The Tata NANO - a GRAND beginning to a new year...or is it??

Five years ago, the chairman of the TATA group, Mr. Ratan Tata, made India a promise. And on this day, 10th January 2008, being the true pioneer and visionary that Mr. Tata is, he has delivered. And how!!

With the entire country and even large parts of the world holding their breath in anticipation, Ratan Tata rolled out in arguably his company's biggest and most ambitious project ever, the Tata Nano - a car for the masses, one that offers a safe and affordable means of transportation for the average Indian family. Then, facing an awestruck mass of reporters, delegates and spectators, he proceeded to list out features and facts that, word by word, silenced all those who questioned the feasibility of such a venture. The gala event is sure to change the automobile industry forever.

As I sat in front of the idiot box and watched the car steadily roll out onto the stage with the chairman at the wheel, my first reaction was "Whaaa.....??? You've gotta be kidding me! That thing actually moves??!" But then as the technicalities of the car were listed out, I realized that the Tatas may have probably pulled a rabbit out of the hat here! It really does serve the purpose for a customer who just desires to have a set of wheels under him to move, without all the nitty-gritties and fancy stuff that most popular cars in the small-car segment have. Here are some facts about the car:

• A 33 hp, 625 cc engine is just about enough for city traffic and most highways, but it could struggle on hill roads and stretches with considerable slope, especially under large loads. The rear engine will provide a certain uniqueness to this car and will present most Indians with something they perhaps have never seen before, at least on Indian roads. It will be interesting to see what the maximum speed this little machine can conjure up is and how the pickup is compared to other cars in the same segment. Long drives on highways may get frustrating for drivers who have already experienced driving other cars such as the Santro, Swift etc.
• I think the compliance to major safety and emission norms wasn't very surprising, as opposed to some other skeptics. Tata would never have unveiled this car had it not met standard requirements on all fronts. This being said, the fact that the team behind the car has managed to go a step further and even meet the EURO-IV standard criteria is commendable.
• The car is said to provide a mileage of 20 kmpl in the city and about 25-26 kmpl on highways. Well, that definitely is fantastic news with oil prices skyrocketing, but the question is for how long can it sustain such a performance? And will these claims really hold true? I guess we just have to wait until the first car rolls out onto the streets to find out!
  
• No power steering....hmm cant see why that should be a problem....even my Santro doesn't have power steering and even I can handle it pretty well!! :)
• 8% smaller externally and 21% larger internally than a Maruti 800...well I have to see that to believe it....if it is true, fantastic! Maruti better have an answer!
• A Diesel variant of the car is also likely to be introduced soon. Along with a Diesel variant, I feel Tata should also look to introduce a CNG version to silence the environmental lobby further.
  
• Finally, and most importantly, the price tag - yes, the standard model does have a dealer price of Rs. 1,00,000, but cost to the consumer will be in the region of 1.3-1.5 lakhs, inclusive of VAT, transportation etc. People should be ready for rises in production costs over the longer term, as manufacturing and transporting in an area like Singur, where the company has faced enough trouble already, is never going to be a smooth process.
  

All in all, this revolutionary move by the Tatas will surely "bring in the moolah" for them, albeit it'll take considerable time for them to break even. Now, the big question -- Is this really what India needs right now? More specifically, is this what a city like MUMBAI needs right now? A city, where already over 1.2 lakh cars are added to the streets annually....a city, where updates on traffic snarls already hog almost as much airtime of most radio stations as the actual music does....is this what such a city needs - a car that everyone can afford to buy and heap misery on road development authorities?? My answer - no way!!!! The unveiling of the Tata Nano has just opened up a huge Pandora's box, as even servants in some areas like Malabar Hills and other parts of Mumbai would be able to afford such a car, and the number of cars on the road would double very soon. The repercussions are already being felt, with a large number of companies including Maruti Suzuki and Renault-Bajaj announcing plans for a low cost car. On one side, the more sensible people encourage others to use public transport more often and not take their vehicles out to work -- well Tata has now done just the opposite! Those rooting for the car can wag their tongues all they want about meeting the emission norms, but if you have every other earning individual making a beeline to get their hands on one of these toys, the collective contribution of all these cars would be enough to make Dr. Pachauri's worst nightmare come true as well!!

My suggestion for the best way to utilize this car: convert them into taxis, and do away with the crappy Fiats! Its about time there was a major overhauling of the taxi fleet in major cities in India, particularly in Mumbai. High maintenance costs and lack of comfort for customers do not make things any easier for the taxi owners. We Mumbaiikars would love to zoom around on the streets of Mumbai in a Tata Nano cab rather than a rickety old Fiat any day of the week and twice on Sunday! In fact...hmm...a new autorickshaw costs somewhere in the region of 1 lakh....why not replace the autorickshaws too??? :) OK that might just be a little far-fetched, but it is possible!

Feel free to refute or add to any of the points I've made above....looking forward to your comments. Until the next, Good Day!

-Ari B