[muni]

@aaggoswami: Sad to know that you have gone through this for someone else's fault.

The traffic sense in general in Idia isnt decent by any standards and there may be a rise in accidents once the Nanos come in.

There should be pro active policies by the government to infuse good traffic sense and ensure that the traffic rules are followed with strict penalties.

The Govt should gear up before the Nano release rather than and reaact later.

[razor4077]

Like many have mentioned, the Nano could cause some major chaos in our already congested cities if Tata was allowed to distribute it with no constraints. Tata has mentioned that the main target audience are people in the Tier 2 cities and below. But this of course does not imply that they do not intend to sell it in the metros. And there will definitely be a huge demand for them in the metros as well.

I'm just thinking out aloud here... can the sale of cars like the Nano be regulated like the sale of LIG/MIG flats? That is, people who earn above Rs.X per annum do not qualify to buy a Nano. There are a million loopholes in this idea, I know, but I'm sure that analysts can work out a sound strategy.
Any comments?

[Sideways]

.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by razor4077

I'm just thinking out aloud here... can the sale of cars like the Nano be regulated like the sale of LIG/MIG flats? That is, people who earn above Rs.X per annum do not qualify to buy a Nano. There are a million loopholes in this idea, I know, but I'm sure that analysts can work out a sound strategy.

Why? Why should anyone but me decide what car I buy? If you can afford a Swift, would you like MSIL to disallow you from buying an 800?

Originally Posted by Brosreview

Hyundai provide their cars with ABS, EBD, airbags, 4 speaker mp3 players and similar stuff that serve as eye candy to buyers. These features were once after-market installations that turned optional and now become standard.

The Santro does not have EBD, or airbags. And I've NEVER seen aftermarket airbags or ABS on sale anywhere.

Originally Posted by Brosreview

Moreover, their cars are all placed at an astonishingly cheap price making the Indian masses go for nothing but Hyundai.

Weird, considering MSIL is India's largest carmaker, and Hyundai is known to shuttle between 2nd and 3rd, with Tata.

Originally Posted by Brosreview

for instance, their not so good ABS system that are locally made, barely meeting industry standards, thus explaining the cheap aka affordable price tag.

Can you substantiate this? On this forum, I have only read reviews of German cars (like Mercedes Benz) having ABS failures. And AFAIK, all ABS systems in India are manufactured by Bosch.

Originally Posted by Brosreview

When questioned about unsafe emissions he emotionally evaded the reporters to the Indians masses deserving a “right to an individual form of transport”.

Actually, he has said the car is BS III and Euro IV compliant.

Originally Posted by Brosreview

The features provided are ancient – not Tata Nano but Tata Nana (grandfather).

It provides the same features as an M800, or even the earlier model Santros, that were sold without power steering.

Originally Posted by Brosreview

The wheels that appeared to have been borrowed from a Bajaj auto rickshaw cannot hold on to the roads in a bend (Indians roads are filled with those).

The wheels appear to be 10", the same size as the Mini. And we all know how well that car managed to hold onto the roads in a bend!

Originally Posted by Brosreview

As far as I see it, I feel he meant this was a poor peoples’ car; world’s cheapest car with cheap in terms of class. The ones who...
...
... So, there you go, the lower class or two-wheeler class can finally buy something on 4 wheels.

Looks like you haven't been paying attention. That's EXACTLY what Ratan Tata intended it to be. We didn't need all this flowery prose to deduce this, when Tata's PR machine has been screaming this from the rooftops.

Originally Posted by Brosreview

This car could melt down as made of plastic and adhesives used to make it cheaper and hence not entirely safe. It is like a use and throw car.

Yes, just like the insides of a car are made of plastic, and they also melt regularly in our cars. And sonny, I don't know about you, but 1.5 lakhs is certainly NOT the kind of money I can 'throw'.

While it is nice to read posts with fully formed sentences, and what appears to be intelligent writing, that alone does not make an argument, let alone a compelling one. Facts are normally the backbone to such a proposition.

I've anyway voted on this thread, but again, .

[hellspawn]

Originally Posted by Brosreview

Apples’ iPod nano has a storage capacity of 4 or 8 GB storing up to 1000 or 2000 songs, 3500 to 7000 photos, 4 to 8 hours of video and enables data storage via usb cable with 24 hours of audio and 5 hours of video playback. Impressive!!! Isn’t it? Is it the same with the Tata Nano?
.
.
.
All criticism apart, just like all Yash Raj banner films keep the tiller busy, this car could possibly increase congestion as it has opened the affordable factor for more sets of people and may become a hit. But, will Ratan Tata buy one? I bet for the same price he would prefer renting a Ferrari 355 Spyder for a weekend in Europe. And, international buyers would prefer a fully-paid off fortnight trip to Northern India (Delhi – Mandawa - Bikaner – Jaisalmer – Jodhpur - Udaipur – Pushkar – Jaipur – Agra – Khujraho – Varanasi – Delhi). That would be more fun, wouldn’t it?

wow!thats some nicely written gibberish...for a second i thought it made sense....
and if you didnt pay attention,Ratan Tata intended the nano to be a replacement for 2 wheelers.And you make it sound so pathetic when you talk about the lower class...they are people as well and deserve to travel safely and comfortably.
highly disgusted by your post.
And i completely agree with v1p3r's post.

[aaggoswami]

Muni
The traffic sense in general in Idia isnt decent by any standards and there may be a rise in accidents once the Nanos come in.

There should be pro active policies by the government to infuse good traffic sense and ensure that the traffic rules are followed with strict penalties.

The Govt should gear up before the Nano release rather than and reaact later.

Agree with you completely. The traffic sense is just thrown into the thrash. It is so deeply troubling everyone even now that the government should start instantly reacting properly for better driving manners and incorporating discipline.

My view is that it is the citizen that should understand how to drive. We know that whatever we say to government is of no use. we must ourself develop the driving sense. Disciplined driving is suppossed to flow in our blood, but it is different story.
So if the Nano is out there with the general public that beleives "we have a right to live and drive" then its fine but if they forget that others also have a right to live and drive, then as i mentioned, it trouble.

Razor 4077
Like many have mentioned, the Nano could cause some major chaos in our already congested cities if Tata was allowed to distribute it with no constraints. Tata has mentioned that the main target audience are people in the Tier 2 cities and below. But this of course does not imply that they do not intend to sell it in the metros. And there will definitely be a huge demand for them in the metros as well.

I'm just thinking out aloud here... can the sale of cars like the Nano be regulated like the sale of LIG/MIG flats? That is, people who earn above Rs.X per annum do not qualify to buy a Nano. There are a million loopholes in this idea, I know, but I'm sure that analysts can work out a sound strategy.

If such constraints are added then some great people would say "Rich people do not want to others driving cars" and the clash would be still on with more negative energy.

And yes the demand will be very high for metro. In Vadodara which I think is not that backward, the demand will be high as will be in other cities. We ourselves want to sell CNG 1992 M800 and buy the Nano for city use.

[ponniah_ashok]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Really speaking I am skeptical as to whether the "1 lakh car" will replace the autos on the roads. Autorickshaws have some inherent advantages that this car (any car) will not be able to meet so easily.

* Autos are loaded and then overloaded. If you see those share-autos they load at least 5 passengers and many a times even 6, besides the hanging driver. This is difficult to do in an enclosed vehicle. Not a very endearing feature for any autowalah.

* Autos are much more pliable and can sneak in at the most diffiult of spaces because of that snout. A blunt faced vehicle (a car) can not do that so easily. For an auto driver that immediately translates into fewer trips and hence lesser earning.

* Autos are relatively zero maintenance when compared to any car. This is a big plus for all auto drivers/owners. Changeover to a four wheeled vehicle shoots up the costs.

* Autos are classified separately from taxis. The licensing (permit) is different for the two. Now replacing autos with four wheeled cars will mean a change in the permit type (from autos to taxis). This will face enormous blockages.
1. Taxi unions will revolt.
2. Because of the fixed quota for each type it may not be possible to grant so many taxi licenses in a city.

Hi,
Zappo has been making sense in both his postings...

My general views on the car and the market:

1.The car's production solely depends on the volume. The suppliers cannot take it any more if the volume goes down anywhere below what TATA claims they would sell in the market. The suppliers are assured atleast 80% of the number.
2.The price tag in my estimate cannot be sustained even for a year.(Not to add the fact the vehicle needs upgradation peridically, which means again higher input costs)
3.The targetted buyers for this cars can be,
a.Lady drivers-if the car is proven to be safer on roads, not what Mr.TATA claims as it is.(I jus can't imaine Mr.TATA saying the car is a tin box and may not stand a chance in an increasingly dangerous driving conditions of indian roads!!!).May be the dealers are told this will give a better business in terms of denting and paintng business. I sure agreewith those who said TATA is a business man and not doing social service.I can only sympathise with those who say TATA is more concerned with those families riding on the scooters. it is joke. If he were so concerned, he would have as well ventured into business if providing cheap ousing for middle class people in bombay and other expensive cities where people literally live in shambles.(May be he has never visited those places). or he could have opened a chain of retaurants to provide hygienic foor at throwaway prices. lol....Anyway indians can be hooked to such heart touching talks...
b.As a second car at home for the young college going kids-Only if the car is proven to be trendy and has a decent power and ease of driving, which i feel not is not the case.
c.As a decent commuter for a rural family with decent income-The car should be able to handle rural roads. couple of breakdowns en route in the rural area with our guy sitting in the car with family at night hours will be enough for him to dump the car and take a bus.
d.Middle class of the urban areas- I think they will decide the fate of this car. But the question is, a second hand 800 is a better bet with the proven record or a second hand omni(It would be interesting if MSIL should drop the prices of omni and 800 as well!!!)
But the problem is middle class cannot have 2 types of cars one for a short morning and evening ride to office and one for highways or bad roads and foe high speed or for a pleasure driving....
The nano is more like a reva. i would not buy the car for the looks and hype. i would choose a second hand alto and use it in all conditions.

But india is a weird market. It may go by the hype. Will the success sustain is a question.

I would like to give a thumbs down clearly for the the simple reason cars are not toys. They should better the existing models in terms of specifications with lesser cost. TATAs seems to have succeded in the later but failed badly in the former.

[razor4077]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Why? Why should anyone but me decide what car I buy? If you can afford a Swift, would you like MSIL to disallow you from buying an 800?

Like I said, it was just a thought, not the solution. But eventually the Govt will have to take some harsh measures to control the volume of traffic on the streets. You look at any of the major cities today - they are not equipped to handle so many cars on their roads. Flyovers and ring roads will help, but only up to a point. If a million Nano's hit the streets, where will that leave the already overflowing thoroughfares?

Anyway, I guess that's off topic for this thread.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

If such constraints are added then some great people would say "Rich people do not want to others driving cars" and the clash would be still on with more negative energy.

Didn't get your point dude....

[scooby05]

Originally Posted by ponniah_ashok

Hi,
Zappo has been making sense in both his postings...

My general views on the car and the market:

1.The car's production solely depends on the volume. The suppliers cannot take it any more if the volume goes down anywhere below what TATA claims they would sell in the market. The suppliers are assured atleast 80% of the number.
2.The price tag in my estimate cannot be sustained even for a year.(Not to add the fact the vehicle needs upgradation peridically, which means again higher input costs)
3.The targetted buyers for this cars can be,
a.Lady drivers-if the car is proven to be safer on roads, not what Mr.TATA claims as it is.(I jus can't imaine Mr.TATA saying the car is a tin box and may not stand a chance in an increasingly dangerous driving conditions of indian roads!!!).May be the dealers are told this will give a better business in terms of denting and paintng business. I sure agreewith those who said TATA is a business man and not doing social service.I can only sympathise with those who say TATA is more concerned with those families riding on the scooters. it is joke. If he were so concerned, he would have as well ventured into business if providing cheap ousing for middle class people in bombay and other expensive cities where people literally live in shambles.(May be he has never visited those places). or he could have opened a chain of retaurants to provide hygienic foor at throwaway prices. lol....Anyway indians can be hooked to such heart touching talks...
b.As a second car at home for the young college going kids-Only if the car is proven to be trendy and has a decent power and ease of driving, which i feel not is not the case.
c.As a decent commuter for a rural family with decent income-The car should be able to handle rural roads. couple of breakdowns en route in the rural area with our guy sitting in the car with family at night hours will be enough for him to dump the car and take a bus.
d.Middle class of the urban areas- I think they will decide the fate of this car. But the question is, a second hand 800 is a better bet with the proven record or a second hand omni(It would be interesting if MSIL should drop the prices of omni and 800 as well!!!)
But the problem is middle class cannot have 2 types of cars one for a short morning and evening ride to office and one for highways or bad roads and foe high speed or for a pleasure driving....
The nano is more like a reva. i would not buy the car for the looks and hype. i would choose a second hand alto and use it in all conditions.

But india is a weird market. It may go by the hype. Will the success sustain is a question.

I would like to give a thumbs down clearly for the the simple reason cars are not toys. They should better the existing models in terms of specifications with lesser cost. TATAs seems to have succeded in the later but failed badly in the former.

Sooner than later, You will Want to Own One!!! In whichever situation you are, either upgrade from a 2 Wheeler or a Second city/town runabout car!!! The NANO is Far Far More Safer than our Auto rikhshaws, Phat Phats and 2 wheelers!!!

[PatienceWins]

Its a great achievement by Tata. It will create chaos in the metros. Doubt whether Tata will increase the price later.
Managing the sales and after sales will be a difficult task. All the best Tata!!

[anshu_46]

Thumbs up from my side. I expected some cheap looking car, but this looks so cute.cheers: Any idea of its wheelbase, looks long though, would help in judging its stability.
I think i am game for it, but can it take some good ice hope the doors and roof don't shoot off. just a joke guys.

[ponniah_ashok]

Dude!

TATAs know the art of getting the govt approvals, be it safety or emission. Every day i see the TATA commercial vehicles, Indicas and Indigos which are a little older, spitting smokes like the steel factory bellows.

It is not the type approval of the new vehicle that is of concern, emission norms in true sense is the life of the engine to sustain the conditions and still maintaining the norms.

I have used TATA vehicles starting from the TATA estates. So many years on, Mr.Rattan TATA could never perfect the passenger cars models(including the Indicas, Safaris and Indigos)They all are still machines moving people but not the cars in terms of worldclass technology. TATA has a long way to go before perfecting a car and to make a 1 lac car. It is just a poor car for a poor man who does not understand what is in store for him is a complete raw deal from a man more interested in keeping his promise rather than giving a better deal.

I only wish TATA had perfected the existing models of Indica and Indigo(more than 6 years and no significant product change yet!!!) rather than eyeing quick bucks through the so called sensation.

If you decide to buy and drive the car, I hope you would enjoy going by your loyalty to TATAs.

[aaggoswami]

@razor:

My point was that if some constraints were added for the sale of Nano, then the potential customers whose first car would have been Nano will come out and say that the move was arrogant. They will also add that the others dont want the common man to have a car.

And this will then erupt into a huge legal battle.

The only solution to the potential problems that Nano is going to give up is that the basic thinking of common man as regarding driving has to be improved with proper exams for all at RTO.

[Car-Agey]

Originally Posted by ponniah_ashok

Dude!
I only wish TATA had perfected the existing models of Indica and Indigo(more than 6 years and no significant product change yet!!!) rather than eyeing quick bucks through the so called sensation.

If you decide to buy and drive the car, I hope you would enjoy going by your loyalty to TATAs.

I have written earlier and again I am writing, quick bucks how????

Investing Rs.1700 crores on a product which hardly provides the scope for returns (expected profit less then 5000 Rs.).

Tatas are learning pretty fast and there are vast improvements in quality in their vehicals.

Another thing Indica, Indigo, Sumo, Trucks all are commercial vehicals driven by drivers, mostly overloaded and poorly maintained. You can find similer smoke emitted by Auto rickshaw, qualis, innova, mahindra vehical, tevera etc, so why blame TATA alone.

[grvanand]

Voted for the first choice, I genuinely think this car is going to be a revolution in Indian motoring, our country is not consisted of just the 7 to 8 major cities, and taking the total number of cars sold in this country vis-a-vis other countries that we aspire to be in terms of economy and development, this car takes us closer to them IMHO.