Twist In The Tale

In 2006 Ratan TATA announced that TATA motors will make the world’s cheapest car the production cost of which will be Rs 1Lakh. And by 2008 the company achieved that massively impossible feat, pushing the boundaries of the word impossible itself.

TATA Nano is something that I’ve admired since its inception. Though most of the people think that the car is more of a toy than a car, but when you look at the feat that TATA motors have achieved you realise that if you work hard enough to realise your dreams, they do come true. TATA Nano is more of an inspirational story than just a car! TATA has done some extensive cost cutting to make the Nano possible. Using 1 windscreen wiper instead of two, fuel tank is placed inside the bonnet so there is no external fuel filler. and this is just the beginning of the places where TATA has cut back on costs. The engine is placed at the back instead of the more conventional front. The engine itself plays a very big role in the car and also helps it gain the position of the most fuel efficient car in india with an efficiency figure of 26kmpl!

The engine is a 624cc two cylinder fuel injected unit which produces a mealy 38hp and 51nm torque. this is capable of pushing the Nano to a decent top speed of 105kmph. But remember speed and power are not the USP of this car.
The car I drove was the Nano twist which also has a power steering which is a welcome feature considering that the standard car had a manual one which was a tad too heavy to operate in the city. Apart from the power steering, the twist also has a music system with Bluetooth, Aux in and USB connectivity, a decently powerful AC, front two power windows and space enough to seat 5 adults in relative comfort. And when you realise the fact that the twist is just Rs 13,000 more than the top variant without power steering, it also makes a good deal.

When Nano was launched in 2008 it had many build quality issues and many cars spontaneously caught fire. But TATA has taken criticism very well and has improved quality over subsequent years also adding more and more features.

The Ride

The Nano rides fairly well at city speeds and absorbs bumps very well. There is a hint of body roll in the corners but it is also very well managed. The ride gets a bit bouncy as the speed increases and the car feels very nervous at high speeds. The electric steering though is an absolute hoot to use in the city and is very light but doesn’t offer much feedback. But when zipping through the traffic nothing beats the Nano. Its small size and incredibly small turning radius helps it achieve an almost a two wheeler like agility.
 At rs 2.73 Lakhs the Nano twist makes a value for money which no other car can even dream to offer! It had a few quality issues but TATA has rectified them and at this price they have left very few things to complain about. But to name a few, the panels still are a bit loose and only 2 of the 4 speakers were working on the test car. Otherwise the car was in good condition. Its closest competitors, the Maruti Suzuki alto 800 and the Hyundai eon start at Rs 3lakhs and their top end models with similar features as the Nano twist cost around Rs 4lakhs.

Though Nano being a wonderful car its sales never really caught on. Major reasons being the early quality issues and the title of the cheapest car wasn’t very well received by the Indian audience. People don’t mind a cheap car but owning a Nano is seen as sign of how poor you are. But if given a choice I’d definitely buy a Nano! It’s a chic little car which is extremely well value for money and a hoot to drive in the city! The alto and eon are just cars, the Nano is the ultimate expression of how if you pursue your dreams, they do come true. With the alto and the eon, there are no emotions related, with the Nano you can see how hard the engineers of TATA motors would have worked to make it possible. And my god, have they done well!