Tata Nano latest details

The Tata Nano was commercially launched at the Parsi Gymkhana, Mumbai, on March 23, 2009.

At the press conference, the company revealed details about the booking process, Tata Nano’s specifications, merchandising and accessory offers, availability, and export plans.

Some of the information is old hat and has been in the public domain for a while now, but there is much more clarity now on some basic issues.

Tata Nano Price for standard, CX and LX

Let’s start with the price of  the three Tata Nano variants. The price tag of the Tata Nano is a bit higher than expected, except that of the basic variant. The Tata Nano standard variant will cost Rs 1,29,960 (ex-factory), sans road tax, insurance, transportation cost to showrooms.

The mid-range Tata Nano CX (deluxe) version will be priced at Rs 1,48,725.

The top-of-the-line model, the Tata Nano LX variant (luxury) is priced Rs 1,70,335.

Tata Nano Booking Process

We already know that the Tata Nano application forms, priced at Rs 300, will be available from April 9, 2009 – April 25, 2009, in over 30,000 outlets that include all Tata Motors dealerships, Westside, Croma, Titan, and Tata Indicom outlets.

Tata is investing heavily in alternative marketing for the Tata Nano, instead of the traditional print and TV campaigns. So if you see lots of Tata Nano ads on this website, or on any website you visit for a while, you why know.

The Tata Nano can be booked from the Tata Nano website, which will offer payments via netbanking with 34 banks. Yes, you can book the car online using your bank accounts. We don’t know about whether credit cards  can be used, but that is a possibility too.

The company has said that the Tata Nano will be displayed in Tata showrooms, from April 1, 2009.

Tata Nano bookings can be made at 850 centres of the SBI, Tata’s exclusive partner for collection of bookings. Booking can also be made at Titan’s 200 stores and Tata Indicom’s 900 stores.

The company said that it has 15 preferred financiers. If consumers choose these financiers then they will have pay a booking amount of less than Rs 3000 for the Tata Nano’s base model.

What happens after booking a Nano? When is the delivery?

Tata Nano will randomly select 1 lakh participants for the first batch of deliveries, which will start in July 2009. Those who do not make the first 1 lakh, can either opt out or continue to be on the booking list.

If they choose the latter, the company will pay them 8.5 interest for the first year and 8.75 interest for the second year.

With the Tata Nano come free vouchers up to Rs 1100 for select outlets, Nano phones, Nano watches, Nano t-shirts, body kits, and car audio systems.

The company has said that it will provide training to staff at 380 sales points and 450 service outlets.

Loans and financing options

Tata Motors said that its preferred financiers will come out with details about loan options and schemes in the next three-four days, that is, at the very latest by the end of March 2009.

Tata Nano Specifications

The Tata Nano specifications are no secret.

The Standard Tata Nano will come a speedometer, odometer, folding rear seats, 2-spoke steering wheel, and no airconditioning.

The Tata Nano CX variant has air-conditioning/heater, body colored bumpers, reclining/adjustable driver and co-driver seat, speedometer, odometer, 2-spoke steering wheel, and folding rear seats, but no alloy wheels.

The top-range Tata Nano LX variant will have alloy wheels, and fog lamps, air conditioning, body-colored bumpers, tripmeter, front power windows, 3-Spoke steering wheel, front and rear fog lamps, and central locking.

Tata Motors said that the Tata Nano is 21% more spacious then the smallest car in the Indian market.

The Tata Nano will give 23.6 km per litre, certified by ARAI.

The small car has the smallest footprint of  3 metres, and a ground clearance of 180 mm. The company has said the Tata Nano comes with a turning circle diameter of 8.0 metres, and is suitable for indian roads and heavy traffic.

When asked about the availability of airbags in the Tata Nano, Mr. Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Motors, said that customers cannot install airbags on their own. Airbags will be available only when Tata comes out with the feature for the Nano.

The Tata Nano is 3.1 meters in length, 1.6 meters in height, and 1.5 meters in width with a wheelbase of 2230 mm and ground clearance of 180 mm.

The Tata Nano comes with a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminium, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol (MPFI) engine. Tata Motors has said that this is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft.

The powertrain of the Tata Nano is in the rear. The maximum power and maximum torque of the small car is  35 bhp @ 5500 rpm and 4.8 kgm @ 3000 rpm, respectively.

The Tata Nano can go from 0 to 60 kph in approximately in 8 Seconds, with a top speed of 105 kph.

The Tata Nano comes with a warranty of 18 months or 24000kms, whichever is earlier.

The company has said that the Tata Nano meets the recyclable requirements even for Europe. Ratan Tata said that a diesel version of the Tata Nano is on the cards.

Color Options

The standard variant of the Tata Nano will come in Bright Red, Ivory White, and Summer Blue.

The Tata Nano CX variant wil come in Bright Red, Ivory White, Summer Blue, Champagne Gold, and Lunar Silver, while the Tata Nano LX will be available in Sunshine Yellow, Champagne Gold and Lunar Silver.

Operations

Initially, the Tata Nano will be rolled out of the Pantnagar plant, which has an annualised capacity of 50,000 cars.

The Sanand plant, in Gujarat, will be ready by the end of 2009. The company has said that the annualised capacity of the Sanand plant will be 25,000, and can go up to half a million units.

The company said that the project cost of the Tata Nano is Rs 2000 crores.

Future plans for the Nano

Tata Nano had unveiled the Tata Nano Europa for the European market, at the Geneva Motor Show, in March 2009.

The Tata Nano Europa is said to meet the stringent Euro-V emission norms and safety standards, and have a more powerful engine than Tata Nano that will be sold in India. The Tata Nano is expected to be launched in Europe by 2011.

Ratan Tata said that the Tata Europa will obviously cost more than $2500.

At the press conference on March 23, 2009, Ratan Tata said that the company is open to taking the Tata Nano to the US in three to four years.

“The US has certain additional requirements particularly in terms of rear crash… No other country presently has, so there will be some redesign necessary, but we believe that within the next three or so years, we could develop a version of the Nano with options the US market might want to have,” Mr. Ratan Tata added.