Team-BHP - Tata Nano AMT (Automatic) : Official Review

I know there are a lot of early reviews in here, but I did a back to back test with the Alto k10 AMT, the direct rival to the Gen X Nano.

First up, the Alto. I found the gear changes to be tuned for extreme fuel efficiency and shifting up at the slightest hint of throttle. It got so frustrating that half way through the drive, I shifted to manual mode. In manual mode, it was a sheer joy! The downshifts were handled by the AMT while I upshifted and zipped through crowded Mumbai streets. In short, using the car in Auto mode was a real chore and somewhat defeats the purpose of buying the AMT.

Now to the Nano. I was very skeptical. I have driven all the previous generations, right up to the Twist. So I was keenly aware of what to expect. But to my pleasant surprise, the AMT was a real joy to use. The engine seemed to be much better tuned for the AMT and it matched the shift characteristic of the AMT rather well. In manual mode, the shifts were rather vague with the gear indicator blinking and refusing to shift up many times. Back in auto mode, it was superb again.

Easy driving aside, the interior still leaves a lot to be desired. As much as I appreciate the blue tooth audio, the quality of buttons is simply appalling. The rest of switch gear is a vast improvement over the previous generations.

Overall summary: if the primary purpose is intra city commuting, the Nano is the better choice. It can be easily be managed by a 17 or 70 year old first time driver. The Alto is the better choice if you want to drive out on highways, even a little bit.

The Gen X Nano fits its definition perfectly. It is indeed the perfect city run about! Kudos to Tata for mating the AMT so beautifully. Just wish this was the Nano that was unveiled by the great Ratan Tata back at the historic Auto Expo!

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Originally Posted by alphahere (Post 3759104)

Congrats on the new acquisition! And welcome to the family. Would appreciate if you would share your experiences with the car. I'm sure other Bhpians would too! IMHO this forum is the only place where you can find out if your car is working as it should and every bit of information can only help!:)

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Originally Posted by john doe (Post 3759175)

Can you share the on-road with any discounts that you may have got out of Concorde?

Thanks and here's wishing you the same terrific experience that I am having since 2011 with our Nano.

Thanks guys.

The final on-road price came out to be 3,48,490/- INR. There was absolutely no discount on offer. The only thing we managed to negotiate was to get the zero-dep insurance at the price of normal insurance. No accessories are planned for now, except art leather seat covers. Tata Genuine Art leather seat covers cost 6,500/- whereas my usual accessory shop owner quoted 3560/- for the same seat covers.

Regarding driving experience, I will have to wait. The car is mainly for my SIL, who has started driving to office daily now. I have driven the car only for 10 kms or so, hence I cannot comment much on the overall experience.

I am planning to write a report soon with lots of pictures. Watch this space.

Look who's bought a new Nano. In fact, two of them! Big B!

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What prompted you to buy the Nano—not one but two of them?
I liked the car, the latest version. I bought one for myself and one for my granddaughter. It was cute and cuddly like her!!

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Where and when do you plan to use it?
I use it every day. I drive it myself, in and around town and my locality!

http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/BBF...Tata-Nano.html

So finally I drove the Nano AMT through crazy traffic of Pune at peak time in the morning. AMT rocks ! It is such a breeze to drive the Nano with AMT. The tiny size, fantastic steering, and very good front visibility makes it ideal for city runabouts. I drove with 3 adults on some of the steep patches and the Nano pulled effortlessly throughout.

There is a lag from 1st to 2nd which sometimes can be slightly irritating, but only slightly. Its not a deal breaker. And as everyone has already mentioned, you have to get used to the brake feel. But once you are used to its not an issue.

I am yet to drive the Alto AMT, but I am impressed with the Nano which is ~1 lakh cheaper than the Alto. :thumbs up

One thing I would like to add here is that my SIL, for whom this car is, had never driven any car in her life till she got the Nano. Now she drives the Nano everyday to office. That is how easy it is to drive this baby.

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Originally Posted by ajay_satpute (Post 3759393)

The final on-road price came out to be 3,48,490/- INR.

My only concern, these prices are taking it close to a place where it will start failing on meeting higher expectations that come there.

My 2013 car is identical to this one except for not having power steering and AMT. Having driven cars for more than 40 years, I don't need those features on a car of this size and for the kind of traffic I face. And it cost me Rs 250k, new - it meets all expectations that come with that price point.

Is the 2015 car, minus just these two features, still available at Rs 250k on road, all inclusive?

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Originally Posted by Sawyer (Post 3761187)

I agree with your point to an extent, but not 100%. Yes, with the increase in price, the expectations naturally go higher. But I feel that most of the times, these expectations arise out of comparisons. So if we compare the Nano AMT with the Alto AMT, Alto offers lesser features, poor interior space and slightly lower grade AMT performance. However, the engine power of Alto AMT is much better and it is much more suited for highway drives, unlike the Nano.

Also, the AMT costs ! The difference between manual and AMT top-end variants is a good ~70k.

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Originally Posted by Sawyer (Post 3761187)

One reason for the price hike for the GenX is the addition of an openable hatch (which called for increased structural integrity leading to reinforcements) and this is another feature that was not really worth the money. Prior to this modification the boot space was accessible by folding rear the seat forward and that, at worst, means a minor inconvenience to back seat passengers if you decide to do a stop-and-dash shopping.

A GenX XE costs 2.63L OTR in Bangalore, it should be around 2.5L in other places with much lower road taxes, so I would say you can get the new one for the price you are looking for. But it doesn't have an A/C, the next variant is the XM which skimps on the front power windows, music system, central locking and would cost you 2.96L. I got my 2014 December Twist XT (Top end before the GenX came out) for 2.45L and it has all the goodies except the AMT and the openable hatch. Technically you will have to pay a lot more for a lot less in the name of GenX. We are talking about the manual transmission versions here. GenX XT at 3.18 OTR Bangalore costs a massive 73K more than its older sibling.

Word of mouth is that you can still get 2015 unsold Nano Twist XT for around 2.25L OTR in Bangalore (That is about the real worth of the best Nano of the pre-GenX era)

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Originally Posted by BakyaBHP (Post 3761283)

I am from pune.

Just to get an idea, which steep patches, in pune, could the nano pull effortlessly with 3 adults on board?

cheers!

Patch # 1: From Sahwas Society to Karve Road (quite steep)
Patch # 2: From Law College road to Symbiosis junction
Patch # 3: My office's entrance
Patch # 4: from Bavdhan to Chandani Chowk

Your question somehow sounded like an interrogation more than curiosity. :)

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Originally Posted by sun_king (Post 3761266)

GenX XT at 3.18 OTR Bangalore costs a massive 73K more than its older sibling.

Word of mouth is that you can still get 2015 unsold Nano Twist XT for around 2.25L OTR in Bangalore (That is about the real worth of the best Nano of the pre-GenX era)

The first is too expensive for what the car delivers, the second would be an excellent buy. Are you sure though - 2.25 on road for a new car with all the bells and whistles and only lacking in AMT and openable hatch - I agree of questionable value - as compared to the current top end variant?
If so, the 2.25 is a fantastic deal. The only real missing feature is AMT.

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Originally Posted by Sawyer (Post 3761382)

Are you sure though - 2.25 on road for a new car with all the bells and whistles and only lacking in AMT and openable hatch - I agree of questionable value - as compared to the current top end variant?
If so, the 2.25 is a fantastic deal. The only real missing feature is AMT.

Unsold Tata Nano Twist is the key phrase here. I had wanted to exchange my current vehicle for an AMT variant. Tata had the great "Power of 1+1" scheme where they claimed to be giving the best price possible if going for an exchange for another Nano. I had registered and there were a few confirmation calls about the city of residence and nearest dealers, then nothing. Early this month finally I got a call from a Bangalore dealer who got my number from the 1+1 list and asked if I was still interested in buying an AMT. He offered me 1.8L for my December 2014 XT which is yet to cross 2000 kms. When asked why such a low price, he told that they are still having unsold XTs at about 1.8L ex-showroom and any higher price for my 6 month old car wouldn't make financial sense for them.

So please consider it as a conditional statement and would suggest you call your showrooms to check for availability. With some luck and good bargaining skills, you can get a decent vehicle for urban commute. And yes, the XT has all the creature comforts and gizmos that can be sold for that price range.

Some time ago BHPian FreakMuzik had mentioned the same, he was referring the Kerala prices which is way lower than what's there in Karnataka.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3711656