Tata Nano
Overview
Manufacturer	Tata Motors
Also called	one-lakh car
Production	2008–present
Assembly	Pantnagar, Uttarkhand, India[1] Charodi, Gujarat, India (since June 2010)[2]
Designer	Justin Norek of Trilix, Pierre Castinel[3]
Body and chassis
Class	City car
Body style	4-door
Layout	RR layout
Powertrain
Engine	2 cylinder SOHC petrol Bosch multi-point fuel injection (single injector) all aluminium 624 cc (38 cu in)
Transmission	4 speed synchromesh with overdrive in 4th
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,230 mm (87.8 in)[4]
Length	3,099 mm (122.0 in)[4]
Width	1,495 mm (58.9 in)[4]
Height	1,652 mm (65.0 in)[4]
Kerb weight	600 kg (1,300 lb)–635 kg (1,400 lb)[4]

The Tata Nano is a city car manufactured by Tata Motors. One of the smallest as well as lowest powered (35ps) cars in the world, it was designed to be the cheapest car in India aimed mainly at the lowest price segment in the Indian domestic market.^[5]

The Nano sold in India is a 624cc, rear-engine (for a less complex and hence cheaper transmission), manual transmission, four-passenger, four-door car. The car lacks power steering and safety features like air-bags and ABS.

The car was launched in the Indian market in March, 2009.^[6] with a pre-launch price offer of ₹100,000 (US$ 2100). Among other reasons, the new emission regulation forced Tata to refine the engine with a higher price tag.^[7][8]

Seeing an opportunity in the great number of Indian families with two-wheeled rather than four-wheeled vehicles, Tata Motors began development of an affordable car in 2003.^[9] The purchase price of this no frills auto was brought down by dispensing with most nonessential features, reducing the amount of steel used in its construction, and relying on low-cost Indian labour.^[10][11][12]

The introduction of the Nano received much media attention due to its low price and the car was available to buy throughout India in early 2011.^[13][14]

The Nano's development was foreshadowed by the 2005 success of the affordable, 4-wheeled Tata Ace truck.^[9]

In 2008 the Financial Times reported: "If ever there were a symbol of India’s ambitions to become a modern nation, it would surely be the Nano, the tiny car with the even tinier price-tag. A triumph of homegrown engineering, the Nano encapsulates the dream of millions of Indians groping for a shot at urban prosperity."^[15] "Homegrown engineering" is a relative term here as many of the systems and parts used in the Nano may not have been developed or produced in India.^[16]

Many have had great expectations for this small car, some perhaps going a bit too far. One study, by Indian rating agency CRISIL, thought the Nano would expand the nation's car market by 65%.^[17][18] It was also anticipated that the 2009 launch of the car would greatly affect the used-car market, with prices dropping 25-30% in the lead up to the launch. However, due to limited supply (customers had a waiting period of up to one year) used-car prices reverted to their former figures.^[19][20]

Sales of new Suzuki Alto-based Maruti 800s (considered the Nano's nearest competitor) dropped by 20%, and used ones by 30% immediately following the unveiling of the Nano. As Autocar journalist Mark Rainford summarizes: “People are asking themselves—and us—why they should pay, say, 250,000 Rupees for a Maruti Alto, when they can wait and get a brand new Nano for less in a few months’ time, a car that is actually bigger.”^[21]

Tata Motors announced in 2006 that the Nano would be manufactured in Singur, West Bengal, helped in part by a forced acquisition and reuse of farmland by the West Bengal state government to entice Tata to build there.^[22] Local farmers soon began protesting the forced acquisition of their land for the new factory.^{[23][22][22][24]} As the protests continued through 2007 and 2008, Tata first delayed the Nano launch and later decided to build the car in a different state (Gujarat) instead.^[9][25][2]

The car's exterior was designed at Italy's Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering.^[9]

The Nano's design implements many cost-reducing measures.

• The Nano's trunk is only accessible from inside the car, as the rear hatch does not open.^[26]
• One windscreen wiper instead of the usual pair^[13]
• No power steering, unnecessary due to its light weight^[13]
• Three lug nuts on the wheels instead of the usual four^[27]
• Only one wing mirror^[13]
• Radio or CD player is optional^[13]
• No airbags in any model^[13]
• 624cc rear engine has only 2 cylinders^[13]
• No air conditioning in base model^[13]

Announcing the vehicle as the least expensive production car in the world, Tata aimed for a starting price of one lakh, or 100,000, rupees. This was approximately US$2000 at the time.^[28][29] As of December, 2010, the cheapest Nano costs around US$2900.^[7]

Rapidly rising material prices (up 13% to 23% over the car’s development time),^[30] are blamed for these price rises.^[8] In late October 2010, Reuters reported that prices will be raised by an average of 9,000 rupees (US$202) from November because of rising material costs and as of the beginning of 2011 the Nano costs ₹140,000 rupees (more than US$3,000).^[31][14]

At its launch the Nano was available in India in three trim levels:

• The Tata Nano Std priced at ₹142,000 (US$1,640.70) with a choice of three exterior colors, dual tone vinyl seats, and a fold-down rear seat. This is the base variant of Tata Nano, which is now offered with a driver side external rear view mirror, clear headlamps, tubeless tyres, booster assisted brakes and fronts-suspension with anti-roll bar and three color options - Rouge Red, Aqua Blue and Serene White.
• The Tata Nano CX at ₹171,000 (US$1,975.70) with six color options, air-conditioning, two-tone seats, a parcel shelf, assisted brakes and fold-down rear seat with nap rest. This is the mid variant of Tata Nano offered with an addition of five colors, the Rouge Red, Neon Rush, Serene White, Meteor Silver, Papaya Orange along with the Champagne Gold exteriors. The external mirrors on passenger and the driver side make way into the car. The air-conditioner is a brand new addition, with heating feature, the foldable rear seats with nap rest, half wheel covers, booster assisted brakes and parcel shelf are the new features added.^[32]
• The Tata Nano LX at ₹195,000 (US$2,253.00) with all of the features of the Cx plus beige fabric seats,beige door trim,beige dashboard, central locking, front power windows, body-colored bumpers, fog lamps, a trip meter, a cup holder, tri spoke steering wheel,mobile phone charging capabilities and a rear spoiler. The top variant is offered with a choice of 4 new spicy colors with the existing Sunshine Yellow and Champagne Gold still on the platter. Pearl White, Papaya Orange, Mojito Green, and Meteor Silver are the new options. The central locking, front power windows, cup holder for front passengers, body colored bumpers, fog lamps electronic trip meter, rear spoiler and full wheel covers are newly added on the car.^[33]

This export version of the Nano was first shown at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show but has yet to go on sale. Heavily upgraded to meet EU safety and emission standards, the car will have a number of improvements over the standard Nano, including an extended wheelbase, a new 3-cylinder engine, power steering, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and an improved interior and exterior.^[34] The Nano Europe will be more expensive, heavier, and less fuel efficient than the standard Nano with prices said to be around US$6000.^[35] At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show Tata unveiled the Tata Pixel, a rear engined, four passenger city car based on the Nano Europa platform.^[36]

Export to other developing countries may begin in late 2011, and export versions will probably differ little from those sold on the Indian market.^[37]

The Nano(2012) is a 38 PS (28 kW; 37 hp) car with a two-cylinder 624 cc rear engine.

The car complies with BS4 Indian emission standards and can also meet European emission standards as well.

The development of the Nano had lead to 31 Design and 37 Technology patents being filed

While the Nano is driven by a gasoline-powered engine, several more-radical powerplants have been proposed but not put into production.

Tata Motors signed an agreement in 2007 with a French firm, Motor Development International, to produce a compressed air car Nano.^[43] While the vehicle was supposed to be able to travel approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) on US$3 of electricity to compress the air, Tata's Vice President of Engineering Systems confirmed in late 2009 that vehicle range continues to be a problem.^[44][43]

A website has speculated that the Nano might be made available with a diesel engine.^[45] Tata motors have not confirmed this but have stated, "As of now there is no Diesel variant of the Nano. The Nano is only available in a Petrol version."^[46]

Tata has discussed the possibility of producing an electric version,^[47] and while it showcased an electric vehicle Nano at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show,^[48] no such car is currently on the market.

If an EV Nano is sold it is expected to be the "world's cheapest electric car",^[49] use lithium-ion batteries, and have a range of 80 miles (130 km).^[50] A Norwegian electric car specialist, Miljøbil Grenland AS, has been named as a supposed partner in the project.^[47]

The Nano is thought to have affected the used car market in India, as some Indians may opt to buy a Nano rather than a used vehicle. The new-car market is also being affected. New car sales of the Maruti 800, the second-cheapest car in India, dropped by 20% and used model sales dropped by 30% immediately before the Nano's introduction.^[21]

The cost cutting measures in the design, as well as the unproven fresh design caused some concerns.

• Gradability (on an uphill drive): Since the car has a shorter wheel base, a tall boy design (elevated centre of gravity), and over and above all these, a rear-engine (for a less complex and hence cheaper transmission) concentrating the weight on the rear, caused a fear of safe gradability on an uphill drive. Tata addressed this specifically is the post launch ads.
• Power (for highways): The 624cc engine raised concerns of inadequate power for a four passenger vehicle. Added to this was the maximum speed limit in a four speed transmission. This raised questions on the usability of the vehicle in highways and long rides. Thus the car gave an impression of an in-campus vehicle ruling out the possibility of a family car for the lower middle class India. This is a major issue addressed in Nano ads.
• Safety (Fire): An engine housed under the rear seat with the radiator vent facing backward allowing only a lesser air intake, and hence lesser cooling, along with more plastic/polymer elements (part of the cost cutting as well as weight reducing measures) in the inner panels, caused safety concerns even before the launch. A few fire incidents involving the Nano were reported.^[7] This led Tata to add safety devices to the vehicle although no recall was initiated, and according to Tata the car is safe.^[7]
• Safety (Impact): The body panels of the Nano are of low weight, aiming at a low overall weight to cope with the low power of the engine and a high mileage requirement in the market. This cause concerns of passenger safety during an impact/collission.

After several years of sales that have rarely met expectations, and generally have run at about 50% of potential, it is apparent that many of the claims made for the car were optimistic at best. Rather than buying the cheapest car available purchasers bought secondhand, or more expensive new cars.^[51]

• 2010 Business Standard Motoring Indian car of the year^[52]
• 2010 Bloomberg UTV-Autocar car of the year^[53]
• 2010 Edison Awards, first place in the transportation category^[54]
• 2010 Good Design Awards, in the category of transportation ^[55]

• Small Wonder: The Making of Nano is a book about the creation of the Tata Nano.^[56]
• Tata Group launched a Tata Nano GoldPlus, a 24K Gold plated version of the Nano car to celebrate the 5000 years of Jewellery design in India.^[57]

• City car
• Tata Pixel
• Bajaj RE60

• Tata Nano - Official product page