[asit.kulkarni93]

The whole target audience for the Nano was wrong in the first place. The Nano we have at home is our car used for city runs & my brothers college commute. It's a perfect second car. It's spacious, GC is more than enough and in/egress is convenient.

I personally love the product for its package but the Tata after sales experience has been horrible. I have totally given up on Concorde, Baner. If I were in the market for a car from a similar segment I would honestly choose an Alto800 over the Nano.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I disagree. The cheapest car tag propelled it to top of mind recall, internationally. Everybody was talking about it.
I remember everyone wanting one on launch, including myself. People had their cheque books out. But what happened at Singur put a spanner in the works. There was a two year delay and that's a lot for a new launch. The hype burned itself out and people were tired of waiting. Reported fires did not help matters much.

"Top of mind recall" is quite correct - and for that very reason (cheapest car) no one wanted to be tagged with such ownership. Much as I'd like to believe in the inverted snobbery phenomena, I also believe that this sentiment is alive & well in W.Europe & other similar economies (Japan & S'pore for example), where people easily put their money where their mouth is. Not in India - where VFM is still king of the hill. But God forbid the "cheapest" tag!

[Sawyer]

On the other hand I get excellent service from Concorde Baner because if needed, I throw tantrums and threaten to pull strings at TML. As a TML sub, that gets their attention fast. This is the problem with Tata - their service outcomes are person and not fully process dependent. I never had to do this with the late lamented DSK Toyota down the same road.

I also never have to do this with Honda or Maruti for a Civic/Gypsy. Service isn't 100% flawless, but is close enough to that to be acceptable.

So with Tata, one can count on service to deliver - in time at times! But it certainly isn't a Fiat situation that I have experienced and the Skoda one that I have read about.

[kutoos]

I'd been an avid follower of this model. Had umpteen test drives whenever each model was launched and finally succumbed to the charm when the twist was launched. Having owned the car and driven extensively for over 20K kms in the last 3 years, the following is an honest feedback

1. Nano : Cheap Car. This is a tag which had intentionally or unintentionally been affixed to this car. As a result, you will be bombarded with queries like
a. "For a few thousand more, you could have bought an Alto"
b. " I bought a bullet for the same amount you spent on the Nano"
c. " Why Nano"

The above three are the most oft asked questions by friends family and the general public. 90% of the time, the folks making the impression/questions have never even driven or been driven in the car.

My father who was against the purchase, grudgingly had to admit that the seating comfort in the Nano is on par with his Wagon -R sans the boot. Also the turning radius, ability to manoeuvre in tight spaces and visibility was much better than the Wagon - R

The other surprising factor was the total cost of ownership, In the past 3 years of ownership, I had spent only about 2000 Rs for service related, that too after expiry of the AMC. TML service had been top notch and much improved
The chief complaint my wife had was that it made a lot of noise. Yes I do agree that cabin noise intrusion was high.

Thirdly, I never had the confidence to let the speedo cross 80. The steering feel was non existent and the chances of toppling were also high. On expressways and fast carriageways, wind buffeting was another issue.

Finally, the brakes were not enough. Drive through water logged areas, and you lose your brakes, till you have the instinct to stop and pump them dry. A sure recipe for disaster.

While the tag remained a "Cheap Car", it was not cheap anymore. The latest AMT came close to 4L, but it was something too little too late.

After continuously fighting with the family on defending the purchase, finally had to give up. Sold the car and moved back to Hyundai stables for an i10. Now there is peace of mind but a hole in my pocket, which I guess will have to grin and bear

[Nanolover]

OK. Now rose tinted spectacles aside, let me bring some pragmatism here.

My comments on this are because, I owned the original sunshine yellow nano ( driven 40K) and from 2015, switched to the Nano xta (25K and counting).

I love Tata, so wanted something different during my posting in Bangalore ( the only other option then was the dreary alto) and eyes closed went for the nano without even a test drive from KHT motors.

Now looking back, when you buy a car in this segment you expect bullet proof reliability ( its your only car after all), easy spares availability, good mileage and for people in Bangalore at least - bare minimum visit to a dealer service center.

My Nano from this batch in 2011 was NOT a reliable car. Even though i treated it with kid gloves and was only driven by me ( hell, I even had the upholstery done at Karlssons- probably the only Nano they have ever done).

List of failed parts IMMEDIATELY on taking delivery -
- speedo not working
-headlight dim/ dip not working
- left rear door central lock not working ( it never did after replacement also, i gave up).

All these were replaced but imagine how many times you had to make trips to the service center. It was a good car to drive , BUT in this segment reliability counts above all. Most people would have been scared off by this fact alone.

Another frustrating problem is half of the time spares are not available- double whammy. Other parts failed included the condenser fan, , juddering clutch,ac gas leakage, ruptured radiator( stone hit),easily clogged ac filter ( it still is the same design in 2017 and it can be only unscrewed for a simple job like cleaning- if you have hands like an orangutan).

The AC problem I got fixed outside as I had no confidence in Tata dealers at that time. It was used to ferry kids in the end , but I was tired with these breakdowns and money down the drain plus not so great fuel efficiency with a not so well cooling ac .

Gave up and switched the kids to wagon- r.(Still used daily by driver for school bus/ family runabout without any complaint whatsoever (30k))

U thought I would have learned my lesson. But NO, I immediately went out and brought a damson purple nano xta for my wife and dad. ( dad has now declared it is his own, as i stole his wagon-r to ferry kids ! ). He is ultra possessive about it.

It is now a more sorted package with god given power steering, opening tailgate ( no - use , unless you want to boil your grocery on the way back home) and an auto transmission.

BUT............. the world has moved on from 2010 to 2016.

Drum brakes,asthmatic power, clattery noise, general lack of insulation, skinny and useless front tires- come on - India's largest engineering firm cannot fix these and improve a half decent car in the 7 years it was in production? this is inexcusable especially since the price has doubled.

A suzuki alto for the same money gives you a much smoother engine, disc brakes and a more complete car ( even though i will never ever buy one)

I must tell that touch wood- the reliability problem appears to be a thing of the past ( although easily clogging ac filter remains, plus radiator fan fuse has blown twice). Maintenance is just 2500 bucks till now as part of the two year AMC. Even cycling is more expensive!

But the damage is done- the reliability woes for such a cheap car and the associated image problems seem to have dug its grave. But what gets my goat is this brilliant car was never properly developed.

It is way too noisy and bouncy for a 2017 car. It was originally conceived for a purpose and half way down turned into some thing other ( half baked ) without factoring in that the world also moves on and expects better every year. Pity.

I have owned a mitusbihi i ( same rear engine fromula ) in japan and can understand the charm of rear engine and the being different thing.

But, I see that Tata has also finally moved and is back to producing desirable cars. I love the tiago and the new wave of cars like nexon - (hope they continuously develop and improve it / keep interest alive)

I have the Tata Safari Storme also ( in production for now almost 20 years) , Love it - although it still has its own niggling faults (windshield washer clogged, heater rheostat not working, 2nd gear challenges) which I have glossed over, in the same way you gloss over your naughty child ( yup - now you understand i am crazy).

Maybe i have a thing for the underdog.

If Tata does bring out an electric nano, i have already told my dad I will switch to that . I never learn

[Nissan1180]

Originally Posted by Nanolover

OK. Now rose tinted spectacles aside, let me bring some pragmatism here.

My comments on this are because, I owned the original sunshine yellow nano ( driven 40K) and from 2015, switched to the Nano xta (25K and counting).
I have the Tata Safari Storme also ( in production for now almost 20 years) , Love it - although it still has its own niggling faults (windshield washer clogged, heater rheostat not working, 2nd gear challenges) which I have glossed over, in the same way you gloss over your naughty child ( yup - now you understand i am crazy).

My story is similar to yours. Bought the first gen Nano and then the Twist. Tata used to treat customers as Guinea Pigs and that's why it faltered in the past. The Nano is a low cost car and it makes no sense to spend more than 10% of the cost of the car on servicing it in one year. The new Nano is a very different vehicle. I guess they managed to tighten the vendor quality management process. Initial batches were so bad that there was an used car dealer in West Bengal who was selling almost brand new Nanos in 2013 for Rs. 50,000. All were CX/LX. He said that customers simply grew tired of servicing it and stopped paying emis after which the cars were seized.

It costs as much to make a bad part as a good one. I wonder why they took so long to get the basics right. How can a driveshaft fail in 10,000 Kilometers (mine did) ? It turned out to be a small bearing that gave away. I think the company has evolved a lot since 2010. Look at the product portfolio. Each and every Tata car that's on sale today (except the Indica/Indigo)has a very good reputation in terms of reliability, comfort and design.

[payeng]

With its Tiny Footprint but surprisingly spacious interiors, the Nano should have been the Ideal "Activa" among 4 Wheels, perfect for our crowded cities, perfect as the second (or third) 4 wheeler in the family.

Sadly the AMT came in when the damage was already done.

1. Wrong Positioning: CHEAP / 1 LAKH Car. Tata did try to change that later by trying to position it as a Tendy / Young car, but then it was too late.

2. Worst possible PR at launch: Nano's going up in flames



BUT in my opinion there is still a last throw of the dice left for the Tata Nano.

Tata can use the platform, make some visible design changes to the exterior, rebrand it (ideally) and most importantly put in an EV Kit

With the Govt. push towards EV (Electric Vehicles), this could be an opportunity for Tata.

[SSD2122]

I agree with most of the sentiments expressed by fellow bhpians here.

I had bought a Tata Nano LX in 2011, then exchanged it for a Nano Twist in 2014 for power steering.
I feel that there have been improvements in terms of reliability and servicing over the years for Nano. I never had any complaints in 3.5 years of ownership. Having said that, servicing still to an extent depends on your personal equations with the service personnel.

Personally Nano has been a huge benefit for stress free city driving, small footprint, light weight steering, roomy interiors (5 of our family can fit in without much discomfort), peppy engine and strong A/C and so on....

I still feel that nano has a market out there. It needs to be re-branded and re-launched carefully. With some good products like Zest, Tiago, Nexon getting good traction, this little one too deserves a second chance!

[PNTLovesNano]

Originally Posted by SSD2122

Personally Nano has been a huge benefit for stress free city driving, small footprint, light weight steering, roomy interiors (5 of our family can fit in without much discomfort), peppy engine and strong A/C and so on....

From whatever I recollect it, Nano and good old Maruti 800 is legally permitted to carry 4 persons only

[kutts]

It would be such a mistake to discontinue the Nano. I have similar experience as many in the forum. Owned the previous version of the Nano (2012) and then the Twist. The Twist is remarkable. Its such a pleasure to drive ! No worries of parking, narrow roads, bumpy roads, no roads :-) , easy U-turns, bright headlights that put premium hatches to shame, peace of mind of any accidental scratches by 2-wheelers or auto rickshaws and such a lot more. Given a choice I would definitely buy the next version of Nano if it ever comes (not an EV).

What I would like to see improved is the poor quality wiper - I think its to blame with the arm itself and not the blade since I use Bosch. The next pain point is the wiper wash tank capacity - just lasts a couple of washes. Thats not good for Indian conditions.

[SSD2122]

Originally Posted by PNTLovesNano

From whatever I recollect it, Nano and good old Maruti 800 is legally permitted to carry 4 persons only

I mentioned "fit" and not "drive" to highlight the roomy interiors.

It is mostly driven by me and at times accompanied by 2 more folks.

[PNTLovesNano]

Originally Posted by SSD2122

I mentioned "fit" and not "drive" to highlight the roomy interiors.

It is mostly driven by me and at times accompanied by 2 more folks.

Superb! Till two months ago, I had given the Nano Twist to my wife only and had been driving Alto myself all the while. Suddenly, for some small problem with Alto, I had to take Nano from Bangalore to Mantralayam, Tirupathi, and Chennai (thrice). Loved it each time as there would be absolutely no fatigue in Nano as it would generally in Alto after driving 250 kms. Yes, the Nano is slower by an hour or two on long drives, but it is absolutely without fatigue. The best plus part I discovered accidentally.

[greenhorn]

in the light of the new Group chairman's words. I would say that the reports of the indica's demise are greatly exaggerated, and I expect it to live a long and even more fruitful life.

[Sebring]

The bonnet line of the new Nexon carries forward the Indica's legacy. I see some resemblance but the modern lights take that thought away from you.

[Mohitkumaar]

Apparently the Nano may be phased out soon.

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