 10 inches rim and gas saver. :D

[chickenbones]

I'll take the Type R version. Much hotter. Porsche inspired rear engine rear wheel drive design. Price does go up to $3500 though.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x204/dolo54/peoples_car.jpg

[urameatball]

I'd buy two, just for the name.

[jetway1212]

Still too much. I will wait until it drops in price; then see if I can find something to PM it with; hopefully get one for under 1k.

Thats the dumbest joke i ever heard. You failed.

[jetway1212]

FYI, about TATA...

It's India's largest conglomerate/corporation. Basically their "General Electric".
They were established in 1868 during the British Raj.

They're also likely to be the next owner of Jaguar and Land Rover, since Ford wants to get rid of those two brands. That particular story was all over the automotive news lately - at least before this "Nano" came out.

So don't be comparing them to a copycat Chinese brand like Chery. ;)

That ,my friend (in Indian accents), still means JACK about their automobile technology. Its just another type of poops in the market. (just like Chery)

[HSK]

Its just another type of poops in the market. (just like Chery)
Wtf are you talking about? What type of revolutionary technology are you looking for in a car that costs 2.5k? This car meets/exceeds European safety and emission standards are you're complaining? You can buy 8 of these for the price of 1 state-of-the-art Chevrolet Cobalt (yeah right...real advance there buddy).

This car puts "hybrids" to shame. It also costs 1/40 the price.

[chickenbones]

This car puts "hybrids" to shame. It also costs 1/40 the price.


How so? Is it because it gets 50 mpg? It's a frigging 2 cylinder engine. By your logic, the 1964 Peel P50 shown on Top Gear put them all to shame, it does like 100 mpg with no technology what so ever. Why buy a hybrid when you can get a 30 hp car with better mileage? Great logic.

[Rekognize]

No thanks, I'd rather buy a used car for $2500

Drum brakes on all 4 tires???
I like the Type-R btw, I wonder if it comes in flat black for stealth look?

[Engi-Nir]

It is a good start, but long ways to go....but nothing beats the ambassador :D 40yrs* and no change, another indian tradition.

*not sure if 40yrs


I looked at other tata offerings, not really liking the cars, they look chessy exterior/interior and yes, i am brown and i am insulting the cars ;)
and personally don't want tata buying out jag/rover..they are going to destroy the brand image, should be brought out by a luxury maker or a private company with car guys(more intune with what is jag/rover are all about).

[Topher]

I'd buy two, just for the name.

And you could park them in one single parking spot! LOL

[weedb0y]

You can't be serious, the base model has no passenger side mirror!

There are tons of $2500 used cars you can buy that'll still be 10 X better than this car.

I mean the car is GLUED together to meet the target price. Most parts are plastic to save cost. Did I mention it's mostly GLUED together???

Have you seen the older 89-95 civics even? The base models didnt have the passenger side mirrors either!

[gherikill]

More cheap Asian trinkets. Just what we need.

[humayoon]

Atleast its better than this: http://www.tmcpk.com/ :cheesygri

[chickenbones]

Have you seen the older 89-95 civics even? The base models didnt have the passenger side mirrors either!

89 I can believe, but 92+ still does not have passenger side mirror? It might be true, but I've never seen that.

[deep]

I'd buy two, just for the name.

I'd buy two, and wear them like rollerskates.

[gerbil]

well .. there is a big gap on a SMART Car @ $20K and Tata's car @ $2.5K

sigh .. but i am very much concern about the crash condition ...
i found this video on metacafe - smart car front colission ..
i'd rather not be in one of these vehicles here in canada or U.S .. everybody's driving a very large vehicles ...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/60538/smart_car_crash/

[gerbil]

Tata started thinking about an ultra-cheap car when he saw families riding on two-wheelers -- "the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby."

:lol: wasn't this qoute @ one of Russell Peter's Stand up Joke :lol:

[oeketer]

No Air Conditioning and its sold in India. These people are going to roast!

[plymouthhater]

Indian version of the Trabant.

2 stroke engine = lots of pollution :(

[gman]

well .. there is a big gap on a SMART Car @ $20K and Tata's car @ $2.5K

sigh .. but i am very much concern about the crash condition ...
i found this video on metacafe - smart car front colission ..
i'd rather not be in one of these vehicles here in canada or U.S .. everybody's driving a very large vehicles ...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/60538/smart_car_crash/

There is one less thing you need to worry about the Tata in the same crash test.
Highlight >>>>It can't reach 70mph. :)<<<<<

[ShadowVlican]

cars out there right now wouldn't fare much better at 70mph....

[NiteHawk]

This is certainly alot safer than some other modes of transportation there, as overcrowded motorcycles and auto rickshaws like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/22/BangaloreRick.JPG/800px-BangaloreRick.JPG

[weedb0y]

89 I can believe, but 92+ still does not have passenger side mirror? It might be true, but I've never seen that.

Civic VX!
:D

[Quick_lude]

Indian version of the Trabant.

2 stroke engine = lots of pollution :(

Do you really think they care? India and China are polluting the world like crazy and there is nothing we can do about it. :/

It's a good solution for that country, not so much here. :)

[Asad_A203]

This is certainly alot safer than some other modes of transportation there, as overcrowded motorcycles and auto rickshaws like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/22/BangaloreRick.JPG/800px-BangaloreRick.JPG

I actually took those a couple time; the ironic part is that those rickshaws cost more than the 197X Mercedes they use for taxi cabs. Something like 1 CDN dollar for a 10 minute drive. A car with 4 wheels would sure be a great thing :D.

[Asad_A203]

Thats the dumbest joke i ever heard. You failed.

Harsh...

[konfusion666]

No Air Conditioning and its sold in India. These people are going to roast!

Barely any vehicles in India have A/C, and that's only gradually changing nowadays.

I've been there numerous times, and I'd say only 10% of the vehicles I was in had A/C.

[sixer]

It looks like it will have a good chance of being even more reliable then a VW, lol

[ronny1980]

Just imagine trying to pickup chicks with this thing. "Parvinder Sweetie, would you like a ride in my TATA?"

[Asad_A203]

Just imagine trying to pickup chicks with this thing. "Parvinder Sweetie, would you like a ride in my TATA?"

LOL

[Jeff-TheBiz]

Just imagine trying to pickup chicks with this thing. "Parvinder Sweetie, would you like a ride in my TATA?"

nice... ;)

[ShadowVlican]

This is certainly alot safer than some other modes of transportation there, as overcrowded motorcycles and auto rickshaws like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/22/BangaloreRick.JPG/800px-BangaloreRick.JPG
i don't know the common mode of "long distance" transportation in India, but if it's anything like this three-wheeler, then this car is a big step up!

[Rekognize]

This is certainly alot safer than some other modes of transportation there, as overcrowded motorcycles and auto rickshaws like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/22/BangaloreRick.JPG/800px-BangaloreRick.JPG

check out the ones made in the Philippines... :lol:

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/2734/bikecab1da4c692jg2.jpg

[AzN_RiverdaleCI]

check out the ones made in the Philippines... :lol:

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/2734/bikecab1da4c692jg2.jpg

naww man they use Jeepney's in the Philippines (yes I know that because my gf is Filipino)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeepney

[Rekognize]

yeah the jeepneys, but the trikes are as popular :cheesygri

[jason333w]

Do we really need another 1 billion people driving up the oil cost?

Driving up the cost! you certainly sound judgemental, stop people from driving in your own country before judging another, I sincerely hope you take the bus everywhere or walk....

[Asad_A203]

Driving up the cost! you certainly sound judgemental, stop people from driving in your own country before judging another, I sincerely hope you take the bus everywhere or walk....

+1. I should not really comment on that considering we have 4 cars...

[Twism]

This is alot more safe then a whole family on a scooter. You will see alot of those in india where you'll see like 4 people including a little 3 year old standing up inbetween the parents legs at the front of the bike. And in indias insane traffic its very easy for them to get into accidents.

This is alot more affordable for them now and much safer.

[AzN_RiverdaleCI]

Driving up the cost! you certainly sound judgemental, stop people from driving in your own country before judging another, I sincerely hope you take the bus everywhere or walk....

Omg your first post, you should've introduced yourself in the welcome forum and come out of the closet like many others have.

[KawaiiTentacleBeast]

All the hate reminds me of This (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-autoloans30dec30,0,4315064.story?coll=la-home-center)
article.

Americans are rolling over loans, often ending up owing more for the vehicle than it's worth.
By Ken Bensinger, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 30, 2007
When Jennifer and Bobby Post traded in their 2001 Chevy Suburban last year for a shiny new Ford F-350 turbo diesel with an extended cab, it seemed like a great deal. Even though they still owed $9,500 on their SUV after the trade-in value, they didn't have to put a penny down.

The dealership, near the Posts' home in Victorville, made it easy; it just added the old debt to the price of the new truck and gave the couple a seven-year, $44,276 loan.

Related Stories
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The Posts were a little worried about taking on such a long obligation, but they couldn't pass up a monthly payment under $700. Now they're having regrets.

"I didn't realize how much debt was in it," said Jennifer Post, who has since moved with her family to Iowa. Now, she'd like to get rid of the truck but can't, because there's so much debt that she'd literally have to pay someone to take it off her hands.

"We have no options," she said.

Americans haven't just been taking out risky mortgages for homes in the last few years; they've also been signing larger automobile loans for significantly longer terms than they used to.

As a result, people are slipping into a perpetual cycle of automobile debt that experts think could lead to a new credit crunch extending from dealerships to driveways and all the way to Wall Street.

Gone are the days of the three-year car loan. The length of the average automobile loan hit five years, four months in October, up more than six months from 2002, according to the Federal Reserve. And nearly 45% of loans written today are for longer than six years. Even some staid lenders owned by the carmakers, such as Toyota Financial Services and Ford Credit, are offering seven-year financing. And a few credit unions, particularly in the West, are tinkering with the eight-year note.

At the same time, the amount of money drivers owe on their cars is soaring. In October, the average amount financed hit $30,738, up $3,500 in just a year and nearly 40% in the last decade, according to the Fed. More troubling, today's average car owner owes $4,221 more than the vehicle is worth at the time it's sold -- up from $3,529 in 2002, according to industry analyst Edmunds.

The longer loans are directly related to the higher balances. By extending the length of loans, lenders keep monthly payments down. But because these loans take longer to pay off, a much larger piece of the principal remains unpaid at the time the car is traded in.

The response of the automotive finance industry? Extend loans further and allow the indebted customer to roll what he owes into a new loan with little, if any, effect on his new monthly payment. In effect, the driver is paying a loan on two -- or more -- cars at once.

Richard Apicella, head of Benchmark International's auto finance division, published a report on car loans last month that called the ever-lengthening deals a "dangerous" problem. Combined with Americans' desire to drive new cars every few years, he said, the effect "is like a drug. Once you get hooked on it, it gets harder and harder to break the cycle."

From the point of view of those who sell cars and car loans, long-term loans are good for business and good for buyers.

"The job of a successful dealer is to find a funding package that's acceptable to the customer," said Paul Taylor, chief economist of the National Automobile Dealers Assn. "These loans allow them to get a luxury car rather than a more modestly priced vehicle."

Cindy Gerhardt has rolled over so much debt on successive vehicle purchases -- five in three years -- that she now owes almost $43,000 on two trucks worth no more than $29,000 and, she says, perhaps as little as $22,000.

Faced with car payments that exceed her monthly mortgage, she tried to trade in the pair for a single vehicle. But with so much unpaid principal on the vehicle loans, the only offer she got from the dealer was to trade in one truck on yet another new vehicle -- and increase her debt by another $25,000.

"It's our own fault that we traded in vehicles so many times, but we never thought it would get to this," said Gerhardt, a secretary who lives with her husband and two children in Clinton, Okla. She recently tried to refinance her mortgage, she said, but was declined because her car payments were too high. "Not one dealer ever said this was a problem. Ever. I never had a dealership say no."

It's not just individual consumers who are at financial risk. Nationwide, an estimated $575 billion in new and used auto loans are written every year by auto manufacturers, banks, credit unions and other lenders. About 30% of the loans that are originated by banks, and 100% of those issued by automaker financiers, are, like mortgages, repackaged and sold as securities, according to the Consumer Bankers Assn.

Analysts warn that just as investors didn't comprehend the risk inherent in some of the more exotic home mortgages in recent years, they aren't considering how risky these car loans are. If longer loan terms allow debt on the loans to grow too large, many drivers may simply default, leading to expensive repossessions.

And even those who keep paying their bills may reach a point, like Gerhardt, where they simply can't afford another car. That could send vehicle sales down the drain, a nightmare scenario for an industry that has already taken a hit this year from slower consumer spending and higher gas prices.


I was talking about this to a co-worker from Germany, who knows a fair bit about cars, and I had to explain to him what a "Ford F-350 w/Extended cab" was - A truck with a 6+ litre V8 Turbodiesel engine and a 7,000KG+ tow rating.

"Huh? What the hell could anyone possibly use that for?"
"To get to work, apparently" They're pretty common in DT Calgary.

...and according to the UAW/CAW, GM and Ford are in trouble because they are "not allowed" to sell these things in Japan. :lol:

[jason333w]

Driving up the cost! you certainly sound judgemental, stop people from driving in your own country before judging another, I sincerely hope you take the bus everywhere or walk....

Omg your first post, you should've introduced yourself in the welcome forum and come out of the closet like many others have.

Hey thanks, i like being a fly on the wall most of the time, I usually listen more than i speak. I guess I felt passionately about this subject because my life is sure a WHOLE lot easier and I am able to be very productive because of my vehicle. It is a huge vehicle because I tow heavy trailers in order to do my job. This usually limits me in my running around town because it uses much fuel, and I would rather own a Volkswagen diesel instead but that would be impossible to use for work so I limit my driving as much as I can because fuel is very expensive. But i do have a problem with people getting upset when their brothers in another country can finally have transportation. Finally Tim or Fred or Sally in India, or whatever their comparable names are, can now taste the freedom that a vehicle can give them. Whether it be visiting family in another town, bringing groceries home or taking a cross country excursion to sample every chai tea from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal, they can now enjoy the freedom and luxury that a car provides. I say enjoy your small engined car, let us over here deal with our own problems of gas guzzling 460hp behemoths tearing up Ashphalt from St Johns to Victoria, we are the worse culprits...

[blainehamilton]

well .. there is a big gap on a SMART Car @ $20K and Tata's car @ $2.5K

sigh .. but i am very much concern about the crash condition ...
i found this video on metacafe - smart car front colission ..
i'd rather not be in one of these vehicles here in canada or U.S .. everybody's driving a very large vehicles ...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/60538/smart_car_crash/

If you watch the whole video, you'll see HOW WELL the passenger compartment stands up to the impact at 70MPH. SEVENTY MILES PER HOUR.

Hell, the passenger door opens and shuts like nothing happened. Most other budget vehicles would likely kill you in a crash like this one.

Remember, bigger vehicle means more energy is absorbed by the vehicle upon impact. Couple that with the fact a truck or SUV has a higher center of gravity, and you have a greater chance of flipping or rolling in a collision like this one, and the weight of the vehicle crushes the passenger compartment when that happens, killing the occupants.

It will be interesting to see actual emmision and crash tests done. If the car does actually meet european safety and enviro standards, look to see this vehicle on the open market shortly. Not in North America, but asia and eastern europe...

[woodstock827]

Yeah I heard it on Radio that it has 1 windshield wiper :cheesygri . It's probably not for the Canadian weather.

my previous Mercedes 190E had 1 wiper, and it's much more efficient than most cars with 2 wipers.... a lot better surface coverage and cleans better. Quite a few Mercedes around the early-to-mid-90s had 1 wiper as well.

This car would serve its country well.. much safer than all those overloaded mopeds and motorcycles. And I don't think it looks that bad..

ps. I'd much rather crash in a smart than in a Yaris.

[KawaiiTentacleBeast]

Not just mid 90s, even the new SL/SLKs still have only one.

[Kommander_KornFlakes]

Do you really think they care? India and China are polluting the world like crazy and there is nothing we can do about it. :/



Oh yeah, and we here in Canada don't pollute at all with all our factories and one zillion 18-wheelers on our highways :rolleyes:

[bcbgboy13]

http://finance.sympatico.msn.ca/investing/news/businessnews/article.aspx?cp-documentid=6147746