Hyundai working on cheaper than Santro model for India

Tata Nano might not have launched but it is already showing its affect on the rival automobile manufacturers in India.

Hyundai is one company which is taking the challenge seriously. The company now plans to launch a new model in the market which would be priced cheaper then their current cheapest model Santro.

This new car would take at least three years to appear in the market. It would be designed for the developing markets and is unlikely to be sold in their home market of South Korea.

Hyundai has also started operating their second manufacturing plant in India making it their second largest production facility in the world.

Tiny Tata Nano Car, Big Threat

There’s a good reason why chief U.N. climate scientist Rajendra Pachauri, who shared last year’s Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, says he’s “having nightmares” about India’s newest automotive innovation. It’s not because the Nano from Tata Motors, which was introduced last week, makes the boxiest hatchbacks from the ’70s look sexy. It’s not because the car lacks air conditioning in a country where the heat can be paralyzing, nor because its 2-cylinder engine can barely manage 60 mph. It’s because the vehicle’s tiny price tag — about $2,500 — will make car ownership possible for millions of Indians, which could well render the rest of the world’s efforts to combat global warming moot.

Currently, only about 12 in 1,000 Indians have a car, according to the United Nations. In the United States, the ratio is 765 cars for every 1,000 people. What happens if, through a combination of its incredibly rapid economic growth and innovations like the Nano, India’s car-ownership ratio hits that of the U.S.? That would put 864 million cars on India’s roads, more than 3 1/2 times the number in the U.S. It wouldn’t happen for several decades, if ever, but the same phenomenon is occurring in China, which has an even bigger population. The International Energy Agency estimates that the number of cars in China will increase sevenfold, to 270 million, by 2030.That’s a scary prospect. Light-duty vehicles account for about 10% of global carbon emissions, and that number is going to rise quickly as more Indians and Chinese get behind the wheel.

Indians, of course, have every right to enjoy the newfound freedom and status that comes with owning a car. There is nothing the world’s environmental community can or should do to interfere with the rollout of the Nano. Yet it does point up the urgency of developing technological alternatives to the internal combustion engine and the burning of fossil fuels.

If there’s a silver lining in the Nano cloud, it’s that the free market could help solve the emissions problem. Prices for gasoline will probably keep rising as millions of cheap cars hit Asian roads. That will spur research into alternatives and discourage people worldwide from buying low-mileage cars. It’s even possible that gas prices in India might rise to the point that those who could afford a Nano wouldn’t be able to afford the gas to fuel it.

American automakers should take heed. Judging from the models being unveiled at this week’s Detroit Auto Show, consumers can expect more of the same gas-guzzling vehicles in showrooms this year and next. Detroit isn’t entirely to blame because it takes years to produce new models, and soaring gas prices are a relatively recent phenomenon. But carmakers considering their future lineups would do well to phase out the Navigators for something more Nano-sized.

Nano as taxi? Mumbai drivers all geared up

Think Mumbai, think black and yellow Fiat taxis. For decades now, the trusted Fiat has helped Mumbai get around be it day or night, with the friendly taximan always just a wave away.

But the cabbies now want a change for the better. With the Premier Padminis no longer being manufactured, they are looking forward to the Tata Nano hitting the roads.

“Majority of them (drivers) are anxious and have enquired about this vehicle because there’s no other viable option,” says President, Mumbai Taximen Union, A L Quadrose.

The drivers are more than happy. “It’s cheap, it looks good. Who wouldn’t want it?” says a driver N P Singh

But the Nano may not be viable just as it is. The taximen want few changes for it to become their ideal run-about.

“Petrol is not viable for us. We have to be able to convert it to CNG. We’re trying to work it out,” says Quadrose.

Drivers too have their set of demands. Says a taxi driver Rajendra Kumar Tiwari, “We need a carrier and more space. Then it will be great.”

But even with those modifications, there are doubts being raised.

“It (Nano) can only work for very short distances. if I want to go from city to suburbs and back it will not work. They need a sturdy car,” says Chairman, Western India Automobile Association, Nitin Dossa.

The Taximen Union says it’s meeting Tata later this month to figure how the Nano can be a viable alternative for the Premier Padmini.

Tata Nano Launch – World’s Cheapest Car

 

The global auto industry is dynamically establishing a niche as major economic engines. Millions of aspiring Indians and the international auto markets watched in awe, the launch of world’s cheapest car – Tata Nano.

Tata Nano, launched by the $29-billion Tata group, is a believed to be a people’s car. The car was launched in an auto expo held at Delhi on 10 Jan 2008. Ratan Tata is a 70-year-old kind and tender chairman of the Tata group, drove this world’s cheapest car to the Tata Motors pavilion and unveiled this new car, giving sleepless nights to rival companies.

According to Tata group, the car will come out on Indian roads in the later part of this year. The price of this car is a cause of astonishment and fear for all the other auto companies who are now trying to reduce their market prices as to compete with the launch of Tata Nano. The price of Tata’s car is about Rs 1 Lakh ($2500).

Expertise in auto industry are raising doubts to the price, specifications, features and safety of this cheap car but Tata promises the safety and emission standards. The car had passed the Indian regulatory requirements, frontal crash test and the Euro-IV emission norms. It is also tested for front, rear and side collisions.

This car is especially manufactured for the middle class population of India who desire to have a safer means of transport at an affordable cost. It is a four-door car with length of 3. 1 meters, height of 1.6 meters and width of 1.5 meters. It can accommodate up to five people, a complete family.

The car beholds an efficient engine of 623 cc with an efficiency of about 20 kms per litre of petrol. The highest speed is stated to be about 105 kms. The only missing luxuries are air conditioner, car audio systems , power windows and motorized steering. But the targeted customers are not so much concern with the luxuries as they are with comfort and safety. For upper class population, Nano has also come up with the deluxe model attributed with air conditioner.

After the commercial launch of Nano, the Indian roads especially metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore are expected to be flooded with Nano. A city like Mumbai that has always experienced heavy floods during monsoons will now experience a flood of Tata Nano. The cheap price will definitely replace the used cars Mumbai . Used cars are just a pure consumption of goods for the middle class population. Now, with the introduction of Nano, the demand for used cars will certainly reduce.

Mumbai being a corporate hub for many international companies, there is a huge demand for car rentals. With an economical price of Tata Nano, it is expected to take over the industry of car rental Mumbai .

Launch of Tata Nano is not only the pride of Tata group but also for the whole of India. This is because this launch reflects technological and entrepreneurial ability of our country.

Mass appeal: ‘We want Nano’

“Can you tell me where I can make booking for Nano car?” a lady was asking at the Tata pavilion at the Auto Expo where the company is showcasing its Rs 1 lakh car. While initial impact is huge, dealers are flooded with calls from people on queries on the car and when bookings are possible.

Though Nano, unveiled on Thursday by Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata, is yet to prove its road worthiness, will make a big impact, say dealers of Tata Motors, adding people are showing very high level of interests Premanand Shenoy, who has two outlets of Tata Motors’ in Bangalore, said as many as 400-500 queries came to him since Nano’s unveiling, with many people are already coming to buy the car. “And, the total number of inquiries are actually much more as many people do not identify themselves but just make queries,” he said.

Shenoy said many queries were being made about the car. “Many people want to know about the on-road price and also how much the deluxe version, with AC, would cost,” he said.

Shenoy said some others wanted to know whether power-steering was available, how much is the boot space and whether a stereo could be fitted. “Interestingly, a majority of queries we got were from working women. And apart from the general public, there were also queries from college students,” he said.

Roop Madan of Sanya Motors, who has Tata outlets in Delhi, said “hundreds of queries” have came on Nano. “Many people are asking how is the car better than Maruti 800. Also, people want to know how safe is the car and are also asking about its running cost and on-road pricing,” he said.

Binod Aggarwal, who has three Tata car outlets in Kolkata, said they were receiving queries even from villages. “We are getting calls from villages and even our associates who have dealerships there are seeing a good level of interest about Nano,” Aggarwal said.

He said many people wanted to know, or rather see the interior space. “People are asking whether it is available in diesel and what mileage and top speed the vehicle has,” Aggarwal said.

Tata Motors MD Ravi Kant said the company would be beefing up its dealership network before rollout of the car, expected to be later this year. “It is not only meant for use in the city but also in semi-urban areas. You got to have the reach there and also ensure that service, spares and vehicle financing reach there,” he said.

Chandravadan Bhandari, who has four outlets for Tata Motors at Pune, said many prospective customers said they wanted the car as its small size made it more efficient to drive in crowded metros. Also, he said there is a “near race” between people to be the first one to buy the car. “I have received many requests from friends who said they would like to be the first customer of the Nano,” he said.

src: Here