[simplyself]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

I believe that the Nano, at this stage, of it's lifecycle is nothing but a POC, if we consider the full lifecycle this product can and will eventually have. True, a few things have gone wrong with the design, marketing, sales strategy etc..., but I think, these are also very good inputs to Tata to pick up on what works and what does not. As someone said earlier, I'd also expect the Nano to bounce back to the 3K-4K mark pretty soon.
I am not a fan of Tata vehicles, and certainly not one of Nano, but the intent behind the Nano is great. It is now time for Tata to get the Execution right.

There is no such thing as a fan. Every penny counts.

[amit_mechengg]

whenever i speak with people in rural areas as well as not so automobile literate urban public the first thing that comes out of their mouth is
" Nano is unsafe, it catches fire"

being a low priced car people always had a fear whether its a safe car or not and voila the great indian " Be- lagam" media pounced on nano as if they themselves were burnt alive in nano.

this was a major hit that nano faced IMHO.

the other things are no boot space. engine sound etc , but safety seems to be the most important aspect that people are worrying about.

i think tata should openly advertise that all the faults related to wiring are rectified and we commit a fireproof car.

[kochicar]

Here is my view about NANO CX after owning it for more than a year now.

Basic details about ownership.

Total KM run +10000
Purchased price 2.04 lacks on road.
Average fuel efficiency +20 kmpl with AC in plains.
Manufacturing defects= No
Major repairs faced in one year ownership =twice
Got stuck in road= once (ignition problem)
Did Tata motors fixed major issues = YES (They need to be praised for giving attention to issues with divine respect. Even had the courtesy to replace two prematurely worn out tyres under warranty period)
Minor issues = hardly anything.
value of money= YES



Plus points.
Nano could bring raised eyebrows even now in many locations.
Very easy to park on limited space.
AC is quiet powerful.
Seating position is great for four adults.
No additional noise from any body part even after one year use.
Function best as a second car.
There is ample rear floor space for groceries.

Minus points
Noisy engine lacks power and you beg for it at times.
No passenger side rear view mirror. ( Cannot even buy it as an accessory).Tata, are you listening???
Rear seat center gets hot and passengers get wild on long trip.
Rear passengers feels they are in a cage on seeing the metal rods in front of their legs.
Bad positioning of electric window switches.

Do I recommend Nano to others?
Only if they own any other car.

[Tstag]

Originally Posted by invidious

I can see why Tata might wish to employ German or Japanese or American automotive talent if need be. But British - please. Considering the Brits managed to run every brand of their aground, it would be harakiri.

Oh come on. JLR are making fantastic cars having been largely reorganised as companies by the Germans and the Americans. Given they have changed it now makes sense to put JLR in charge of all future TATA model development. They clearly know how to make cars which are both iconic and don't catch fire!

Kia outsource to German designers, TATA already have a massive UK R&D team. It's not rocket science only national pride is an obstacle.

[anekho]

Originally Posted by Tstag

Oh come on. JLR are making fantastic cars having been largely reorganised as companies by the Germans and the Americans. Given they have changed it now makes sense to put JLR in charge of all future TATA model development. They clearly know how to make cars which are both iconic and don't catch fire!

Yes, but can they pull it off when working on a tight budget? Designing budget cars is a whole different ball game... can't really be compared.

[drrajasaravanan]

Hi
Kochicar has summarised it all. Thats the way most of the metro people look at nano. Have a slice of history in their garage and drive around for groceries and stuff.

[srinivasmhn]

Just checked the on road price of nano in Bangalore.
Base model costs - 1.79L
Top end model costs - 2.29 L

It is not way cheaper anymore. I was planning to get Nano base model for my wife. But for this price i can look for a used good second car.
In my opinion it is suffering from high price, The base model on road price should be below 1.5L and top end model should be below 2L.

[muni]

It's difficult to understand how people who are well read also expect the nano to cost less than 1.5 Lakh on road.

An auto with bare minimum equipment costs upwards of 1.5 Lakh on road. If you keep this in mind you should get a clear perspective.

The Nano is bound to cost that much. Why have such a disappointment is all I dont get.

[gavinimurthy]

Looks like people are prefering a second hand 2/3 years old Alto/Santro type cars which are available in the price range of a brand new Nano. They prefer the peace of mind that comes with these cars for the same price.

The fire incidents have definitely dented the reputation of Nano very seriously, and it is very tough to erase the image of an unsafe car that has been etched in the minds of people.

The least thing TATA can do is make the engine hood openable. The very fact that one can't look at the engine bay even in case some thing amiss is observed while driving is a big deterent.

For example, if the driver of any normal car senses that the car is getting overheated, the first thing he would like to do is to open the bonnet and observe what could be the culprit. He may or may not be able to solve the problem. But atleast he is assured that nothing is serious and can wait for help. With an engine that is hidden, it is psychologically frightening to drive this car with all the burnt images in one's mind.

Murthy

[greenhorn]

ET has a front page article on it today
How Tata Nano hit a big bump in India - The Economic Times

[sunishsamuel]

was chatting with a far relative of mine sometime back who is looking to buy his first car, his budget is low and looking at a very basic commuter. Not interested in carrying luggage or family members etc. He is the only kid and they are scared of him driving a bike. Since money is a problem looking for something low cost. So i suggested him Nano.

His take is:

- Its a tata car, he seemed to have heard bad stories about tata cars in general and dont want to invest.
- People would brand him because its aimed at the poor people in India (?)
- He is ready to buy a cielo or a ford escort (from some known people) for about 60K-80K and live with the problems but not ready to buy a new tata which pollutes less, safer, needs less space to park etc. He feels getting a cielo or a car of that type improves his image and prospects of marriage compared to a nano.
- At the same time he also says that a bank is ready to advance his car purchase and he can think of a maruti 800 not a nano.

I guess the above might be felt by many people. When tata decided to take the plunge, they could have looked at an EV model of nano which would be a great USP. I doubt if they could have kept the costs low, but what if they tried ? Plus govt giving subsidy, incentives or tax holiday ?

It will be tough going forward, as with more and more new models coming in the 4L+ range, and some models going out dated, people would get good deals for lancer, astra, ford ikon, safari turbo etc within 2.5L (the cars may be old, but what if someone is lucky to find a good car?) and they would not be really worried about problems or mileage to that extent as the low cost buyers would be using it only for a weekend outing, functions or when it rains. I am just thinking aloud.

[mooza]

The Versa had failed. Years later, the Eeco is a success. Same platform.

Reason is obvious. Reduction in pricing.

Nano should follow a similar route.

[creative420]

My Brother just bought a Tata Nano in Bhopal. I was not sure about it as Bhopal is a hilly city, or at least in the part where we live. So I thought it'll have trouble climbing up the hill with a healthy family of 4. But hello Mr. Tall Boy! I was wrong. In fact, I loved it so much that I was driving this car all the time that I was there for my Diwali break. But few things that didn't really go down well were:

1. Yes the engine makes that purr...I'm sure there should be a way to bring it down.
2. It doesn't have a glove box. Now where the hell do I keep the manual and RC book? (Extra cost of 1k?)
3. Only the driver's seat is adjustable. Other one should be too. (Another extra cost of 2K)
4. Somehow I wasn't happy with the quality of clutch. It wasn't really smooth enough.

So yeah, these few point. Also...since I'm work in the advertising industry, I remember its launch campaign and the innovations they did in the newspaper. I think they should have done more. They definitely need a celebrity to endorse it. Not you A class actors, but someone like Manoj Bajpai or Rajpal Yadav. Someone who looks like a commoner.

Woah! That gives me a campaign idea. :P

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by muni

It's difficult to understand how people who are well read also expect the nano to cost less than 1.5 Lakh on road. The Nano is bound to cost that much. Why have such a disappointment is all I dont get.

Simple - expectation was set by the manufacturer. What do you then expect people to think ? If something cant be produced at 1lakh, why say that it is being planned at that price point ? The declared price got them loads of publicity, but when the target could not be met, backlash is inevitable.

[creative420]

Plus...Why is it so expensive? I mean for a common man who thought he will be able to buy a car in 1L or even 1.1l to 1.2L, but this car sells for freaggin' 1.5L (approx Bangalore price)