Team-BHP - PICS: Tata begins testing Nano Twist Active AMT

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Originally Posted by rsquared (Post 3632793)

Even I too felt that the tire sizes to be the same. Joe M can you please confirm?

Actually when I saw the car I quickly took out my phone and snapped these pics. So more or less what we see in the pics is all I too have/know. I feel the tire size is the same. Didn't look much different from the current car in the overall stance, at the short glance I had. I think they've made the engine more silent, as there was no audible clatter even during the test runs. But it was a very smooth road.

The Tata Nano AMT has to be absolutely spot on with respect to pricing, features and reliability. Because the Maruti Alto K10 AMT is already getting very popular. Reliability has never been Tata's strength - but they have a real chance here with Nano AMT. If they miss it up this time - I think it will be a long long road back for Tata if there is one.

Given that the Nano is 5+ years old, it really needs a facelift along with any feature additions. If Tata wants to be recognized as a serious manufacturer, they really need to start shortening their product life cycles to get them in line with generally accepted norms. If my memory holds, Hyundai I20 was launched around the same time as the Nano and is already on its second gen, while the Nano has not even undergone a full mid life facelift (IMHO, the addition of power steering constitutes a feature update).

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Originally Posted by prashanthyr (Post 3634303)

Absolutely correct! With Tata it's always a case of too little, too late. If they hope to make a success of the new Nano, what we've seen so far seems unimpressive. The sort of leap they took with the Zest & Bolt is what is really needed for their entire existing range.

The Nano has its strengths, but its weaknesses are quite serious as well. I was always biased towards this car right from the day it was launched.
However, having lived with the vehicle for quite some time now, I have mixed feelings-about the possibility of buying (or recommending) a newer model of the car (with AMT).

The main issue is related to workmanship, and quality of basic materials used. I cannot understand why the car becomes as good as new when it is serviced, but after around 1000km of very sedate driving, the engine does not feel the same. This is not a problem related to the service quality- the issue is perhaps related to the mounting mechanism for the entire setup (engine + transmission) which develops a play over time.
The problem is thus not the engine refinement, it is the increase in vibrations that are transferred because of the mounting mechanism. This is something that the company can easily address, without incurring a lot of expenses.

Another idea that they can consider is to relocate the exhaust pipe to the front- this would increase the length of the silencer and enable them to reduce ambient noise while the car is running.

The Nano is a brilliant platform that can get better with an AMT. Once the engine sound is improved, people will stop associating it with an autorickshaw. That is the stepping stone for improving the image of this vehicle.
One thing that should be appreciated about the design of the car is that the simplicity still makes it look very attractive, despite being 5 years old. It does not look outdated at all.

Tata in my opinion needs to be the leader and not a follower. Too often you see them being reactive instead of being pro-active. When the Nano was launched - it got unprecedented hype ever for an Indian car. It was discussed even internationally. The tag cheap car was associated with it - and instead of repelling those notions with a quality product , Tata instead fell into their trap and made the nano with atrocious build quality. that sealed its fate and Tata has being playing catch up ever since. It would need some serious commitment to turn Tata around. Not impossible, but quite difficult.

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Originally Posted by aniketi (Post 3614606)

Tata needs to address 3 things to Nano to make it a complete car IMHO.

1 Silent engine. They have taken care of it to a certain extent but it still requires more refinement with silent sound, without any putter putter and vibrations.

2 Open able rear boot. It will make sure that it has proper boot to keep small luggage bags in the space it has got as a boot. Current Nano has to keep it from inside which is bad.

3 To fill petrol you need to open the bonnet !!! That's not at all acceptable. People feels it as a juggad kind of thing. It really feels bad on petrol pump to open bonnet. Tata should give proper petrol feeling option like other cars with bigger petrol tank, may be 20-22 liters is sufficient.

These changes will make Nano as a complete car.

They need to make changes to the dashboard even. A driver side dashboard like other cars will do the trick. Zest/Bolt like dashboard will do wonders..... Ofcourse costing will increase.

The steering wheel in this version seems to be the normal version. I peeped into one of the test cars in Pune and it had a steering wheel like the Zest albeit a scaled down version. The rear had an "F-tronic" badge. Somehow the rear panel also had two protruding humps on it but I couldn't tell if they were there to obfuscate the design or something.

EDIT: Just saw GTO's post (#85). The variant I spotted had humps on either sides whereas the one in this picture seems to have a single hump in the center.

Firstly Tata has to get rid of the archaic speed limiter on the Nano. I mean come on, if the real cause of the 105 kmph top speed is because your wheel bearings are not rated beyond that, please upgrade the wheel bearings and also ensure you give disc breaks at the front end. In modern traffic 105 kmph is too low and the car is effectively a city run about.
Adding AMT and a bigger engine, you are basically changing the very essence of the car from a small nimble commuter yet another hatch back. When you do that, people will expect much better interiors and exteriors and all the basic features which say I10 offers.
I am not sure if Tata motors is creating a bigger problem for themselves rather than a solution to stagnant sales.

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Originally Posted by vibhu_f430 (Post 3660968)

I think you are forgetting the Scorpio automatic. The one and only choice available and a pretty decent one.

Was. Scorpio automatic was. M&M has stopped AT variant as their AT box supplier from down under slid under. I agree it was a very capable car when it was. I had it for one full day and I found pick up and speed very good by SUV standards.

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Originally Posted by apachelongbow (Post 3636156)

You have to be kidding us!! lol: Which city in India has modern traffic travelling at 105 KMPH? That's not even legal on our highways, much less within the cities. :uncontrol