Tata is considering launching the Nano to the global market under the Fiat badge. Reasoning behind this is that Tata and Fiat already work together to distribute commercial trucks outside India and Tata believes the the Fiat badge might have more appeal to potential buyers from the Western market. It will initaially be launched with a 33bhp petrol engine but will eventually be followed by a 800cc twin-cylinder turbodiesel developed in Germany.

With so many people interested in the new Tata Nano (Rs 1-lakh) car, I’ve seen that most of them want to know where can they find a dealer or how to import it in their country. The price is good, car looks pretty much ok, but there are regulations and tests that the Nano won’t pass. Take Europe for example, they have crash tests, where a Nano would be wrecked, so don’t expect it to be imported there any time soon.

If you would like to buy one, just for fun, you should seek a Tata Motors dealership to sell your Nano. I assume the dealer is going to be in India (about 170 dealers countrywide) and you’ll have to pay for the whole shipment.

Do you still want one?

This is an interesting thing and I have to agree the Indian company has done a great job to build a car. It’s called Tata Nano and is supposed to be the “Peoples’ Car”. It was first shown to the public today at the New Delhi Auto Expo and only costs $2,500. Yes American dollars and you’re reading it right.

Though is that cheap it does have a few features that may not reach your taste. It has a 624cc petrol engine which sports 33hp meets the Euro IV standards and achieves 54mpg, has a four-speed manual gearbox, dashboard with a speedometer, fuel gauge and an oil light. It comes in three versions and for the base level it will have no radio, no air conditioning and no power steering. You get air conditioning on upper versions but what an you expect from a 33-hp engine?

Tata Motors said that the Nano managed to pass all the security tests, both frontal and side impact. The car should be available from the second half of 2008 and the Indian company plans to sell 500,000 units.

How will the Tata Nano affect the Indian car industry? What do you guys think?

via Rediff