[GrammarNazi]

At a time when Alto sales have declined from 27k to 18k, when Eon's sales have reduced from 8.5k to 6.9k units, TATA Nano sales has grown, although not by much, but it DID breach the 2k mark.

Given the current advertisement of Nano tries to correct market perception, hopefully for TATA the sales would increase. Additionally IMO the Nano really does have utilitarian 'Awesomeness' to it.

It'd great for some more excitement around the product if they launched the Diesel mill by year-end. Although ownership costs have never been an issue it'll bring the footfall required, and hopefully people would truly give TATA the fair chance it deserves.

Some may think its unrealistic to expect an Petrol automatic version in this segment, but be sure TATA can definitely do it if push comes to shove.

One reason why I feel these launches aren't being made is that because of the massive amount of training it'd require for the service center staff, the whole NANO project may get affected because of the costs of the training.

[arjunmenon]

Just drove the TATA Nano. Apparently it was the top of the line.

Okay so here's my feedback and let me tell you before I start, that I'm no expert

The car really feels plasticky and to think that at two lac eighty thousand I'm so close to getting a Maruti Alto I can't see any reason for me to choose this car
There's almost zero protection for anybody in the car and one look at what lies beneath the hood made me shudder at the thought of a head on collision.
The wheels are too small for anything and I kept picturing myself trying to overtake other smaller vehicles... Scooty, Luna etc etc

All in all I was really really disappointed and every thought of getting one for home was trashed to the ground.

[PNTLovesNano]

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

It'd great for some more excitement around the product if they launched the Diesel mill by year-end. Although ownership costs have never been an issue it'll bring the footfall required, and hopefully people would truly give TATA the fair chance it deserves.

Some may think its unrealistic to expect an Petrol automatic version in this segment, but be sure TATA can definitely do it if push comes to shove.

One reason why I feel these launches aren't being made is that because of the massive amount of training it'd require for the service center staff, the whole NANO project may get affected because of the costs of the training.

I have been waiting for the diesel mill and if does not get released this year-end, I may go the pre-worshipped way. And honestly, the test mules have been more around the time that by the time of release, people may not be interested at all. It is almost going the storme way that finally it came, it also lost the user enthusiasm.

For some reasons I don't agree with you about the automatic version. And forget about the push, they are already in the pits, now 6th position. The automatic version, if not diesel, was required back in 2009 when it was launched. Tata may be delaying the automatic as it must be scared of the mileage that they may be receiving. In the official team-bhp review, Nano 2012 returned 13.xx mileage under mixed conditions of city+highway which only means that for the layman it would be even less. Add automatic, and now Tata have whole new dimensions of problems, mileage, reliability, service, etc will become a huge monster for it to handle. Also, most of the automatics dont have many numbers. Still, Maruti, Hyundai, and even Honda support automatics. So, the problem can't be unique for Tata, right? Now, if Tata can get the Nano with automatic with mileage in the range 15-18, they would be having a killer of a product. And the lack of it seems the only reason for delaying it.

[amtak]

Originally Posted by arjunmenon

Just drove the TATA Nano. Apparently it was the top of the line.

Okay so here's my feedback and let me tell you before I start, that I'm no expert

The car really feels plasticky and to think that at two lac eighty thousand I'm so close to getting a Maruti Alto I can't see any reason for me to choose this car
There's almost zero protection for anybody in the car and one look at what lies beneath the hood made me shudder at the thought of a head on collision.
The wheels are too small for anything and I kept picturing myself trying to overtake other smaller vehicles... Scooty, Luna etc etc

All in all I was really really disappointed and every thought of getting one for home was trashed to the ground.

While the interior of the car may look plasticky, it is certainly less plasticky to its nearest competitor, the Maruti Alto 800 or Maruti 800. I am not too sure of your current drive but old Zen, M800, base variants of Eon (may be alto too) are of the same size as the nano (R12). And it's a city car with great ground clearance, you would be amazed that while other cars fear entering water logged streets, nano can easily pass through the same with some basic precautions.

You may call me biased, but this comes from experiencing the nano for over a year and I also a Zen and a Zen Estilo; it may be a crude car but offers great economy at a fraction of cost. It is my daily drive to work in crowded streets of Mumbai.

[arjunmenon]

Like I said I'm no expert on cars. While my current drive is a much larger more powerful vehicle I just felt that the Nano somewhat felt like it was made in a hurry to match up to the marketing claims rather than to try and cater to the needs of a perfect city drive.
I also had an opportunity to drive an Alto recently and though you are totally bang on about the plasticky feel of the interiors I just felt that it was a far more satisfying drive.

[Lalvaz]

Originally Posted by amtak

While the interior of the car may look plasticky, it is certainly less plasticky to its nearest competitor, the Maruti Alto 800 or Maruti 800. I am not too sure of your current drive but old Zen, M800, base variants of Eon (may be alto too) are of the same size as the nano (R12). And it's a city car with great ground clearance, you would be amazed that while other cars fear entering water logged streets, nano can easily pass through the same with some basic precautions.

You may call me biased, but this comes from experiencing the nano for over a year and I also a Zen and a Zen Estilo; it may be a crude car but offers great economy at a fraction of cost. It is my daily drive to work in crowded streets of Mumbai.

Point taken Amtak, but most people today do not want a crude car. In India, a car is still largely an aspirational purchase, and it is a status symbol in that sense. Now, if the entire premise is on the car being cheap, and the plasticky crude interiors help reinforce that perception, then people are reluctant to buy it.

I mean, the Eon is not pitched as a cheap car, although its the entry level vehicle in Hyundai's range, and it feels so much more premium as compared to the Nano and 800.

I feel Tata could look at relaunching the car with a new shape, better safety features, and better premium looking interiors and that might do wonders, even if the pricing is a tad higher than Eon.

[srishiva]

Atleast it proved that Indian customers are value conscious not just wanting something cheaper. Its like people not interested in buying a black and white TV even though its cheaper.

[anky]

I have driven an alto for nine years and an 800 for 6 . A nano for 1 year . My Marutis were always reliable . Tata nano is unreliable and not confidence inspiring . It feels unsafe and is a very harsh and noisy engine . The only plus point being good interior space . But again no regular boot . So putting luggage in is a pain . I go to the super market once a week atleast . Have to keep luggage on the seat . So I prefer to take my Indigo Dicor or Amaze .

[W.A.G.7]

Personally I feel the Tata Nano is a brilliant product and I appreciate the efforts Tata has taken to get the car on road. In my opinion, what turns off people from the Nano is the price and the 'perceived' cheap 'tag' associated with it.

When the Nano was launched, I think people expected the on-road price of the variant with power windows, music system, AC, body coloured bumpers and handles to be 1 L. However this was not so, with the price of the higher two variants crossing the 1.60 L border. This was a major dissapointment for most of the people. Secondly many people think that the Nano is gruff, rought, unfinished & looks and feels cheap. I personally feel it is not so, it is one brilliant package.

What turns me off for the Nano is the the way the engine jerks when a gear is changed. When you are following a Nano on road, you can see the engine jerking visibly and you know the driver has changed gears. That is not good and that is how I feel the perceived feeling of 'cheapness' came to be associated with it. (just an example, there may be other things also)

Also I feel certain negative comments floating about the Nano on the internet can make a bad impression in the minds of the people. For example I found the below excerpt a little biased without actually taking all other factors into consideration.

Unfortunately, Tata neglected to modify any of the components of the car itself, so the bling Nano still only comes with one windscreen wiper, one wing mirror, no air conditioning, and a 33bhp 0.6-litre two-cylinder petrol engine.

And the only way to get to the boot is via the cabin, as part of the Nano's cost saving measures include there not being a hatch at the rear of the car.

Is this the ultimate expression of bling, or another example of money not buying taste? Have your say below.

This was taken from the link: http://cars.aol.co.uk/2013/08/01/wor...lion-makeover/

Net Conclusion: I don't think the Nano will ever sell in large numbers. It will manage just about whatever numbers we are seeing presently. A few fluctuations in some months but otherwise on an average what we are seeing right now

[cdrin]

Tata Nano is not selling not because of cheap factor.Indians prefer things to be cheap.Nano is being done in by its small ness as Indians are used to seeing M800 as the smallest one.
Tata Nano is in competition with nobody except second hand cars of Maruti which are available at same price or even less. Thus I dont see Nano picking up in sales as there is enough supply well maintained of M800,Alto,K-10 preowned cars at this Price point. Being small ,which was the objective of Nano is its undoing as it is priced well above scooters and just at the rate of preowned cars. Tata Nano has to grow Big,no other way.It should be back to basics

[anky]

There should be a 3 cyl engine . Lot more quieter and more rev happy and more powerful . 45 bhp or so . Less vibrations . More reliable . My bonnet release handle broke one day and petrol is to be filled inside bonnet . Had a tough time opening it . When I rev it hard it makes an awful noise people start looking . And revving the engine just produces noise not much power . I only drive in the city .

[Vishbull_6157]

I have no doubts that the Nano car will sell in large numbers. It's like when the BPO industry, when call centers started their operations 10 years ago in the Indian market. For few years , everyone was like call center this that, it's bad and looked down upon people who used to work in call centers ( experienced it myself). But 10 years down, the industry has only grown providing meaningful employment to many. Similarly, I feel the nano will make a bigger market for itself.

That day, I will re quote my this message and tell everyone." I told you so ".

I have owned over a dozen of vehicles in my motoring years and I can say with confidence that Nano by itself ( relatively - one can bash any car with a more superior one) is a superb car. I rate it 8 on 10. Easy to buy, easy to run and easy to maintain. 4 years / 60000 kms company warranty, @ less than Rs 3.5/ km running cost , one can buy with as little as 15000 down payment and Rs 4500/ month EMI.

For people who are only looking at functionality and need a workhorse, who spend their own money on buying and for fuel, who don't care what people say will find the value in this master piece

It will sell and in numbers.

[FlatOut]

The art in anything minimal is to make the average person see that 'Less is More'. The Fiat 500 had a similar engine in the back, which was made up for with a pleasing exhaust note and the fact the car was very cute. It suited Italy's narrow streets and sometimes frenzied driving style perfectly.

The Citroën 2cv was altogether different, 'the most intelligent application of minimalism' according to LJKSetright the famous journalist. It way propelled with a smooth, reliable boxer twin driving the large front wheels. The car was extremely comfortable and could be driven down unmade tracks at the same speed and similar comfort as on metalled roads, its strength meant things rarely broke. Handling, brakes and roadholding were of a very high level. Its body was lightweight, extremely practical and rustic looking.

The Volkswagen also had a very smooth engine, with four cylinder opposed under the back of the car. It had a good form, looked (and was) streamlined, was well made and the car proved reliable - although it was plagued with design faults which took years to iron out according to the engineers who took charge post war. (Interviewed in BBC programme "Das Auto -The Germans, their cars and us"). Its success was in no small part due to brilliant advertising campaigns.

The British Mini was a triumph of packaging, it looked quite ordinary for its time except for its size. The boot was hinged at the bottom and intended to be left down to allow more luggage carrying for holidays. It handled like a go cart (and was nearly as uncomfortable as one) and became the car of the fashionable in London through the sixties. The car became just as fashionable itself in Paris.

All these cars were intended to do the same thing, broadly, as the Nano. They were all minimalistic, only what was necessary was included. Bare metal abounded, the Citroën only received a starter motor at the last minute. Fuel consumption was low for all four. The Mini didn't sell at first but caught on as filmstars and other famous people were seen with one - all four cars were heavily promoted.

I think the Nano needs qualities beyond the price its efficiency if it is to sell in large numbers. As a non-Indian, it is difficult to judge this, especially since I haven't yet driven one. With the French car, people were amazed by its comfort and economy, the VW was of a consistently high build quality, the Italian 500 was cute and cuddly and the Mini was eager like a puppy with a racing car feel to when off the lead. What else does the Nano offer?

[rascalangel]

Its funny that people say why would anyone go for a nano when a second hand maruti is available for the same price or lesser. isnt that argument true for all cars? i mean one could say why go for a new swift when one can get a used civic for that price. A new car is a new car is a new car!!

And i dont think the cheap factor had anything to do with the debacle of nano. Being cheap can be actually quite good. Case in point is the dream series from Honda or even Micromax. What hurt nano sales most was the product refinement which in turn hints at its reliability. The fire incident dint help nano at all plus add to it what had become of brand image of tata as passenger car manufacturer. I mean just look at our posts, we compare a new nano to second hand maruti,a maruti not a hyundai or chevrolet or even tata's own indica's. The reason is that we swear by maruti's reliability so much so that we would prefer to buy used maruti over a brand new shining car.


Another example is again the dream series from honda.People dint refrain from dream series because it was cheap,no, infact it sold so many units that its no 2 now.All because the indian consumer knows that honda is reliable. Same is the case with micromax.when they first launched dont think many indians trusted the brand as its was and is a chinese product rebranded.But today its among the top 5 just because it has proved to be reliable.ofcourse helped by lots a advertising no doubt.

So i feel the real thorn in tata's flesh is not that nano is cheap but the reliability of it and all other tata cars.

[richie4u]

Well it may not sell in large numbers but one thing's for sure my Nano will always be replaced by a Nano itself and that too every 3.5 years forever. As long as Nano's prices are affordable as they are, 4 years warranty,easiest maintenance ever, this car is the best package money can buy.

The car has oodles of space, very easy to park because of its size,awesome turning radius. This car is driven by me almost everyday for a minimum of 30-40kms and I got to say I don't get tired of driving it at all.