Tata Nano Launched in Mumbai

[Mothers Worry]

Tata Nano Launched in Mumbai

From The New York Times:

Tata Nano Launched in Mumbai

Updated: March 23, 2009, 3:47 p.m.

MUMBAI — Amid camera flashes and the occasional shoving match between photographers, specifications and on-sale dates for the highly anticipated Tata Nano were finally announced at two elaborate media events here on Monday.

“We have made a promise and we have kept that promise,” Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, said during the first press gathering, held in the Taj Hotel.

The promise Mr. Tata was referring to was his ambitious goal to build a car with a starting price of only 100,000 Indian rupees ($2,000). While the Nano does meet its highly aggressive (and what many industry experts once deemed as totally unrealistic) price point, some hurdles remain to be cleared.

The Nano has been nicknamed “The People’s Car” because its starting price will make it accessible to more Indians than any other new car on the market. But the ultra-cheap, ultra-compact Nano comes with no frills. It runs on a 623-cc 2-cylinder engine with about 30 horsepower. Power steering and power brakes are optional on the base model. Airbags, antilock brakes and even a radio aren’t available at all.

The official launch of the tiny four-door car, however, was hardly lacking in pomp and ceremony. And perhaps lost amid the canapés and five-star service of the Taj Hotel (which is owned by the Tata Group and was a target of last year’s terrorist attacks) was the fact that, despite appearances, the Nano isn’t exactly on sale yet.

The first models arrive in dealer showrooms in early April. Application forms to register to buy the car will be accepted from April 9-25. And for the first time in company history, Tata Motors will charge a fee (about $6) to anyone who applies to buy the car.

First deliveries of the Nano to customers will occur in July. This news comes after what has already been more than six months of production delays. Political protests over the company’s land acquisition methods forced Tata to abandon a nearly complete factory built for Nano production in the state of West Bengal. Rather than risk provoking the situation, Tata decided to base Nano production elsewhere.

A new factory is now being built in the western state of Gujarat, though initial demand for the Nano is expected to outstrip supply. The company revealed the Nano “a good nine months before the new plant has come on-stream,” Mr. Tata said. “We have done this to fulfill expectations.”

One of those expectations is that the company would stick to the 100,000 rupee price. The company has done this, sort of. The headline-grabbing price applies to only the base model and is exclusive of all taxes and transportation fees. The cheapest Nano, minus options but with all applicable charges, will cost about $2,230.

Tata Motors has applied for more than three dozen patents relating to the cost-cutting measures it took in producing the Nano. Some of these methods are quickly obvious: there is only one windshield wiper, the dashboard is a single piece of (hard and shiny) plastic, and the tires ride on tiny 12-inch steel rims.

One uncomfortable aspect of the Nano’s cost-cutting regime — and an exceedingly awkward moment during a Q & A session held during the early press event — was the importance of India’s cheap labor. An executive huddle followed a journalist’s query, which lead to another mad scramble among hundreds of photographers eager to capture the situation. Ravi Kant, managing director of Tata Motors, finally stated that the yearly salary of a Nano factory worker is 150,000 rupees – or less than $3,000.

After the elegance of the Taj Hotel’s ballroom, the next stop in the Nano’s Mumbai media launch was a 10 minute drive away, to an even more elaborate outdoor press conference held on the grounds of the Parsi Gymkhana. Journalists, executives, Tata dealers and “financiers” (according to the reserved seating signs) watched as lights flashed, music blared, and three Nanos slowly rolled onto the stage.

The presentation lacked the quiet dignity and humility of Mr. Tata’s earlier speech. Huge video monitors and a 40-foot tall sphere projected images of the Nano, along with a voice-over comparing the car’s introduction to the scaling of Mount Everest, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb. It was an over-the-top send off for a car defined by prudence and economy.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Hehehehe It doesnt seem to refer to any NCAP crash test results, or any other for that matter.
I hope its better than the Chinese made counterpart 'budget cars'.

You can see that result here: http://www.australianmotorsportforums.com.au/forum/index.php?topic=2638.0

[Yoda]

I was watching ABC's midday news and  they said we will never see these cars in Australia because it will never comply with safety regulations.

The TATA Nano is just another death trap like the Chinese models. 

[Everso Biggyballies]

I was watching ABC's midday news and  they said we will never see these cars in Australia because it will never comply with safety regulations.

The TATA Nano is just another death trap like the Chinese models.  :Thumbs Down:

I hope they don't end up in any licencing arrangement with Suzuki with their 'Life' model.  A TATA Life might, albeit realistic, be a bit too prophetic..... 

[Richarbl]

This vehicle must be viewed in it's correct context.

Regardless of safety, equipment, aesthetics, performance, relevance, drivability, status or any other standard by which this vehicle is judged.
One thing is certain...this car is India's Model T.

[f1engineer]

Safety Safety Safety, that's why I can't go hang gliding anymore. Some one thinks it's too "unsafe" where we used to fly.
I strongly disagree with it all, people should be able to choose. The lower level income people would be able to afford a new car and get the
  boxes that they don't/can't afford to maintain off the road.
We live in a disposable society, like it or not. If people want to choose to drive a car that fails a crash test, so be it.
And if I want to fly a hang glider, No-one should be able to tell me that it is unsafe when those who know it is are able to do so.
Just another case of someone telling someone else what to do to make themselves feel better.
BTW, that's not a shot at EB or Yoda, just sick of do gooders in Cairns.
Here endeth thine rant.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Just another case of someone telling someone else what to do to make themselves feel better.
BTW, that's not a shot at EB or Yoda, just sick of do gooders in Cairns.
Here endeth thine rant.

Maybe you didnt see my (obviously bad) attempt at humour

I was watching ABC's midday news and  they said we will never see these cars in Australia because it will never comply with safety regulations.

The TATA Nano is just another death trap like the Chinese models.  :Thumbs Down:

I hope they don't end up in any licencing arrangement with Suzuki with their 'Life' model.  A TA-TA Life might, albeit realistic, be a bit too prophetic..... 

Bottom line is that although they clearly are not safe in terms of comparing them to a much more expensive Euro / Jap built small car they provide cars in a market where existing  cars are even more like deathtraps than the new ones.... and are likely more safe than the other forms of transport, horse drawn, hand drawn etc that exist.

Clearly it um horses for courses, and each to their own.  I guess we live in a more protected environment of Roadworthies and regulation in line with our greater reliance and indeed expectation of cars.  Re safety yes I have a pet hate for do-gooders, and I now cringe at some of the cars I have owned over the years, even moreso some of the mods I made on them, not to mention stupid things I did retrospectively..... like picking up my new steering wheel for my road Mk ! Cortina GT at a store, and so keen to install it, pulled the old wheel off to find I needed a different boss kit to adapt it.  The store didnt have a new boss, but their other store 30 miles away did.  So I drove there with no steering wheel fitted, just a multiwrech (Molegrips) clamped tightl around the steering column to steer with.....

But, being the age when you know everything (c17) you would never have convinced me it wasnt safe.   Times Change

Talking of Indian Carmakers, loved this ad....