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Tata's Nano Coming to Europe
Mumbai, INDIA — The Tata Nano city car is bound for Europe within four years time, according to a story published in Reuters. The Nano caused a sensation at this year's New Delhi Auto Expo when it was announced that the car's bargain-basement price will begin at "1-lakh," the equivalent of only $2,500.
The four-passenger Nano goes on sale in India later in 2008. Export plans were only vaguely addressed during the New Delhi Auto Expo, though it would seem that work is well underway to bring the Indian-built hatchback to Western markets.
According to Reuters, Girish Wagh, head of compact car projects at Tata Motors, confirmed to German magazine Focus that the Nano would reach Europe within four years.
"We will develop a successor model in four years time, which will meet the Euro 5 emission regulations and the crash standards in Europe," Girish Wagh was quoted as saying.
If the story is to be believed, the first Nanos to arrive in Europe will already be second-generation models. Tata Motors representatives were unavailable to confirm or deny this report.
During the New Delhi Auto Expo, Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group and Tata Motors, explained that the Nano has passed Indian full-frontal crash tests and has been designed to meet international offset and side-impact crash tests. Yet, for now the Nano has no airbags.
Ratan Tata said that these and other options could easily be added for markets outside India — though he was equally careful to mention that extra features would raise the Nano's price.
This appears to lend weight to Wagh's quote that the European Nano will be a revised version, made with Europe's stricter safety and emissions regulations in mind.
Wagh was quoted as saying that the Nano's fuel consumption has also been a key issue. "The main target was to reduce the car's fuel consumption to three from currently five liters per 100 kilometers (62.5 miles)," Wagh told the magazine.
The Nano makes its European debut in early March, at the upcoming 2008 Geneva Auto Show.
What this means to you: Already an automotive legend before a single one has been sold, Nano Version 2.0 looks set to arrive in Europe by 2011. But there is still no word as to whether the Nano will ever appear in the U.S. — Nick Kurczewski, Correspondent
The four-passenger Nano goes on sale in India later in 2008. Export plans were only vaguely addressed during the New Delhi Auto Expo, though it would seem that work is well underway to bring the Indian-built hatchback to Western markets.
According to Reuters, Girish Wagh, head of compact car projects at Tata Motors, confirmed to German magazine Focus that the Nano would reach Europe within four years.
"We will develop a successor model in four years time, which will meet the Euro 5 emission regulations and the crash standards in Europe," Girish Wagh was quoted as saying.
If the story is to be believed, the first Nanos to arrive in Europe will already be second-generation models. Tata Motors representatives were unavailable to confirm or deny this report.
During the New Delhi Auto Expo, Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group and Tata Motors, explained that the Nano has passed Indian full-frontal crash tests and has been designed to meet international offset and side-impact crash tests. Yet, for now the Nano has no airbags.
Ratan Tata said that these and other options could easily be added for markets outside India — though he was equally careful to mention that extra features would raise the Nano's price.
This appears to lend weight to Wagh's quote that the European Nano will be a revised version, made with Europe's stricter safety and emissions regulations in mind.
Wagh was quoted as saying that the Nano's fuel consumption has also been a key issue. "The main target was to reduce the car's fuel consumption to three from currently five liters per 100 kilometers (62.5 miles)," Wagh told the magazine.
The Nano makes its European debut in early March, at the upcoming 2008 Geneva Auto Show.
What this means to you: Already an automotive legend before a single one has been sold, Nano Version 2.0 looks set to arrive in Europe by 2011. But there is still no word as to whether the Nano will ever appear in the U.S. — Nick Kurczewski, Correspondent
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