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 the war against emissions and environmentalists criticizing big trucks with low mpg consumption, GM decided to stop producing the Hummer. However, rest assured because rumors are tsaying that either Tata or Mahindra would probably take over, but none of them cared to comment.

I don’t know for sure if that’s a good investment because Hummer is already a bleeding brand and cars like the Chevrolet Volt or hybrids are really getting market share over here, not to mention the high gas prices one would have to pay. It’s true that if you can afford a Hummer you’ll most likely afford to pay twice as much as you’re paying right now for a full tank, so we’d better keep an eye coz we might see Indian Hummers soon!

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