[condor]

Originally Posted by saket77

Why can't hatchbacks like Alto/ M800 etc. compete with the Nano, in your opinion for the errands you have been using the Nano for?

@Saket, the interior space is definitely better in the Nano. both - Head room & leg room.

The Nano can squeeze into smaller spaces than the Alto / M800. (Just back from a TD).

The Alto AMT is 5L OTR in Bangalore. A clear 1.5L more than the Nano.

Sun_king & Viju can add more points that they may be aware of.

Originally Posted by jeepster_chd

However, I believe TATA should not have only been offering discount/freebies only to existing owners instead they should come up with something for first time buyers like me. I need some encouragement to buy a NANO

At least a loyalty bonus for existing Tata customers !

[saket77]

Originally Posted by condor

@Saket, the interior space is definitely better in the Nano. both - Head room & leg room.

The Nano can squeeze into smaller spaces than the Alto / M800. (Just back from a TD).

The Alto AMT is 5L OTR in Bangalore. A clear 1.5L more than the Nano.

Thank you. Was expecting the space factor. While I agree to the leg room comfort, I am unable to see any benefit of increase in head room after a threshold. After a limit, don't you think that excess headroom becomes redundant? Since, Nano is a tall boy design, the gain in headroom would be significant over Alto/M800, them being low slung ones.

Regarding parking space, then yes, shorter overhangs and overall compact dimensions would make it easier.

Regarding pricing, I feel the difference of 1.5L against the Alto is justified in terms of a bigger engine (with almost same fuel efficiency), openable and more usable boot, broader & matching tires (F & R), better brakes and better stability.

But thanks for your insight over it. A discussion is all about observations from different angles which one person may not make out.

Regards,
Saket

[humyum]

Originally Posted by Viju

Right. And 'a more acceptable conventional car according to how things roll in India as compared to the Nano' should be on my priority list to decide on my purchase because?

Amazing to see perceptions people have about a car without having ever owned one.

Well, I wasn't talking about everyone so you did not have to take that so personally. The sales figures proves my point more than anything and this one when it launches will prove my point too.

Perceptions are what make and break a product, that same perception has worked (not worked) double time for the NANO.

So chill out, it was just a mere observation.

Although I agree with you about the space factor which is wayy better than the Alto 800 (comparing the ALTO because it comes closest to the NANO in terms of price)

Anyway let's see how the team-bhp review of this pans out. The litmus test

[pyrodrive]

Originally Posted by sun_king

Three TBHP members, including myself, are ready to "settle" for another Nano.

Add one more. I have already upgraded from a 2012 nano cx to a new twist last december. After driving a nano for any length of time when you drive an alto 800 or an eon, it feels cramped. Before buying the twist, we test drove both these cars but finally settled on another nano.
Coming to the current offer, I think it is a good move. An existing nano user, say one who uses it as a second or third car, mainly as a city runabout, would love the convenience of an AMT.
My wife would surely love the AMT, but our twist is too new to think of any exchange, at just 4 months old

[sun_king]

Originally Posted by saket77

Dear Viju & Sunking,

Since you have been using Nano for convenience, I have a genuine question. Why can't hatchbacks like Alto/ M800 etc. compete with the Nano, in your opinion for the errands you have been using the Nano for? Your insight as an owner would be valuable.

Regards,
Saket

One feet shorter, two feet smaller turning radius, forward seat placement and more than a lakh cheaper than an Alto 800 LXi (Which still doesn't have a music system). I will leave out the pricing part for the time being, but the smaller size, seat positioning and tighter turning radius makes it more favored by the lady folks in city conditions. For a seasoned driver, the measurements mentioned are of no real significance, but for the person I bought it for, it changes the world. Trust me, size does make a difference .

It is not a competition with a winner, the Nano is a practical compromise over the 800 family. A lakh cheaper price tag comes as a bonus though. For me the Nano is not going to go fast, so the engine power or the braking ability was never really a deciding factor.

@JayD: The Nano with the openable boot should be called "Active" and the AMT is the GenX. So this should be the AMT!
@Pyrodrive: Mine too is just 4 months old, but promises are promises.

[adimicra]

Originally Posted by Viju

Right. And 'a more acceptable conventional car according to how things roll in India as compared to the Nano' should be on my priority list to decide on my purchase because?

Amazing to see perceptions people have about a car without having ever owned one.

While I understand your sentiment, the perception of non-owners is a very important factor. Ultimately, these are the people Tata Motors is targeting with their new Nano GenX.

As you might know already, the perception of Nano being a 'cheap' or 'toy' car is very prevalent. While the Alto is seen as a 'real' car. Now, we can argue about whether the perception is the truth or not but that's a separate debate.

We have seen many 'good' cars fail in the market and so called 'average' cars succeed all based on perception.

I have a certain perception of quality and driving experience about Merc and BMW which makes those aspirational to me. Have I owned them? Definitely not! So, I don't understand why we can't have a perception without owning the car.

The biggest problem with Nano, as with Tata Motos' other cars, is the image or perception. A person who wants to buy his first car doesn't see the Nano as an aspirational one. Hence, it is not in their list.

To me, Nano is a lost cause. In India, once you have a certain bad perception about a car, it's almost impossible to change it irrespective of whatever improvements you might make. And I guess that's precisely the point made by @humyum above. But, I wish Tata Motors best of luck!

[kutoos]

Originally Posted by JayD

Where has Tata mentioned that the offer is for the AMT and not just for manual cars?? I'm getting really confused here, with the general public confidently announcing the launch of the AMT, while inside sources in the company are declaring that only manual will be launched now.

Couldn't this offer be for the new nano with openable boot lid, facelift etc?

While I'm very very excited about the amt nano, I just don't see enough evidence to be,I've that this offer is for the AMT

@JayD, When i contacted the number mentioned in Aditya's post, I got a call back from the Sales team. They were aware of an Automatic, saying it will be launched in march. Unfortunately they had no clue on the exchange offer.

[shifu]

I have a Nano CX that I bought last year(without PS) and would surely like to evaluate this offer. The car is my 3rd, and is primarily used for local errands. However, I am now using this for my daily commute and I am in love!! Its quite spacious inside, easy to manoeuvre and finding parking is easier than a regular car.

If I can get a AMT+PS in the Nano and spend 75k-1lk, I would seriously consider this offer.

Originally Posted by condor

The Nano can squeeze into smaller spaces than the Alto / M800. (Just back from a TD).

The only reason I bought this car last year was because I could fit this in my existing car parking. I park it as a 'T' with my other car. I saved 1lk straight away as I didn't have to buy another parking spot in my apartment complex.

Edit: I have SMS'ed them. Lets see if I hear back...

[Viju]

Originally Posted by humyum

Well, I wasn't talking about everyone so you did not have to take that so personally. The sales figures proves my point more than anything and this one when it launches will prove my point too.

Perceptions are what make and break a product...

Apologies if it sounded as if I took it personally. I didn't. As informed car buyers on a forum like TeamBHP I assumed that people buy cars according to their merit and not herd-mentality. I don't think any changes Tata make to the Nano are going to make it a roaring success. It does not matter to me either. To me it is a brilliantly packaged and priced car which costs very little (50% of what the cheapest Maruti would, at MASS) to maintain.

I was part of the Suzuki team in Japan which did the biopsy of the Nano many years ago. And if Suzuki could have brought in a cheaper product, they would have. Says a lot about Tata's engineering effort.

Also I was part of the design and development team for all the Maruti cars you see on the road right now. So let us just say I know what goes inside what.

I am no fanboy of Tata either (just in case I sound like one). The other three cars I have owned were a Zen, AltoK10 and a Ritz. But if I see that a Tata car gives me the best value, I will buy that and not go by sales charts / popular opinion.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by humyum

Well, I wasn't talking about everyone so you did not have to take that so personally. The sales figures proves my point more than anything and this one when it launches will prove my point too

With the changes Tata has made to the Nano, I would say it now is as much a conventional car than any other - save for the engine placement and idle note

People did miss some niceties from the previous iterations of the car; that I feel now comes in as a complete package for a city runabout vehicle

It did not have an openable hatch. This one does. From my test drive some years ago, the clutch was rather heavy. AMT transmission - issue resolved. It looks GREAT! Has a ton of room. I am a little over 5.11 and I did not need to push the seat back to its max range to sit comfortably. Was reasonably peppy at city speeds. Interiors were about as good or bad as the Alto

Tata has basically resolved all significant follies of the earlier vehicle. This one truly deserves to sell and light the sales chart on fire as long as it is priced sensibly; which I am pretty sure it will be

[jagzrk]

I'm looking forward to this launch. We have a 2012 Nano LX and given IF the difference I have to pay is not much, say around 1.2 to 1.4 lac, it's simply a no-brainer for me to get the Nano exchanged. We have just decided that a Nano should always be there in our family. Its a no-nonsense Point A to B car which never left us stranded in any condition.

Anyway it depends on how the AMT Nano is priced.

[condor]

Originally Posted by saket77

Was expecting the space factor. While I agree to the leg room comfort, I am unable to see any benefit of increase in head room after a threshold. After a limit, don't you think that excess headroom becomes redundant?

Let's view this in a slightly different way. Vertical space is not just about head-room. The seat is also a little taller, so one sits in a more up-right position. This makes travel more comfortable than in a shorter hatch like the Alto's etc. Can make quite a difference in extended commutes

Again, this seating position is beneficial to everyone - including the regular height folks. The additional headroom is a boon to the taller guys.

The legroom comfort is in the horizontal plane - lengthwise. One more area where there is more space than other small hatches.

[PNTLovesNano]

Originally Posted by jeepster_chd

Automatic is going to be a promising product. However, I believe TATA should not have only been offering discount/freebies only to existing owners instead they should come up with something for first time buyers like me. I need some encouragement to buy a NANO

There is a referral bonus of 5K for existing Nano owners. That is, if I recommend you to buy the Nano, I will be given 5K. I can pass this bonus to you as an encouragement to buy a Nano

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by arnabchak

Dear Viju
My Sister owns a Yellow Nano and the statement is not to hurt any one's sentiments and is my view.

What I mean to state here is why would some one drive the same car even after a change.
Is it not human nature to look for the next model and next level of comfort.

Considering that and the general Indian psychology, I believe that this offer may not cut too much across Nano owners.

Then sir, you have not met, Harley owners, bulleteers and Safari owners. There are lot of such people like me, who replace/upgrade within the brand and models. I am not sure about the Nano specifically, but I would have surely replaced my existing Nano with the Next gen, if I owned one in the first place.

[Viju]

Originally Posted by saket77

Dear Viju & Sunking,

Since you have been using Nano for convenience, I have a genuine question. Why can't hatchbacks like Alto/ M800 etc. compete with the Nano, in your opinion for the errands you have been using the Nano for? Your insight as an owner would be valuable.

Regards,
Saket

Hello Saket

I am sorry I missed your question.

For me, the reasons I would prefer to buy a Nano GenX instead of an Alto800 (leaving the M800 aside, since it is out of production) are:

(1) Easier ingress and egress (higher roof, wider opening doors) - this was important for us since my wife was using the car for dropping our 2 year old daughter to her daycare and back. It is much easier to place a kid into his / her child seat, in a taller car than a shorter one.

(2) More comfortable seating position (taller car + higher hip point of the seats, more upright)

(3) Better all-round visibility

(4) Easier to maneuver in traffic and to park in very tight spots (the shorter length and smaller turning radius actually matters. We used to park our Ritz and Nano one behind the other in a 1.5 size parking lot. If we had any other car, we could not have done that).

(5) Equivalent or better fuel efficiency (I used to take the Nano on occasional highway runs also, and without effort, used to get around 23 kmpl at an average speed of around 65 - 70 kph)

(6) Cheaper spare parts and service (please don't ask me to publish evidence, but MASS is not the same as they were in the past and Maruti service to me has become much more expensive. TASS never pushed me to do anything other than what was required, and even then, with Tata's AMC, maintenance costed next to nothing).

(7) Cheaper to buy: this was in fact a factor for us at the time we bought the Nano since it was my wife's first car and as we were in a hurry I was not able to find a good pre-owned deal. We had just around 2.5L to spend and the Nano LX special edition fit the budget perfectly.

(8) The availability of the AMT is just the icing on the cake.

For me, reliability of the Nano was as good as any of the Maruti cars I have owned.