It may not be available in Canada for years, if ever, but Canadians have already fallen in love with the idea of the Tata Nano, the world cheapest car.
With a top speed of 105 kilometres an hour, a 33-horsepower engine and the looks of a snub-nosed beagle, the Tata Nano from India is hardly a vehicle that could be described as a “babe magnet.”
But the expected $2,500 price tag is drawing plenty of attention – including from young women – a poll of Canadians suggests. By comparison, inexpensive sub-compacts in Canada can cost upwards of $12,000. The Canadian Press Harris/Decima survey of 1,004 adults conducted in late January suggests the Nano would be a hit in Canada if Tata Motors, which expects to start production this fall, decides to export the car.
Tata has said the Nano would be manufactured strictly for the India market for the next two years.
More than one in three respondents (36 per cent) said that someone in their household was either certain or likely to buy one if they could, although 41 per cent said that was unlikely.
As well, 21 per cent said they believe the five-seater will be a big winner around the world over the next 10 years, and 54 per cent said they believed it would be at least a moderate success. The poll has a 95 per cent accuracy probability within a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
“I think this tells us that as much as we’re seeing growth in the luxury car segment, there’s still burgeoning demand in the lower end segment, particularly among younger Canadians and those who are not as well off,” said Bob Murphy, senior vice-president with the polling firm.
