GENEVA — An upscale version of the $2,000 Tata Nano, known as the Tata Nano Europa, made its formal debut at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show. The car appears to be more palatable for tastes in such markets as the U.S. and Europe, with a more powerful engine than its Indian counterpart, along with power steering and a slightly longer wheelbase.
The Europa nameplate is already causing a bit of a stir on Tata's home turf, with some of the local media wondering why the Indian automaker would use a name "already taken by Lotus."
But the Tata Nano Europa's rollout seemed to raise more questions than it answered.
Pricing and many technical details are still a mystery. However, Tata released a statement that confirmed the Tata Nano Europa will be equipped with a three-cylinder engine linked to a five-speed automatic transmission. The basic version of the Nano gets a two-cylinder engine and a four-speed transmission. The automaker also said the Nano Europa will have a slightly longer wheelbase of 7.48 feet. It will also get such safety features as antilock brakes, stability control and airbags, although it did not say if these will be standard features.
Tata Chairman Ratan Tata told media that the company hopes to launch the Nano Europa in 2010 or 2011, most likely in Europe.
After a delay, the basic Nano will be officially launched in India on March 23.
Tata also trotted out the Tata Prima, a sedan concept designed by Pininfarina, and the Tata Indica Vista EV, an electric vehicle with a "predicted range" of up to 124 miles and acceleration of zero to 37 mph in under 10 seconds.
Inside Line says: Don't expect to see any U.S. arrival of the Nano before the car's European launch. So you'll be waiting several years at least. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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