Indian Autos blog

In all fairness, it had to happen someday! Yes, one of the most famous talk show hosts in television history and a true blue petrol head – Jay Leno – finally has a Tata Nano in his garage.

But a Tata Nano entering the Jay Leno epic garage is no ordinary occasion. Thus, the Tata Nano was welcomed in a Bollywood setting with Jay Leno dressed in a Sherwani.

Tata has not yet started selling the Nano in European countries but that may not stop private parties from registering a car for themselves. The Nano’s clarity in its ambition, to serve as a safe, economical and comfortable means of personal transport, is unmatched by any city car in the world. The Nano’s sales performance has gradually picked up and it may take Tata a while to sort out a European spec version.

Our reader Sandeep Singh from Frankfurt who is fluent in Dutch, helped us understand the article that has appeared on AutomobielManagement.nl.

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In today’s Bumper To Bumper comeback video I’m discussing the features and expectations from the Tata Nano diesel that we’ve spied this morning at a fuel bunk.

[Can't see the video above? Head over to the Youtube page to see the video.]

What do you think will be the contribution of the diesel variant to the Tata Nano sales?

Many of our viewers have constantly supplied us with spyshots of camouflaged mules and we are MIGHTY thankful to each and every one of them. But our eagle eyed reader Rohan has unraveled a feat that is nothing less than a story from the Sherlock Holmes’ novel. Deductive reasoning is what they call it!

High resolution image of the image that gives its identity away! [Opens in a new window]

Look at the picture above; seems like a mundane stop at the petrol pump right? But now looks carefully. There is a Tata Nano on temporary registration plates preceded by an Indigo (again on temp plates).

So? You ask. They could be just two dealer vehicles fueling up and heading to the stockyard before the final delivery.

The Nano dream is finally coming alive for Tata Motors. After selling more than 10K units last month, the company has officially announced that it has started work on a Left Hand Drive version of the Tata Nano for export markets.

Shown above is a mirrored image of the RHD Nano and is only for the purpose of illustration

Currently, the Tata Nano is on sale mostly in the Indian sub continent. The countries include India, Sri Lanka and Nepal which are all Right Hand Drive markets. As a result there was no need to develop a LHD version of the Nano so far.

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The Tata Nano can add another feather to its cap as Tata Motors gets ready to launch the little wonder in the Indonesian market. The next immediate challenge for Tata Motors’ overseas operations is introducing the car in Bangladesh. Upon achieving this, the company could attack Indonesia.

Java Motors from Indonesia have registered the Tata Nano LX with the Ministry of Industry in Indonesia as a 4×2 passenger vehicle with a 624cc engine for testing purposes.

This means that Java Motors would start testing the Nano on the Indonesian streets to make suitable adjustments.

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The Tata Nano has seen sales rise and fall like a an equalizer to a remixed sound track. 2012 has been the Tata Nano’s year as sales have shown signs of consolidation. The MY 2012 Nano with revisited design, features, ad campaign and color palette has put the Nano back in contention. These efforts were in the attempt to pitch the Nano as inexpensive car that many conceived as a poor man’s commute.

Mr Tata had tweeted on March 10 that the diesel engine and power steering feature are on part of the future plans for Nano.

Tata has dispatched 10,475 units of the Nano to its dealers in India. Tata Motors had showcased the Nano CNG and a concept version of the Nano with front disc brakes, chrome pack and relaid interiors. Tata should not let the third anniversary pass like another day. A couple of special edition models could get more people talking about the car.

How does a company ensure that its cars don’t catch a “cheap car” stigma when they want it to ply segments that are mainly for first time car buyers and have a small framework?

In today’s Bumper To Bumper video, this is my discussion. I’ve provided a couple of ideas, and I’d love to know your thoughts on this topic.