BS Motoring has posted what it claims is the first visual of the Tata Nano diesel that's scheduled to voyage into the Indian market in the coming months.
BS Motoring has written that a heavier engine has been placed at the rear which sits lower than the petrol Nano. The bottom half of the Nano diesel's rear is designed differently.
It has been made public at the Auto Expo 2010 that Bosch is working with Tata Motors to develop this diesel engine. It will probably be a 1-cylinder direct injection 650cc motor that can produce about 30 bhp of power. The gearbox isn't expected to change, the gear ratios however will to accommodate the extra torque. The engine is termed CRS 1.1 (CRS stands for Common Rail System) and could have a single plunger in its fuel pump. The Tata Nano diesel should be slightly noisier, and we expect the company to take counter measures by supplementing sound deadening material.
The Tata Nano diesel could be the most fuel efficient small car in India and the 650cc engine will be the smallest common rail diesel engine fitted to a car thus far. It will obviously have to comply with Bharat Stage 4 emission norms and common sense dictates Tata will make it Euro 4 or Euro 5 compliant. This common rail engine could be the simplest engine Bosch has ever designed.
Ratan Tata has said to the media in the past that the Nano diesel will be available "sooner than expected" and BS Motoring has gone a step ahead by stating it'll hit showrooms before the end of 2010!
Tata is working on a gamut of powetrains including hybrid, electric and a larger petrol engine for international markets. Tata has already showcased special Nanos at the Auto Expo bolted with start-stop motors.
Head over to BS Motoring to observe the pictorial differences.