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The cheapest car in the world “Tata Nano”, which caught the imagination of the people during the 9th Auto Expo has achieved a first for a car in India. It has, for the first time, got the entire country talking about a car, instead of cricket or religion or politics. Tata Motors on January 10 had unveiled its much-awaited small car, which has been positioned as an affordable personal mode of transport for the people, who travel on two- wheelers. Mr Ratan Tata has termed the Nano a landmark in the history of transport, likening it to the first powered flight by the Wright brothers and the first lunar landing.

Like pretty much everyone else I know, I had been following the news about the much-awaited launch of the Tata ‘small car,’ and so when I got the opportunity to see it first hand, I couldn’t pass it up. Just before the launch, the photographers and TV crews got into rugby scrum, the usual mutterings turned into a slanging match and the pushing and shoving became a virtual stampede when the ‘People’s Car’ appeared on stage. Once unveiled however, it came as a pleasant surprise! Certainly the combination of decent looks, the Tata brand name and the unprecedented price make for a killer combination. Through the day families streamed in, looking excitedly at the Nano, and discussing when and how they would buy it. Many of them might never have owned a car before, and their excitement at seeing their dream of owning one come true soon was palpable. The very sight of lakhs of people stream in through the day and throng the Tata booth, says something about the sort of impact this “small car” is going to make. Last heard a leading political party was clamouring for “Nano Quota Policy”!

Following are some details on the car, which were presented at the Auto Expo.

• Length: 3.1 metres
• Height: 1.6 metres
• Width: 1.5 metres
• Engine: Rear-wheel drive, 2-cylinder, 623 cc, multi-point fuel-injection petrol engine. Engine is rear mounted.
• Safety: Nano has an all sheet-metal body, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat-belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body. Tyres are tubeless.
• Environment: Tailpipe emission performance exceeds current regulatory requirements, and the Nano has a lower overall pollution level than two-wheelers made in India. It also has a high fuel efficiency (20 km/litre) ensuring low carbon dioxide emissions.

We at TolMol Autos would bring you the complete specifications and on-road price in your city as soon as its available.