Nano to see more variations in future

Car's evolution a continuing journey, says Tata Motors, as it tries to get around the earlier low-cost image

Tata Motors' mini car, the Nano, is set to see many more variations in the coming period as the company continues to reposition the model as a smart city car, shedding its low-cost image.

With the addition of a host of features on the GenX Nano launched on Tuesday, including an automatic version, Tata Motors seems to have taken a permanent departure from the mini car's earlier image, of costing just about Rs 1 lakh.    

For the future, the company is working on bigger engines that could generate better power and cater to the consumers who would look for an upgrade as part of a natural progression. Expectations are that the Nano could be seen with an engine size of 800-1,000cc that would bring it at par with current high-sellers such as the Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon.

Both Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai came out with bigger engines for the Alto and Eon, earlier primarily powered by a 800cc engine. Both models now come with a 1,000cc engine. These companies so decided after consumers complained of lower power.

Presently, the Nano is powered by a 624cc petrol engine that generates peak power of 37.5bhp. In comparison, the Maruti Alto 800 generates peak power of 48bhp while the Hyundai Eon 800 produces maximum power of 56bhp.

Girish Wagh, senior vice-president at Tata Motors, said: "If you talk to customers, having a bigger and more powerful engine will be a requirement but for a smart city car, we have prioritised the needs of the buyer. The Nano has been a journey for us. Launch of the GenX Nano is not the final destination. You will have more things happening as we go ahead in this journey."  

From being a solution to the rural buyer, the Nano was positioned as a mini city car, where driving conditions are congested and parking options too few. The company has been promoting the Nano as a second vehicle in households, much on the lines of the scooter, which is often the second two-wheeler in the family after a motorcycle.  

This positioning is likely to gradually change as the company strives to make the Nano a regular car, with enough power to carry five adults in comfort over long distances.   

"The Nano has always been seen as a very peppy car for a city application. Not having sufficient power was not an issue raised by smart city car buyers. But there were other points they raised, such as availability of electronic power-assisted steering. Having automatics in our traffic condition is a significant requirement," added Wagh.

He mentioned that work was also on for a diesel-powered Nano, for which a completely new engine was in the works. However, with changing preference of the buyer, coupled with other hurdles such as controlling of noise, vibration and harshness, the company put the project on the back burner.

"Developing a diesel engine for the Nano was not in favour of the economics of the car," added Wagh. Tata Motors, however, did add a compressed natural gas variant to the Nano a little over a year earlier.