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