Last time I drove the Tata Nano, it wasn’t really a pleasant experience. The lack of power steering made sure I had a bicep workout whenever I planned to park the car. Adding to that, the drum brakes coupled with no ABS meant as much as I would just look at the brakes, they would lock up. But then again, I really couldn’t complain much considering the price of the car is so low.
A little relief for people like me is that Bosch, the world’s leading auto equipments manufacturer, is testing various variants of the Tata Nano with added features. Targeted at emerging economies such as Asia and South America, Bosch wants to develop low cost components for the Tata Nano that would provide better fuel consumption, components and drivability.
First in line is the Power steering. Even the top variant of the Tata Nano doesn’t come with a power steering. So people who are willing to pay a little bit more than the basic model do not get the luxury of Power steering. Coupled with the left OVRM, the power steering should be able to improve the drivability of the Nano.
Second is the ABS which is absolutely essential for city traffic. The ABS will definitely improve the safety aspect of the car as its current brakes are appalling. We also hope that Bosch develops low cost disc brakes to replace the current drum ones which would make braking in a Nano a less nerve tingling experience.
The above features bundled with the swinging rear windshield and diesel engine will escalate prices of the Nano, but with these features in place it is a much better car than Alto you will agree.
What added features do you want to see in the Nano?
