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TegTypeR July 22, 2009 10:37 AM

The possibilities are endless.  

I can't wait until it comes to the UK.  I recon the biggest use in this country will be pizza / fast food delivery, for exactly the same reasons you cite as it is being used as a taxi for in India.

theop July 22, 2009 10:47 AM

Have you been to India Mark? This car is like Startrek for them... It will revolutionise their world as much as the across countly telephone line logarithmic expansion of the late 90s...

North July 22, 2009 10:52 AM

I see where you are coming from, but I think its been over turned in the EU and USA for such i.e. you can get the Smart for (I think) about £6.5K and the NANO is not as cool and will be around £4-5K and the Smart is Greener (the Smart Diesel certainly).

I think then you have the electric vehicles coming in and I think they will play the biggest part here in taxis and deliveries...the electric cars (at this stage with the relatively low radius) are almsot made of pizza etc delivery.....the electric revolution bypassed the NANO in that sense...(Renault with the electric van); I think if they can make an electric one that would be good and then for general running about a high spec one say for £5.5K would really good; but we will see.

beachland2 July 22, 2009 11:03 AM

there is also the potential to change the entry level to motor racing, with the nano as a single make racing series. would be slow, but could still be fun!

asgadv July 22, 2009 11:19 AM

Nano Launch is all about stringent price control. However, Mr. Tata has made it clear that the car is not for Taxi owners. It is for those who desire to own a car at an affordable price. This is a cruicial bench mark for other brands too. In the past companies like GM, Ford and Fiat made mistakes with there cars models and prices when India opened its market for international Car Makes.

Taking Indians for granted most of them launched old and obselete models in India. Ford came with Escort, GM with Opel Astra and Fiat Uno about 10 years back.

Ford tried to mend quickly and was partly successful to remain afloat. GM meanwhile launched chevorlet which was initially successful but definitely struggling against the popularity of Hyundai, Suzuki , Honda and Skoda.

Fiat after unsuccessful stint finally got its act right by launching Linea and Grande Punto.

While most of these were struggling, Tata with its locally developed modes such as Indica and Indigo was way ahead in its understanding of Indian market vis a vis its sales. They are now the owners of JLR too.

Be that as it may the underline point is consumer must be respected for its understanding of the required product and should not be taken for granted. Nano only proves one point and that is market and appetite exists for both consumer and manufacturers. Companies cant expect there cash box to sing especially in volume based products.

Nano should make itself available to its International patrons sooner.

scrap July 22, 2009 12:05 PM

The Nano is an obvious replacement for the "3 wheeler" taxis in service across India, regardless of what Tata says.

Given that the Nano is probably more environmentally friendly than these 2 stroke machines (and possibly more so than overloaded scooters, too), could it in fact have a positive impact on transport emissions?

HoChi July 22, 2009 12:17 PM

Back to the future? Maybe Citroen should resurrect the 2CV tooling and go back into production. No 'modern version' like the Mini, Fiat 500 etc, just the original tweaked for safety and emissions ?

North July 22, 2009 12:52 PM

asgadv; I do not think anyone is having over the Indian consumer, but I am not sure you can compare an old Astra even to a new NANO or Escort....or other cars.

Astra and Escort are robust cars with proven history, okay not the most modern but as the market developments the offerings will develop and as things are gauged out etc....if I remember correctly did Ford not partner with an India firm.....irrespective it takes time to get into the market and time to develop.

We all understand TATA own JLR and I appreciate your affection for TATA; but TATA is Indian and already is a brand that people know in that region; all the others firms were just starting up etc....they have different things to consider.

Personally I do not care that TATA bought JLR and wish TATA all the best with it........there were plenty of buyers interested and TATA paid the most; simple as, at the end of the day that is business......TATA also (some argue) bought Corus for way too much.....but hey, TATA is simply a global corporation doing business like many others.

Also the other firms will start and make in roads into the market and have a wider and more modern offering than TATA already....thus over the next few years you will see the market change and you will see the market develop etc.....in the end they are all moving to "world" cars etc....is not India adopting the EU crash regulations? market harmonisation around the world will occur...as it is now....

Casanova July 22, 2009 1:12 PM

HoChi wrote:

"Back to the future? Maybe Citroen should resurrect the 2CV tooling and go back into production. No 'modern version' like the Mini, Fiat 500 etc, just the original tweaked for safety and emissions?"

I love the 2CV, but the tweaks you are talking about are the kind of tweaks Jordan's autobiography would need to win the Man Booker prize.

Uncle Mellow July 22, 2009 1:29 PM

I agree with Casanova, you could tweak the 2CV for emissions , but not for safety. i leaned against one at a motor show once , and had to bend the bodywork straight again when I stood up.

 I really cannot see any UK punters being interested in actually buying a Nano when there are so many cheap secondhand cars available which are so much better value.

shortbread July 22, 2009 4:11 PM

I think the Nano showed how important a cars affordability is to any consumer. There is a huge amount of focus on emissions, safety, handling, looks etc.. but it always seems as if no ones bothered about the price. In these tough economic times one can appreciate the mainstream car makers bragging on about increased fuel efficiency etc. but how about making the car itself a whole lot cheaper. Im not talking about a couple of hundreds here and there.

Take the eg. of the Toyota IQ, Its a well engineered product no doubt, but paying nearly 10 grand for a cramped, modestly powered, 3 seater is ludicrous, at that price Toyota cannot justify what ever fuel savings they claim.

The Nano has set an engineering benchmark to the far more established car makers with a car that satisfies market requirements at a price that no one can complaint about. One can complaint about the lack of 5 star NCAP rating, absence of soft touch plastics, lumbar support not being perfect etc..etc... but there are plenty of options out there that can do just that. But if you have just Rs.100,000 and want to buy a new car in India, there is only one option, Kudos to Tata for making that.

theop July 22, 2009 7:42 PM

the 2CV would be a great idea, but I am pretty sure its like an ox & cart in comparison to the Nano and could never be up to scratch with crash regulations etc without "blank sheet" redesign...

Overdrive July 23, 2009 8:20 AM

shortbread , in no way is the Nano "an engineering benchmark" except for its production at such low costs (and of course sale at the amazingly low price). It doesn’t set any new standards for build quality, overall design, space utilisation, top drawer dynamics, performance and fuel consumption, refinement etc etc. And to be fair neither do Tata claim it does.

What the Nano may become is a marketing benchmark, but even that is far from certain, at this point.

sportwagon July 23, 2009 9:12 AM

Overdrive, what is wrong with a car being engineered for low cost production against performance for example. The Nano achieves its objectives in an elegant way, in engineering as opposed to aesthetic terms, and Mr Tata and his team are to be applauded for coming up with such an innovative design, which aims to bring ownership of a car to millions of families who would otherwise be unable to afford one. It is this elitism and snobbery that has resulted in engineers not being held in as high regard as in other countries, with the only too obvious consequences for our motor industry.

North July 23, 2009 10:00 AM

I agree with sportwagon; top class engineering is about getting the product at the right price to the consumer and this NANO does it by the bucket load.

I have seen people think that complex is better....anyone can design anything complex...that is easy....it is MUCH MUCH MUCH harder to do the same with less comlexity.

For the car at this price to offer this range of protection and economy is very good engineering; it is very good engineering....I am not saying its high quailty (it might be.....I have not ever seen one i..e tolerance/fits as opposed to type of plastic used for the dashboard) but its good engineering - no doubt; look at the price of it for what you get and then compare it to the "supposed to be innovative" Toyota IQ that is NOT a four person car and is NOT innovative...the NANO is on both counts.......thus......the NANO is innovative....no doubt....well done to the engineers at TATA....you kicked Toyota butt!!, by miles....all over the park!!!...well done...NANO is innovative!!no doubt!!..

Overdrive July 23, 2009 1:43 PM

sportwagon, where did I say there is anything "wrong with a car being engineered for low cost production against performance for example"?

In fact, I praised the Tata for being to make and selling this car so cheaply. I merely made a point to a specific claim that on this car sets "engineering benchmarks", which I felt was not supported by substance. And I outlined the areas where I thought this.

The Nano is definitely a landmark car in its cost structure and sale price and bringing motoring to the less well-off masses, but the design is not particularly innovative, as you claim. I can't think of single area where the Nano, in it's physical design, is doing what has not been done before. Certainly not its chassis design, or engine design or gearbox design/location, or even in its shape and space utilisation or for that matter its economy, which after all is an important area for a car like this.

Let's praise Nano for it actually does, i.e. extraordinarily low costs motoring, but let's not go overboard with hyperbole like setting engineering standard and creating innovative design, which is really not the case.

shortbread July 23, 2009 3:42 PM

'BENCHMARK' any standard or reference by which others can be measured or judged.

Cost is an engineering challenge just like performance, fuel efficiency or safety. Just like something like the Veyron creates a benchmark for performance the Nano does it by being the 'Cheapest car in the world'.

That is an engineering challenge, to make the cheapest car, and by doing just that they have set a new engineering benchmark.

AndyWolves July 23, 2009 4:21 PM

If you had 2, you could use them as ear-plugs.....

Uncle Mellow July 23, 2009 11:07 PM

Sorry , but when you talk about "alternative use for Nano" the first use I think of is for keeping chickens in , and the second is growing tomatoes in .

kcrally July 23, 2009 11:58 PM

the tata nano, is the equivalent of the original volkswagen beetle. it will stay in production for decades, slowly improve with each iteration. And will last as long as there is oil in this world, which could be longer than you think, with ultra deep sea oil drilling round the corner.

Mr_H July 27, 2009 3:58 PM

Interesting comments....and a lot of sour grapes from people who are frightened about what the Nano, and Tata means for Western car manufacturing. Of course the Nano is no match for European cars - it's engineered for India, as a step-up from a moped. This car is more significant to India than the Beetle, it's more like the Model T Ford. Look at how Korea's cars are now lapping at the heels of the Japanese - Tata's next few new cars will be doing the same. Let go of the past - you may all be driving Indian cars in a few years time, especially when you can't afford Audis and Beemers anymore.

So, back to the original question - alternative use? As a metaphor for the shift in car manufacturing dominance from the West to the East.