Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Tata Motors’ Sanand plant is all ready and will start producing the Nano by April 30. With this starts another thing which we would like to refer as a new rivalry between Tata Motors and Hyundai Motor Co.

The Sanand plant will manufacture up to 250,000 units of Nano per year, which is about 80 percent of Hyundai’s India sales last fiscal year. Hyundai holds the second spot on India’s largest automaker list.

Tata is trying to fill-up 100,000 advance orders for the Nano. Those sales added to the new output may assist the Indian carmaker to regain the second place, after being stuck on the third place for three consecutive years. The Nano project would prove to be profitable only if the volumes are significant.

Meanwhile, Tata Motors also has to find out the causes of the recent Nano fire accidents and clear the confusion and doubt that it has created among the Indian masses. And as the “small wonder” from Tata, of late, is getting a lot of global attention, it becomes imperative that they launch a massive damage control campaign.

Tata Motors sold 30,350 units of Nanos from July through March. And according to a survey done by CSM Worldwide Inc, Indians may buy as many as 1 million low-cost cars a year by 2016. Tata Motors would definitely want to help fill the rising demand for small cars.

Hyundai, South Korea’s biggest carmaker can produce up to 600,000 vehicles a year at its Chennai factory. “We have no intention of getting into the Nano segment at all,” said Arvind Saxena, a director of Hyundai’s India unit.

In the initial sales period in April, Tata received a whopping 206,703 Nano orders and the first 100,000 customers for the 624-cc model were chosen by lottery. The entry level Nano costs about 123,360 rupees ($2,800) in New Delhi.

Tata started selling cars in 1999 and boosted vehicle sales by 26 percent to 201,399 units in the fiscal year ended in March, and got 13 percent of Asia’s third-largest passenger- car market. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Suzuki leads the show with 50 percent and Hyundai controls 21 percent of the Asian passenger- car market.

Tata, which started selling cars in 1999, boosted vehicle sales 26 percent to 201,399 units in the fiscal year ended in March, giving it 13 percent of Asia’s third-largest passenger- car market. Suzuki led with 50 percent, and Hyundai controlled 21 percent, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

Demand for new cars in India has increased at its fastest in six years during the last fiscal year. Global automakers like Ford and Volkswagen are targeting the Indian drivers as the disposable income rises to new height and India becomes the second largest car market.

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The new MPV from Tata Motors is geared up to make its first appearance. The concept car was exhibited at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show and ever since that day, it has a fan following eagerly waiting to have a glance of the vehicle or bring it home. At the New Delhi Auto Expo 2010, the Aria was the showstopper. The 2008 Auto Expo had created magic for the Tatas. The Tata Nano was revealed at the 2008 show and we know of the buzz it had created. Now, Tata Motors is expecting the same results from the Aria. Let’s see how far the Aria goes.

Maruti Suzuki used the 2010 Auto Expo for replacing its Versa with the Eeco. The Maruti Eeco comes loaded with plenty of features and has the five and seven seat options. The Tata Aria is another vehicle that has been designed to comfortably accommodate seven passengers in three rows. The car perches with ease on a special ladder-frame chassis. The Aria’s chassis has been created by an exclusive process called hydro-forming.

The Tata Aria is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission. The engine of this amazing MPV comes powered by a 2.2 L Direct Injection Common Rail (DiCOR) diesel engine that can produce 140 bhp of power and a maximum torque of 320 Nm. The Tata Aria is capable of zooming to top speeds of up to 152 kmph. Isn’t that mind blowing?

Are you wondering about the power-packed car’s price? Well, this vehicle surely has a class of its own and the market price may range somewhere around Rs 12 lakh to Rs 14 lakh. Tata must be thinking hard about the price. The Aria’s nearest competitor is the Toyota Innova which is priced quite a bit lower than the Tata Aria.

The Aria will soon be here and will come on to the roads as three variants, with both full-time four-wheel drives or all-wheel drive (AWD) and a two-wheel drive. Which variant would you like to see first? We hope your wish is granted. As of now, the company is still undecided on which variant should first see the Indian market. With the Aria being the first of its kind from the Tata stables, the company plans to burst into the segment and gain the first-mover advantage. Will it succeed? There’s just one answer. Wait and watch.

We have already mentioned that the Tata Aria is an all-new class of vehicle from Tata Motors.

The car maker has made it clear that this MPV would be sold in international markets too. Two other vehicles too which were new to their respective segments were revealed by the Tatas at the New Delhi Auto Expo. Tata Motors looks at targeting B and C segment towns with the Venture, a small MPV that runs on diesel. The Magic Iris is the second vehicle. The Magic Iris is believed to be a modified version of the Ace Magic with four doors and a rear-mounted engine. Built with unique features like Velcro-fastened windows, the Tata Magic Iris will also be targeting the small towns in India.

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The Tata Nano. Don’t you think this car has been grabbing the spotlight for long now? For good reasons and bad, the car has been the talk of the town. This time, there’s pleasant news. We just heard that Tata Motors has confirmed that the Nano Europa would hit the European shores by next year. We are not sure though, if the little wonder would be locally manufactured or imported. But, it looks like the province of Moselle in France is welcoming the Indian car maker with arms wide open to manufacture the Nano Europa in their region.

Tata Motors should have actually been worried. But, the Moselle Development Agency was more interested in offering space to the car maker. He said that Tata Motors should take a look at the Moselle province for manufacturing Nano cars and added that the province has profitable business openings for major auto component makers. The province is already home to German firm Daimler's manufacturing unit for the well-accepted urban two-seater small car 'Smart'.

The European version of the Nano, named as Nano Europa, was unveiled at the 79th Geneva Auto Show. While the car was being revealed, the chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, Ratan Tata had announced that the car would hit the European market by 2011.

We may call the Nano ‘people’s car’. But, stay informed that the Nano Europa is a lot different from the Indian Nano. Tata Motors says that the car would have to meet different safety and emissions standards. There are rumours that the world’s cheapest car is going to cost 5,000 Euros in Europe. It is also widely believed that once Nano Europa gets launched, Tata Motors would control the immense distribution network of Italian auto giant, Fiat S.p.A. Great confidence!

The Nano Europa may be petite, just 3.29 metres long and 1.58 metres wide. But the roominess and liberal legroom that it has is simply amazing. The slightly long 2.28-metre wheelbase combines admirable space and ability of movement further enhancing the standards set by the Nano. The improved spaciousness is matched by redesigned interiors, marked by smooth curves and a state-of-the-art yet gentle feel.

To meet the driving needs, the Tata Nano Europa will be equipped with a 3-cylinder sporty all-aluminum MPFI engine mated with a 5-speed automatic transmission and an electric power steering. The gasoline engine will be best in class, offering great fuel economy and low carbon dioxide emission levels, lesser than 100 gm / km so to say. These low levels help the Nano Europa meet the twin goals of being nature friendly and stylish, just like the Tata Nano.

Unlike the Indian Nano, which had a few safety issues lately, the Tata Nano Europa meets all safety regulations. The Nano Europa comes with a sheet-metal body with an energy-absorbing design. It makes use of advanced restraint systems, ABS, ESP and air bags that are sure going to enhance passenger safety.

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So here we are, bringing to you yet another incidence of a car catching fire. And no, it is not our favourite Tata Nano, this time it is an exotic little machine called the Lamborghini Murcielago, which caught fire and burned to grounds in the Netherlands.

The Murcielago caught fire and burnt the pavements in Noordwijk, Netherlands. The driver, who cared more for his personal well-being than his precious car, kept his senses in tact and parked the car on the side of the highway before jumping out of the car. Just a little later, the car was totally engulfed by raging flames.

The details of the incident are still not very clear so most of this is based on speculations but then you believe what you see and these pictures just show the strength of the fire that engulfed the Murcielago.

Lamborghini is yet to issue an official note or provide details on why some of its supercars are catching fire, for no apparent reason. The Murcielago is one of the most popular two-door, two-seat coupe sports car and such an incident is sure to tarnish the image of the supercar manufacturer.

Recently, we came across two incidences of Tata Nano catching fire in India. While in the former incidence, the car’s rear caught fire on its first ride home from the dealership, the second incidence happened when the Nano was being delivered to a dealer in Vadodara.

The two cases, Murcielago and Nano, have one thing in common: that they caught fire while on a ride. However, there are a few contrasting facts about the two. While the Tata Nano costs just about $1200, the Murcielago’s price goes up to $ 350,000.

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Can you believe this? Chauffeur-driven Nanos will be added to the list of cars used for guest transfers at the Taj Hotels. It is true that Taj Hotels are promoted by Tata. But a little one like the Nano will be taking guests around the cities and airports. This seems a little strange. Will this really happen or is it just speculation?

Indian Hotels (IHCL) is the owner of the Taj brand of premium hotels and the biggest hospitality chain in Asia. Very recently, IHCL introduced Jaguar sedans to the line of cars at the Taj after the Tata acquisition of the brand. It uses the Jaguars for VIPs and for transportation as a limousine. The Nano is one of the smallest cars in the world. But this car is also among the biggest brands within the Tata family. Just a while ago, the whole world was talking about the Nano.

Tata gained so much popularity because of the little master. Car makers and car fanatics showed special interest in the Nano. Will it be a success? Will it survive? Many more questions were in their minds. Now we see so many car makers with plans of small cars. Many of them have already come up with mini models. The newly launched Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo and Chevrolet Beat have been seeing pretty decent sales figures. Nissan too will be rolling out its Micra in the next two months.

IHCL always looks at creating a matchless effect by the sharing and combination of products and brands within the Tata Group. The Taj brand feels that it is possible to have the Nano as a car for guest transfers. In some time, once the production of the Nano gets stretched, the car will be waiting for guests to enter.

Why do you think all this has suddenly come up? Has any guest at the Taj made any special request for the Nano? None of us have heard anything of the sort. The company only says that such a demand could arise, considering the excitement the world’s cheapest car has created. The car is yet to be launched overseas and requests for cars at the Taj mostly come from international travelers coming to India. So, there may not be too much of a demand for the car though.

The international travellers, however, will get a drive in the Nano only during their visit to India. It will take more than a year for the car to hit international roads. So, the Taj’s decision of adding the car to the existing line-up seems to be an intelligent one. Ever since its launch a couple of years ago, there has been so much curiosity and interest attached with the Nano.

Currently, IHCL has an array of luxury and economy travel options with carlines ranging from Tata Indica for the economy seekers to the Mercedes Benz S-Class for the premium traveller. The company also makes extensive use of all the models of Tata Motors, including Tata Indigo, Tata Sumo and Tata Safari.

Now, does IHCL really intend to use the Nano? If yes, it will have to wait for Tata Motors to reopen the bookings of the car. This is expected later this year.

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Tata Nano has always been in news for both right and wrong reasons. This small car which incidentally is the cheapest car of the world is celebrating its first birthday tomorrow.

But this memorable event has been dampened with a fiery incident just a day before its birthday. In a fourth of its kind, a brand new Tata Nano burst out in flames just after 45 minutes after the car was delivered from the dealership.

Tata Nano is the world’s cheapest car but wish we could say something nice (on the first year anniversary) about the safety features of the car. Last year, there were three incidents which reported Nano catching fire due to possible electrical fire. And now there is a fourth report of a Nano catching fire on its debut tour to home. Just after travelling, from the dealership, for about 45 minutes the vehicle burst into flames.

As of October 2009, Tata suffered bad publicity because of three incidents of the Nano vehicles bursting into flames. These three fires were, supposedly, caused by electrical short under the vehicle’s steering column. But in the latest incident, the fire started with the engine and not the steering column.

During these incidents Tata Motors shirked from its responsibility of recalling the Nano cars, saying that it would conduct the pre-emptive checks on cars that were to be handed over or those that were with customers. Tata Motors satisfied themselves with this low key inspection and believed that Nanos won’t catch fire anymore. But this ignorance of Tata Motors did not prove to be very blissful.

According to reports, Satish Sawant took delivery of the car and, since he cannot drive, the company organized a chauffeur to deliver the car home. On his way back, a motorcyclist on the signalled something was wrong to the rear of his car. Sawant turned and noticed fire. He and the driver immediately jumped out of the car to safety. So much for the car being the cheapest.

Sooner or later, this had to happen. In order to make the cheapest car in the world, Tata Motors sacrificed on various safety aspects, the horrible results of which would not be tolerated even by the lower middle class car buyers.
Tata Motors is planning to launch its ultra cheap, though very risqué, car in Europe and the US very soon. But with a history like this, we would suggest that Tata rather chose to keep its baby to itself than getting sued over matters of fire.

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Green cars. Yes, these days, green cars are making a lot of noise. Everybody is talking about them. Car makers are busy creating some. Environmental pollution and its fatal consequences have finally got into our heads. The Nano talk is in full swing. Now, Hyundai says, “It’s my turn”.

Hyundai has plans of coming out with a car smaller than its Santro. When? Well, in a couple of years. Will it be something like the Nano? No, the new model is definitely not going to be as small as the Nano. Why? Hyundai Motor India Limited has a set of standard norms and these norms of standard do not allow the company to manufacture a small car like the Nano.

Did you know the Nano will roll out from Bangladesh too by the end of 2010? Tata Motors recently said that it would launch the Nano in new markets like Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Bangladesh by this year or early next year. In February, the company displayed the Nano in Bangladesh at the India Trade Fair. Doesn’t it seem like Tata’s small wonder will work big wonders in our neighboring countries?

Hyundai, however, has said “No” to something like the little Nano. Hyundai has opened a new dealership in Thrissur district of Kerala with an area of 44,000 sq. ft for sales, service and spares and will have the entire range of Hyundai cars. Well, may be two years from now, and we will see the new tini-mini Hyundai car as well in the showroom.

The new Hyundai facility is the second one in Thrissur district and the 19th dealership in the state. Hyundai is on the verge of scaling new heights yet again. The dealership takes the total number to 46 just in the Southern region.

As of now, Hyundai is very delighted. It enjoys a market share of 20.6 per cent in Southern India and 16 per cent in Kerala. By the end of 2010, Hyundai plans to increase this percentage to 22 and 20 per cent for southern India and Kerala respectively. In Kerala alone, Hyundai managed to sell 19,603 units last year. Great number, right? Well done Hyundai!

Last year, Hyundai Motor India Limited registered a 14.4 per cent increase in sales compared to the year 2008. It sold 5,59,880 cars in 2009. Hyundai is growing and all of us can see it. In the domestic market, it showed an 18.1 per cent growth as compared to 2008 with 2,89,863 units. In the overseas market too, the company’s sales grew by 10.7 per cent with export of 2,70,017 units. With the commissioning of its second plant in February 2008, the total production capacity of HMIL has gone up to 6,00,000 units a year now.

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Remember the day when the Tata Nano was unveiled? The pomp and show was great when the world’s cheapest car was launched in India. But, will the Nano carry the Rs 1,00,000 tag through its lifespan, or, will it hike its price? Times are getting tougher for the creators of the wonderful car, and so, the price too may have to get a little tough.

The Nano’s parent group, Tata and its chairman Ratan Tata have been struggling to cope up with the current Indian economy. With the increase in costs of raw materials and labour, and the new higher taxes, the manufacturing costs too are rising. Post budget, steel has seen an average rise in price of 25 per cent. The prices of copper, aluminum, plastics and rubber are increasing by the day and Tata finds it difficult to maintain the low price of the Nano.

Will the People’s Car remain as such in the coming years? Working middle-class Indians just switched over from two to four wheels. Blame the slight sophistication in the lifestyle on the Nano. The price did it all. But, what do you think will happen now? What if the Nano comes with a slightly hefty price? Will Ratan Tata’s dream project still be a success? Many car makers have already increased their prices. Will Tata be able to manage the heavier price?

Over 26,500 Nanos have already been sold, and as promised, the first 1,00,000 cars will be sold at Rs 1,00,000 regardless of the high manufacturing costs. Now that’s a gentleman’s promise from Tata. Wondering what is going to happen later? Well, the basic model of the small car may see a Rs 30,000 hike and the high-end version, the price of the Nano LX may increase to Rs 2,00,000. Currently, the Nano LX is priced at Rs 1,72,360-1,85,375. The increase in prices will probably be seen towards the end of this year, once the second round of bookings begins.

Tata, however, has remained tight-lipped about the prices. It was unsure of the future price. It confessed, though, that the rising manufacturing costs were making it difficult to sell the car at a low cost. The Nano has already sparked the fire and many other car makers are coming up with ultra-low-cost cars. The competition is getting tenser. Ford, Honda, Toyota, and Renault and Nissan along with Bajaj Auto all plan to make small cars in the next two years.

India’s population is huge. But, only 8 per 1,000 people in India own cars as compared to Germany and France with 550 and 495 per 1,000 people respectively. Even after the increase in prices, the Nano is likely to remain cheaper than its rivals. The Nano stands a better chance of increasing the number of Indian car buyers. Demand for cars in rural parts of India is increasing because of Nano’s low price.

The eco-friendly Nano looks great. The toy-like cuddly car delivers a safe feeling. Tata has bigger plans. It wants to sell the Nano in the U.S. However, that would happen only after the car is redesigned with a larger engine and greater safety features. So, that is going to take some time. Last year, a European version of the Nano with airbags and leather trim, with more stringent safety and emissions standards was unveiled by Tata. Way to go Nano!

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So what’s up with Tata Motors these days? We mean apart from celebrating the massive February sales and making the life difficult for one German SUV manufacturer (read BMW). Another thing that is bringing in the fresh breath of air (or should we say a ‘gust’ of air) in the Tata camp is the responses that Electric Nano concept got on its recent visit to the Geneva Motor Show.

Tata Nano Electric concept was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and the European consumers, who are waking up to the concept of eco-friendliness, made quite a fuss to get a glimpse of the car. The petrol Nano happens to be the cheapest car in the entire world and if the electric concept becomes a production car, it is sure to get a fan following, since it will have the added advantage of eco friendliness.

The electric Nano, which will first be launched in Britain and Scandinavia, is likely to hit the European markets in the next three years. However, the petrol variant of the Tata Nano is reaching the European roads next year.

Tata Nano may be the world’s cheapest car, but, in order to be launched in the global market, it will have to meet the various safety standards. This may elevate the price of the car, but it will still remain cheaper when compared to other cars.

Considering that the petrol variant Nano has already hit a chord with Indian customers, it would not come as a surprise if the electric Nano becomes an instant hit too. But, like many other good things, Indians will have to wait for their home-made electric car.

Company officials are being totally tight-lipped about the likely price tag of the electric Nano saying that the zero-emission Nano is not going to be launched in India in the near future. So that raises another question: When is it likely to be seen on Indian roads? No one is ready to reveal any secrets on that topic either.

And while we are updating you on Nano, we might as well tell you about the most recent bit of information that we came across. Nano prices are going to be hiked. Tata Nano is currently manufactured at the Pantnagar plant which is a zero-excise zone. But the Nano production will soon be moved to the Sanand plant in Gujrat, and it does not have the excise benefits of Pantnagar.

So, the world cheapest car may become a little costlier in the near future.

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After Bajaj Auto and Renault, it is Ashok Leyland for the Japanese car manufacturer, Nissan. Nissan is in talks with Hinduja Group’s flagship company Ashok Leyland for developing an ultra-low cost small car for the international market. Nissan has zeroed in at a price tag not exceeding USD 5000.

Nissan has already announced its plans to develop a low cost car with Bajaj Auto and Renault. However, the project is yet to come up with a solution for developing such a cheap car.

China would be the top market for the small car, where the segment is growing in a big way with about 2 million units. India along with countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia and some Latin American nations will be the other possible market options.

In India, the car would be competing with Tata Nano at the lower end and Maruti Suzuki Swift at the higher end.

India already has a number of small cars from some very established car manufacturers including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Chevrolet. And this year is going to witness plenty of small car launches from newcomers in the small car segment in India including Honda, Ford and Volkswagen. And not to forget, Nissan is launching its Micra this year.

Nissan has a formal agreement with Ashok Leyland for making light commercial vehicles in India and apart from that Nissan also uses Ashok Leyland’s engineering services for various purposes. So it should not come as a surprise if Nissan partners with Ashok Leyland for its low cost global car.

The two firms had formed multiple numbers of Joint Ventures for manufacturing LCV’s (Light Commercial Vehicles), powertrains and developing technology, and setting up a manufacturing plant near Chennai. There has been some delay in setting up the manufacturing unit due to problems in land acquisition and so the partners have started producing LCVs from their respective facilities and plan to launch them by 2011.

All this and some more small cars! Bring it on, says India.

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Here’s some news on the Nano which was being sorely missed out for some days now.

The second round of bookings for The People’s Car has been re-scheduled. Well, some good news for the millions of eagerly waiting middle-class Indians. Tata Motors has decided to start the second round of bookings of its Nano in 3-6 months.

It is also learnt that the first set of customers will receive their new Tata Nano by September-December 2010. The car that would have brightened your outdoor space somewhere in Jan-March 2011 will now do it by the end of this year. Tata Motors that used to manufacture 150 units a day has already ramped up production and 180 units are being manufactured everyday at its Pantnagar plant.

Sanand, Gujarat will also begin putting together the common man’s car very soon. Mr. P M Telang, Tata Motors Managing Director, said that commercial production of the Nano at its manufacturing facility in Gujarat will begin in the next couple of months.

However, as announced earlier, only the first set of the Nano’s customers will be able to avail the special discounted price of Rs.1Lakh. New customers will pay a higher price. Not to worry, the car will arrive earlier than expected. The reason being, Tata Motors has re-scheduled the Nano’s bookings to an earlier date. We just have to wait for another 3-6 months. That’s it? How exciting!

Now, here’s the secret. Increasing demand of the World’s Cheapest Car may have led Tata Motors to start off with an early round-II of bookings.

Guess the major reason for the quick bookings? Well, you guessed it right! As we have mentioned it in our car news around 20-25 per cent of the Nano’s original customers have backed out. Yes, a quarter of the total bookings have been cancelled.

Wait, there is more to it! Tata Motors is expected to launch two diesel variants of the Nano in June this year. Cool, right? The variants will come with a 3-cylinder engine. Moreover, it is rumoured that the Nano Europa will be strapped with a similar engine.

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Tata Nano always seems to amaze us in every ways possible. Just fresh after winning the Indian Car of the year (ICOTY) award recently, the Nano has followed its winning ways. This time around Tata Nano has won the prestigious Bloomberg UTV- Autocar Car of the Year award.

The Bloomberg UTV- Autocar Awards 2010 which were presented by HDFC Bank on January 15th 2010 in a glittering ceremony at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai had most of the industry stalwarts attending the show. The special guest for the evening was Formula 1 racing champion Narain Karthikeyan while the chief guest of the function was Minister of State for Road, Transport & Highways Sri. R.P. N. Singh.

Tata Nano has beaten 21 strong contenders by bagging the award. This accolade carries an authority and credibility only the Autocar brand can deliver. Ratan Tata, chairman, Tata Sons, after accepting the award for Tata Nano, said the recognition is for the full team that worked on the car, and the challenge now is to exceed expectations...

The list of categories and their winners were:

Bike Of The Year - Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS
Small Car Of The Year - Tata Nano
Premium Hatchback Of The Year - Maruti Suzuki Ritz
Best Luxury Car - New Mercedes E-class
Luxury SUV Of The Year - Toyota Fortuner
Saloon Car Of The Year - Chevrolet Cruze
Best Variant Of The Year - Skoda Laura
Best Driver's Car - BMW Z4
Technology & Innovation Award - BMW 7 Series
Green Award - Mercedes E-class Blue Efficient
Car Advt Of The Year - Fiat Linea Father & Son Advt
Viewers' Choice Car Of The Year - Toyota Fortuner
Viewers' Choice Bike Of The Year- Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS
Import Bike Of The Year - Honda CB 1000R
Best Design & Styling - Fiat Grande Punto
Best Value For Money Car - Tata Indigo Manza
Manufacturer Of The Year - Maruti Suzuki India

The awards jury consisted of Dilip Chhabria (India’s leading Car Designer), Manwendra Singh (India’s leading Automobile Historian) Hormazd Sorabjee (Editor, Autocar India) Shapur Kotwal (Deputy Editor, Autocar India) Renuka Kirpalani (Editor, Autocar Show), Rajeev Khanna (former Rally Driver) and Naren Kumar (6-times National Champion). Speaking on the awards, Mr. MK Anand, CEO, Bloomberg UTV, said “The Autocar Awards honour unmatched excellence in the automobile industry. The awards are awarded after a meticulous selection procedure by some of the best names in the country.”

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The world’s cheapest car Tata Nano is now being readied for sale in the US market. The car will be ready for US distribution in about three years.

To meet the emissions and safety standards of US, the Tata Nano is going through modification.
Tata Motors has already made a European version of the Nano that will cost about $8,000 when it debuts in 2011. Hence it can be said that the US version of the Nano is expected to come in a comparable price quotation.

The reasons behind this hefty price tag are the structural changes that needed to be made, the changes required as far as emissions are concerned and additional features for the Western market.

Moreover, the Nano’s two-cylinder, 623cc engine has to be engineered to meet stronger the US pollution standards. Besides, airbags have to be added as a safety feature, the roof needs to be strengthened and the front bumper lengthened to meet US requirements.

The Spartan interior with flat bucket seats, three knobs, a horizontal switch and a steering wheel also have to be changed to comply with US safety standards that limit movement of passengers not wearing seat belts.

If the $8,000 price tag holds true, it would cost far less than the $9,970 Hyundai Accent, currently the car with the lowest base sticker price in the U.S., according to the Edmunds.com automotive website.

It should not be forgotten that the price excludes shipping!

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Tata Motors which showcased its full-scale product portfolio at the Auto Expo with 37 vehicles from the Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover brands. Amongst the Tata cars that were displayed, three new Tata cars certainly turned more than a few heads towards it. Tata Aria, the Tata Venture and the Tata Magic Iris were all jointly posing for the flashbulbs of the cameras. Jaguar XJ which was launched also stole the thunder away when it was launched by Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors.

But there was a special someone who was certainly being noticed, The Tata Indica Vista Sport.

It seemed that the plain looking Indica Vista had gate crashed at the 10th Auto Expo held in New Delhi wearing royal garbs. This car, Tata Indica Vista Sport, a concept, which was draped in the youthful Alphanso Orange body colour, contrasted with a dark shaded roof, highlights the car's sportiness, matched with ebony black interiors and black leather seats.

The flared wheel arch trims and accentuated fog lamp slots surely exuded oodles of power. The carefully contoured bonnet flares and the black treatment on the Vista's distinctive petal-shaped headlamps assert its feline poise, made complete with a trendy aerofoil rear roof spoiler.

This car looked every bit a stunner at every angle. We hope Tata Motors makes this concept a reality to see that its sales charts go skywards. Tata Motors with this car has an ubersexual in their hands, Price it right and market it right and Tata Motors could have a fan following for this little aggressive cutie-pie.

What actually livened the Tata Motors pavilion was the two Nanos LX models which were kept on display. This was Tata Motors’ demonstration of the Tata Nano’s adaptability to customer desired look and personality. The first car a Cocktail Red body painted Nano looked very much feminine with attractive floral patterns on the doors and bonnet. This car unmistakably was for wooing women customers as the interiors of this car also replicated the outer stance of the car with floral pattern designs fitted with start-stop feature.

The second Nano was specially conceived for masculine gender as the Nano was painted in Wild Lime colour to soothe the male sensibilities added with leather seats and door pads. Both the Nanos are air-conditioned and equipped with electronic trip meter, music system, mobile charger point, central locking, tinted glasses, front power windows and fog lamps.

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Tata Motors Group displayed the widest range of products and environment-friendly technologies at Auto Expo 2010.

Tata Motors unveiled the Jaguar XJ and the 4×4, 7-seater Crossover Tata Aria. Other prominent unveilings from the house of Tata Motors include Tata Venture, a hatchback sized 8-seater MPV, Tata Magic Iris, a novel four-seater public transportation vehicle, The Tata Motors Group has unfolded the full scale of its product portfolio and the breadth of its technology capability with a display of 37 vehicles, from the Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover brands, at the Auto Expo 2010.

Among them are three new Tata vehicles – the Tata Aria, the Tata Venture, the Tata Magic Iris – and the all new Jaguar XJ, which were unveiled by the Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, Mr. Ratan N. Tata.

In passenger vehicles, the Group’s displayed its entire range from Jaguar luxury saloons and Land Rover SUVs to Tata Indigo Manza sedans, Tata Indica Vista hatchbacks, the Tata Safari, the Sumo Grande MK II, the Xenon XT, and two specially conceived Tata Nano cars. The Nano has been declared as the 2010 Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY).

The technology capability on show includes environment-friendly hybrid and electric powertrains, conventional engines with higher fuel efficiency, lightweight vehicle architecture, all contributing to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, besides state-of-the-art drive technologies, latest infotronics, ultra-modern passenger comfort, safety and entertainment systems.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tata said, “The range of Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles is representative of our technology base, and the direction our brands are taking in pursuing market opportunities. The Company is focused on meeting the full range of customer needs while being conscious of the environment.”

The unveiling of the all new Jaguar XJ marks its India launch. The all-new Jaguar XJ brings a daring new spirit to automotive luxury, with a mix of striking design, breathtaking performance and engineering. The car was premiered worldwide in London in July 2009, and deliveries across the world are beginning this year. Bookings for India too have opened, and deliveries will begin from June 2010. Displays from Land Rover, the gold standard in 4×4s, include the Model Year 2010 Discovery 4 and the Range Rover Sport, which expand Land Rover’s 2010 product range in India.

The Tata Aria, to be launched in the second quarter of 2010, blends the functionality and comfort of a mid-range MPV with the all terrain assurance and premiumness of an SUV. Its unique design and construction makes it robust, elegant and comfortable. The interiors, with three rows of theatre style seating, present a luxurious world of premium features comprising 3D surround sound, dimming roof lamps, in-dash built in GPS, a state-of-the-art infotainment system, multifunctional steering wheel, dual air conditioning with automatic climate control and cruise control. Top-of-the-line safety features include 6 airbags and ESP, offered by an Indian OEM for the first time. Besides, the chassis frame comprising advanced hydro formed members, a stiffened body cage, and dual zone collapsible steering make the Aria one of the safest vehicles.

Its 2.2 Litre Direct Injection Common Rail (DICOR) diesel engine, delivering 140 PS power and 320 Nm torque, is mated, in the 4×4 option, with an all-wheel drive with torque on demand, which senses and distributes torque to the wheels in accordance with the terrain.

The less than 4 metre long Tata Venture, to be launched soon, has the footprint and maneuverability of a hatchback car, but the interior space of a utility vehicle comfortably accommodating 8 passengers and ample luggage space. The interiors, with a two-tone beige and black theme, are comfortable with dual heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) with roof-mounted ducts. A glasshouse effect with plug-in windows for second row passengers makes it distinctive. Driver comfort has been addressed with power steering, power windows, reverse parking aid, keyless entry with engine immobiliser and rear wipers. Safety features include collapsible steering and side impact beams.

It is powered by a 1.4 Litre turbo diesel engine delivering 70 PS power, with best in class fuel efficiency among diesel MPVs. The Tata Venture will be available in 5, 6, 7 and 8-seater options in 3 row front facing configuration.

The Tata Magic Iris, to be launched this year, is for public transportation, offering safer and more comfortable mobility for those who depend on three-wheelers. Its spacious car-like cabin can comfortably seat four passengers – three at the back and one in the front beside the driver. With its car-like on-road stability and sheet metal roof it provides car-like safety.

The 611-cc water cooled diesel engine, backed by a 10-litre fuel tank, is capable of running larger distances with a top speed of about 55 kmph and yet higher engine life. With its bouquet of features, the Tata Magic Iris will be the ideal small passenger carrier which will upgrade both the quality of public transportation and also the income of their owners.

The recently unveiled 10-to-75 tonne, 150-to-560 PS Prima range of trucks, trailers and special applications has set new benchmarks in India and matches the best in the world in its power, speed, carrying capacity and trims. The range comprises 10 major variants of tractor-trailers, rigid trucks, tippers, mixers and cranes, and special applications. Besides India, it has already been introduced in South Korea, where it has won the prestigious Grand Prize of 2009 Good Design Selection of Korea recognising its excellence in design, functionality, quality and safety.

While expanding its portfolio, the Group is focusing on environment-friendly technologies. Jaguar’s lightweight vehicle architecture, Land Rover’s e_TERRAIN TECHNOLOGIES SERIES, the Nano with the lowest CO2 emission among Indian cars, the Indica Vista EV, to be launched this year, the hybrid Starbus and existing CNG/LPG powered Tata passenger and commercial vehicles are all representative of how the Group is pursuing the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission and usage of conventional fuels for a low-carbon world.

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Tata Nano is America bound and how? Tata Motors is working on a Nano variant for the American market and is expected to be ready in about three years.

Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Motors claims that the America bound Nano will feature a bigger engine and will undergo additional crash tests to derive at a point blank answer to silence the skeptics about Nano’s safety.

Tata Motors is also concentrating on the developed markets apart from the American market to develop an electric version of the same.
Tata Motors now beaming with pride with the acquisition of Jaguar-Land Rover is looking to bring the luxury cars to the emerging Indian car market while marketing its cleaner electric cars like the Nano and Indica EV in developed markets like the US and Europe.

Tata Nano which was launched in the 9th edition of Delhi Auto Expo had to clash head on with issues such as land acquisition in Singur from where the initial production of the Nano was slated to happen and hence the first Nano was rolled out from the company’s Pune plant. Later the first batch of 100,000 cars had to be rolled out from the Sanand plant in Gujarat.

Tata Motors also unveiled the Nano Europa at the Geneva Motor Show 2009. The European version would provide high fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions of less than 100 grams per kilometer and is rumored to cost about $6,000.

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How does this sound? Tata Nano for One Crore rupees. Ridiculous you say. Well read on before you jump into conclusions.

This humble car which was conceptualised for the four-in-a-scooter family in India and it was priced right at Rs 1 lakh by Ratan Tata, the brain behind the Nano and chairman of the Tata Group. Now that Nano stories have been hitting the stands almost every day and Nano’s popularity is ever growing after it won the Indian Car of the Year award, It surely has attained the star status.

Cashing on this star status of the humble Nano, Dilip Chhabria, a well known Mumbai automotive designer has just created a Nano, not for the ordinary people as it was conceptualised but for people with deep pockets. The asking price of the DC Nano would be Rs 1 Crore. To be precise add a couple more zeroes to the zeroes in a lakh and you will find the astronomical sum hovering around your head for the Nano.

You could buy 100 Nanos for the price of this one luxury small Nano. Now before you scoff off the idea, we also say why this Nano is different from other Nanos. The original tiny 623 cc engine has been ripped off the Nano to make way for the much punchier 1600 cc engine that can rocket upto 200 kmph aided by a seven-speed triptronic transmission. How cool is that?

DC’s One crore Nano will be refurbished with choicest of the exteriors and drool worthy interiors. This Nano will carry gull-wing configuration doors that open towards the sky(Are you reading this blog Mercedes ?) State of the art biometric door handles is a standard feature in this Nano that allows only the owner to enter. On the lighting front, DC has imbibed Xenon lights and LED clusters. Polycarbonate glazing to the floor for improved aerodynamics of this Nano is also one of the innovative features. This Nano comes with a wider and bigger 15” alloy wheels when compared to the drab 12” wheels of the ‘ordinary’ Nano and can easily qualify to become the world’s smallest sports car.

This Nano is equipped with a panoramic wind-screen and the interiors are packed with the latest gizmos, similar to those found in the Ambierod incarnation of what was once India’s most ubiquitous four-wheeler. This Nano will hold a mobile LCD screen to watch movies, browse internet, play games and for navigational purpose. The instrumental panel is entirely customized which aligns with the LCD screen.

DC’s Nano will sadly not have 5 seats as in the original but just two seats and this car is meant for long drives and has a door-mounted camera for rear vision which can also record clips which the driver may otherwise miss on the move.

It can be recalled that at the Auto Expo 2008, DC’s Ambierod which is a complete transformation of the Ambassador into a three-seater coupe inspired by American Hotrods bikes was a rage. The Rs 4-crore Ambierod was sold even before the concept was unveiled in January 2008 to a Dubai-based NRI.

As per Mr. Chhabria, he has not frozen the concepts to be unveiled at the Auto Expo, but a person with knowledge of the development said that major work on the Nano has been completed. “Selling such cars is not an issue. The issue is how to conceptualize the design,” he opined. The changes have been incorporated without stretching the Nano’s size.

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Tata Nano is one permanent fixture in Carazoo.com for a long time now. This little wonder car has been around in the portal for many reasons and continues to be doing what it does best. Earning rave reviews.

The world’s cheapest car has won one of the most significant awards of the country –Indian Car of the Year aka ICOTY. ICOTY and IMOTY (Indian Motorcycle of the Year) awards are the awards that are unbiased and exhaustive evaluation of all the new cars and motorcycles launched in the calendar year of 2009 in India.

Although Tata Nano was a contender for this award amongst other heavy weights like were the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Jazz, Fiat Linea, Fiat Grande Punto, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Mahindra Xylo, Skoda Superb, Tata Indigo Manza, and Toyota Fortuner, Tata Nano emerged victorious in the end garnering 63 points. The Managing Director of Tata Motors, Mr. P.M. Telang, received the award from the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of JK Tyre Industries Ltd., Dr. R. P. Singhania, at a ceremony in New Delhi. Kawasaki Ninja 250R won the IMOTY award with 53 points.

A 11-member expert jury members of the 2010 ICOTY included Yogendra Pratap and Vikrant Singh of Auto Bild India, Gautam Sen and Bob Rupani of Auto India, Bijoy Kumar Y and Srinivas Krishnan of Business Standard Motoring, Aspi Bhathena of Car India, Sirish Chandran and Bertand D’souza of Overdrive and Vardhan Kondvikar and Girish Karkera of Top Gear India.

All these jury members evaluate and test cars as part of their journalistic work and are known for their analytic skills and professional competence. Once a year they come together to vote for the ICOTY.

To qualify for the 2009 awards, only all-new cars and motorcycles, whatever the country of their origin, that went on sale in showrooms across the country before December 1, 2009 were considered. Existing cars and motorcycles that have had mere cosmetic facelifts or small mechanical tweaks do not qualify for consideration.

The jury members judged the cars and motorcycles on various parameters such as price, fuel efficiency, design, comfort, safety, maneuverability, performance, functionality, environmental responsibility and driver/rider satisfaction among others. In addition, technical innovation and value for money were particularly important factors while deciding on the winner.

The selection of the winner is carried out by a simple voting system with each jury member having twenty-five points to allot to at least four cars/bikes. They can give a maximum of 10 points to any one of them. A very fair and transparent system makes the ICOTY and IMOTY amongst the most credible and coveted car and motorcycle awards in India.

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Ah Yes, Tata Nano, How can we ever miss out on the wonder car in our blog today with all of those German biggies hankering for space in Carazoo blogs (Read the earlier published blogs on Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche). Today has been a very special day for the Nano as it did hit the headlines of many newspapers for various reasons.

Among the first of many Nano stories, Durr India Pvt Ltd is setting up a paint shop using robots to cut carbon-di-oxide (CO2) emissions at the Sanand plant in Gujarat, where the first painted body unit of Tata Nano is expected to be completed by June 2010.

Durr India Pvt Ltd is setting up the paint shop on turnkey basis for Tata Motors. The paint shop is one amongst the units of the Nano’s manufacturing plant. The Lean compact technology as the insiders at Tata call uses robots to paint India's small and cheapest car.


Nano is one of the contenders in Autocar’s ‘Car of the Decade’ poll

Tata Nano has managed to fit itself in, in the list of contenders for the coveted ‘Car of the Decade’ poll which is being run by renowned
British car magazine, Autocar.

Does Nano stand a chance in this poll with heavy weights like that of Audi R8, Bugatti Veyron, Nissan GT-R, Porsche GT3 and the Rolls-Royce Ghost are different question all together? But think of this, while the other contenders for the title in the list here are either high-performance cars or very high-end luxury cars are made by so many manufacturers across the world, there’s only one car that offers affordable motoring to families that may otherwise be confined to a two-wheeler. Yes indeed, No guesses there, we are speaking of and for Tata Nano.

If you love the Nano as much as we do, we suggest you visit the Autocar website and cheer for the car by casting your vote the great little car now! Go Nano. Go.


Egypt invites Tata Motors to build Nano plant

Singur’s loss is Sanand’s gain is the thing of the past now. With the Nano, it is just not the states in India which are lobbying to donate space for the construction of Tata Nano’s production plant, but contenders from world over have just started to pour in.

After raising eyebrows in India, the humble Nano is all set to speed up to the ‘Dark Continent’ even before the dust has completely settled. Egypt has extended its invitation to India's Tata Motors to build a factory to make the Nano, the world’s cheapest car in the African country for the local market and sales elsewhere if we are to go by what a reputed daily of India has to say.

"Egypt is seeking consent of Tata for left-hand drive Nano to be produced in Egypt, where a huge market is expected not only internally, but in the left-hand drive market in the Middle East and in Europe," the paper quoted Egypt's ambassador to India, Mohamed Higazy, as saying. Higazy is claimed to have said the paper that the company would consider the proposal after the initial phase of the Nano launch.

Well, Tata Motors in the meanwhile also have come up with a email statement saying "While Tata Motors has said that the Tata Nano and its variants will also be introduced in other countries, the company has not decided on its manufacturing strategy (in other countries), let alone Egypt".

Tata launched the Nano in March this year and is expected to take it to Europe by 2011 and to the United States later.

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Trust us; you’ll never ever hear the end of Nano, no, not at least in your life time. Just when we thought people were tired of praising the Nano for being the people’s car, smallest car, and cheapest car and so on. Here comes one of the most revered praises for the Nano from none other than the President of the World Bank himself.

Robert Zoellick, the President of World Bank Group was impressed with the world’s cheapest car, Tata Nano when he saw the small wonder parked at Road and Highways Minister Kamal Nath’s house in Delhi.

Robert Zoellick who could not help but satisfy the urge to sit in the car immediately was impressed with the abundant space of the Nano. He tried the rear and the front seats of the car and also peeped to have a glance of the engine.

He was amazed with the frugal manufacturing made possible by Indian companies and that it shows signs of strength of India Inc. He could not help but comment “The low end is selling for about USD 2,000. I mean, that's a very well engineered product and that's a sign of something.”

He also showered the words of praises on the Tata Nano maker and Tata Group head, Ratan Tata saying “Probably, most people in the car industry thought it couldn't have been done".

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We have more news on the Nano front. AutoCar UK has revealed some information about the Tata Nano Europa. The Nano Europa is the upgraded version of the Tata Nano meant for European and American markets.

The Tata Nano Europa will boast of a three-cylinder 1000 cc engine which can produce 60 bhp while the Indian Nano carries a 624 cc two-cylinder 33 bhp engine. AutoCar UK says that the new engine will give Nano Europa higher sustainable speeds, while still keeping emissions low and fuel efficiency high. The car will also get a new five- speed manual gearbox with longer gearing to suit its higher speeds.

Moreover, the Tata Nano Europa is eight inches longer that the Indian version and is now proved itself all ready for the European market after it passed the European NCAP crash tests, both offset front and side impact in flying colours. Hence, the added eight-inch to the Nano Europa is for improving crash safety beyond what it was, or for increasing passenger space inside the car.

The Nano Europa comes with airbags for the driver and passenger, ABS and traction control. Moreover, independent rear suspension is another addition for the Tata Nano Europa.

The Tata Nano Europa is going to be priced between 4000-5000 pounds in the UK and the price in America should be similar too. The car will stand on 14-inch alloy wheels and Tata Motors has been considering a rear hatch for the Nano for easier access to the engine.

Meanwhile, Tata Motors has plans to introduce diesel, micro-hybrid, CNG and electric versions of the Nano. These new engines too should find their way to the Tata Nano Europa when they are ready.

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The Tata Nano stories always seem to amaze us. Literally.

Right from the start, Tata Nano as a concept itself created a flutter amongst the people of India and abroad. Then came the unveiling, the Singur fiasco, the actual launch of the car on March 23rd 2009, the first paper ads, the first allotments of the cars, passing of the stringent European crash norms, Nanos going up in flames, high after market value on the car. Man, is there no end to the Nano stories?

The Tata Nano has consumed more news reel, television space and internet space in today’s world than any automobiles in recent days. In addition to all this comes a story of a car which has made it to the prestigious Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York.

Yes, you read it right. Conceived by Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, the Tata Nano was intended as an all-weather form of personal transportation that provides a safer and cleaner alternative to the two-wheelers that are pervasive in India, where often entire families ride clinging to a motorbike or a scooter. The Smithsonian Institution on Friday announced that a bright, sunshine yellow Nano will be exhibited in Cooper-Hewitt's Great Hall from Feb 18th through April 25th next year. A short film on the making of the world’s most affordable car and diagrams will be shown during the period.

The name "Nano" connotes high technology, small size and low price, the press release of the Smithsonian Institute stated. Tata Motors is currently developing improved versions the car for the European and American Markets.

This ultra-cheap compact car contributes to the world of affordable motoring and like its predecessors, Henry Ford's Model T, the Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen 2CV and the original Fiat 500, the Tata Nano continues the tradition of inexpensive cars made in large numbers, it said.
"Cooper-Hewitt's mission is to present the very latest developments in design and technology and the Tata Nano introduces more families in India to the new world of affordable and safer mobility," said Cara McCarty, curatorial director of the museum. "We're eager to display the Tata Nano at the museum, where many visitors will see it for the first time."

Unveiled last year in India, the Tata Nano is targeted to families who had not previously been able to afford a car. Billed as "the people's car," the base model starts at $2,200 in India and can accommodate up to five adults. The Nano offers a high fuel efficiency of 50 miles per gallon, making it more fuel efficient and less polluting than all other cars on the road today in India, the Smithsonian noted.

Designed by a team of 500 Indian engineers, the 35-horsepower, four-door vehicle has been pared down to the essentials: It is about 10 feet long, weighs approximately 1,300 pounds, has an all-sheet-metal body, a rear two-cylinder engine, small tubeless tires, a reinforced passenger compartment, crumple zones, seat belts and achieves a top speed of 65 miles per hour. Its barebones design, as of now, does not include more costly features such as power steering, air bags, antilock brakes or an exterior left passenger-side mirror, which are not mandatory in India, it said.

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Green is the new colour code and Tata Nano is all set to embrace it with gusto.

Well, Tata Motors is planning to bring in a hybrid version of its cheapest offering, the Nano. Hence, there is a probability of the world’s cheapest car aiming to become the world’s cheapest hybrid car!

Ratan Tata, the Chairman of Tata Motors feels that the car industry's future lies in eco-friendly models. As a result the company is joining the other carmakers that have already gone green. The company is also contemplating on the electric version of the Indica Vista in India by 2011 after studying the feasibility in the country. The car is now being developed with a green technology engine for the European countries of Britain, Norway and Denmark with a collaboration of Norwegian company.

Mr Tata also thinks that low-priced goods would create stronger demand than high-end products in India, and the so-called low-price revolution would continue across the world.

A hybrid version the Tata Nano could go well with the general mass in India and across the globe. At present, people are showing an inclination to eco-friendly cars.

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There is a threat to Tata Nano’s title as the ‘world’s cheapest car’. The challenge is given by EcoCa, a little-known company in London which is all ready to roll out a 340 cc two-seater petrol car for as little as $2,200 (Rs 1 Lakh).

Carazoo.com would like to remind its readers that though the Tata Nano is called the ‘one-lakh-rupee’ car, the base variant of the Tata Nano comes with a price of Rs. 1.15 Lakh ($ 2,500).

EcoCa is a small engineering and design Taiwanese company based in London. The company kicked off with an investment of around 8 million pounds. This company is setting its eyes on the lucrative Indian automobile market and is hunting for a partnership to foray in it. Moreover, with a price tag of $2,200, the company says that it can still ensure healthy profit margins with its low-cost car, which will be know as the company’s name.

EcoCa had plans to make use of India’s low-cost manufacturing base to keep the price down for both global and domestic markets.

The company also revealed that some Indian car makers have shown interest to assess the prototype of its car for performance, fuel efficiency and safety standards.
The rumour mill says that EcoCa has approached the Indian SUV maker Mahindra & Mahindra for a talk.

The EcoCa car is very much inspired by the iconic Volkswagen Beetle and hence comes with convertible roof and automatic gearbox.

The prototype of the car is made of lightweight, a high strength ABS plastic, which has good resistance to impact, heat and chemicals. It weighs only 330 kg against Nano’s 635 kg and will be replacing the Nano as India’s lightest car too once it is launched. Besides, it will give a mileage of 27-28 km/L of petrol against Nano’s 23.6 km/L under standard test conditions. But, it has a top speed of 70 km/h, much lower than Nano's 103 km/h. The car has cleared the frontal crash tests in Europe like the Nano and carries options of front airbags.

The EcoCa is out to challenge Tata Motor’s small wonder. But only time will decide the winner.

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For those of you waiting for some good news from the Tata stable about the Nano can quench your thirst with the latest news about how Dilip Chhabria has redesigned the car.

We at Carazoo.com have already blogged on how Chhabria’s DC Design and Jagdish Khattar-owned Carnation Auto, a multi-brand automobile solutions hub, has entered into a partnership.
And under this partnership they would provide customized solutions to Nano owners in the country. Now Chhabria has come up with a new stylish version of the Nano. And the new version is called ‘Hot Nano’. And you have to pay an extra 80,000 rupees to be the proud owner of Hot Nano.

They are looking at producing the Hot Nano at a large number, as it is an investment that they have made in tooling. The Carnation will soon start selling Hot Nanos across the country and this will happen once when the production is stabilized. The main aspect of the Hot Nano is that, it has been designed keeping in mind the youth, as they are the majority of the Nano customers. The Hot Nano is made trendy through the supplementing with grills, bumper-side panels, wide tyres, and air intake filters.

Tata Motors Ltd. will start trial production for the Nano minicar at a new factory in the western Indian state of Gujarat in the January-March quarter.

The Tata plant at the Uttarakhand currently rolls out 3,000-4,000 Nano cars per month. And the company is planning to reach the full-scale production at the Sanand plant within the next six to eight months. The company‘s new Nano factory will have an initial capacity of 250,000 cars a year and this can now be increased to 350,000 cars a year.

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Tata Nano car parts and accessory makers are getting calls from global biggies for their assistance to aid them with their new small cars. These component suppliers who made the Nano possible are now ready to yield the paybacks of their innovative low-cost technologies.

Global car makers like Nissan-Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen and Honda are proposing to launch small cars in the Indian car market. These car majors are approaching the key component suppliers of the Nano for car parts and accessories for their small cars.

India’s second largest car maker Hyundai has revealed that it will launch a new car positioned below theSantro with an investment of Rs 800 Crore. Similarly, Toyota is working on a platform for a small car for India with an investment of over Rs 3,000 Crore. Honda has also announced its first small car that will have India as the hub. The Nissan Micra, Chevrolet Beat and Volkswagen Polo will make their India debut in 2010, while the Nissan-Renault-Bajaj ultra low-cost car is due in 2012.

As a result, the Tata Nano’s 100-odd vendors have a reason to smile with as many as seven small cars lining up for Indian debut in the next two years. Moreover, the potential challenger to the Nano, the low-cost car from Bajaj Auto and Nissan-Renault alliance, is likely to be benefited by Nano vendor base.

Though the Nissan-Renault-Bajaj ultra low-cost car project will source almost 100 per cent from the Bajaj supply base, but many suppliers in that pool are Nano parts suppliers.

Most of the car makers are looking at replicating the ‘Nano experience’ in their products as they are planning to introduce their cars at lower prices than their existing range. But before they tie up officially, they want their components to be validated by their overseas parent companies.

The small car market in India comprises 80 per cent of the 1.5 million units industry and is all decked up to experience a number of new launches in the next fourteen months.

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Tata Nano is now in the news for not so pleasant news. It has happened before, but it was never been so bad. There has been news that the Nano cars are caching fire when they are stationary.

As we all know, the Tata Nano was in the news even before for the wrong reason. Tata Motors was able to amuse the car customers of India and abroad alike. Nano, the cheapest car of the country brought in a lot of praise and applause even before it was launched. But the charm didn’t last long and the glory was fading away slowly.

The company was not able to deliver the Nano to the customers on time and this has bought in a bad impression about the company and its small wonder. The restless customers started cancelling their orders and the famous Nano became, the notorious Nano.

But Tata Motors was able to rectify all the uncertainties and bring the rhythm back very soon. Now this is a true mishap. Do not worry, this is not going to be a final blow to the company, Tata has faced many a problems and this will be just another one for them. And it is sure the company will come out of it successfully, like a phoenix.

The faulty combination switch is the reason why three Nano’s caught fire. It happened in North India, Delhi, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad. In Ahmedabad, the company repaired the Nano and returned to the customer and the Lucknow customer will also get back his repaired car very soon, but the company has not had the access to the car of the Delhi customer as of yet.

Unlike the American or European countries, where a company will have to call back the car if there is a technical fault, in India, the rule is not mandatory. And now, the company’s plan to run a pre-emptive check on all the cars it has delivered will also ease down the panic among the Nano customers and also to set right any technical mistake.

The fault in the car seems to be a very minor one and it can be rectified easily.

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