[vijaycool]

Members commented about the slow shifting of AMT. Considering city traffic and snail paced speed, this shouldnt be an issue. Lethargic pickup will be a boon to the fairer sex and old people as they wont get nervous. New Nano is thoughtfully executed and perfect for city. Power steering, AC, AMT, cheapset spares and decent mileage yet people complain about airbag, abs, disc brakes. My neighbour has a Fiesta D after he bought Nano he never takes out for the city running. He use it only for the Highways.

[mvadg]

Great review Aditya, and very astute comments from the rest of TBHP too!

And in keeping with tsk1979 's suggestions, I'm proposing a Nano XTreme Mini

Aftermarket Disc brakes; and AMT reprogramming for better braking performance with a fine-tune wheel on the steering wheel to adjust crawl speed ever-so-slightly (speed up only, up-and-down only the XTreme-Mini-Plus).

Price? A very reasonable Rs. 9999 wonly!
(Add 3999 for the XTreme-Mini-Plus)

Originally Posted by tsk1979

...
Tata should create a Xtreme variant of this vehicle.
How to do that?

Well put in a turbo charger, bump up the power to max it can get out of 800cc(I figure around 100bhp should be doable with modern tech), give discs and slightly bigger tires.

It can cost 1.5L more. But its going to be the fastest thing on roads, embarrassing even 20L+ sedans.
...

[Poseidon]

Interesting accessories being marketed for the GenX:
1. Sunroof (Webasto) - 15775
2. Remote central hatch release - 2700
The last is a part of remote central locking - hatch can be released from inside the cabin by pressing the unlock button twice with a 2 second lag

[budgam.boonyi]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

Interesting accessories being marketed for the GenX:
1. Sunroof (Webasto) - 15775
2. Remote central hatch release - 2700
The last is a part of remote central locking - hatch can be released from inside the cabin by pressing the unlock button twice with a 2 second lag

I feel the accessories were showcased on this car at the launch.

Source

[condor]

The car is looking better without those accessories .. esp the decals.

[SKavuri]

Originally Posted by Khushrav

100% agree - I'd add some more features like ABS, Airbags, 14' rims and a 5th gear. I know this will bump the cost by almost 2.5L think about what this will do. The Nano may be perceived as a safer car. The key is 'Safe' and Nano has almost tons of sales due to that word missing from its perception armoury. From this point on Tata could re-start the journey and introduce the next gen Nano (not face lift). For all you know, it may actually give a boost to its sibling cars as well.

Interesting thoughts and why not, if they keep at it?

Merc Smart isn't too different from size point of view but sells well. Some older versions of Fiat500 are also of comparable size. I have a feeling there is a limited market but definitely a market for such a thing even in India.
It would be an anti-thesis of the nano objectives, but they can call it a different project to save the embarrassment.

One practical situation that I imagine : kids wouldn't want to picked up from school in nano due to peer pressure, but if it is an adorable, desirable little car, they would be happy to.

[anjan_c2007]

In one sentence I would sum it up and hum the song Shania Twain sang in 1997 :

"That don't impress me much" :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqFLXayD6e8

Tata Motors will witness sales of 2000 plus cars per month, in the first few months after this new launch. This will again peter out to 1000 plus cars a month. The Nano has been pigeon holed as a cheap Rs 1 L car. So even Rs 2 L plus price tags won't help change such a perception and mindset. The AMT may be preferred by elders and ladies for daily commutes. Nothing more than that.

[Sandeepdev]

I hope more car makers offer AMT's in the near future. With the traffic as it is (My Bangalore friends will agree with me the most) it is painful to get back from work driving an MT.

AMT is a boon like none other.

[apachelongbow]

The Nano and the Alto cater to different user segments. The Alto is selling to new car/first time car buyers who are looking at their first set of wheels mainly, the Nano caters to buyers who are looking for a second or third car for their shopping duties, mall trips or kid's college commute etc. There is no point in comparing the Alto with the Nano, citing performance, 0-100 or smoothness etc, because it is pointless. If one compares the Alto with any other more expensive hatchback even, the bare basic qualities come out glaring.

[SS-Traveller]

Delhi dealer Autovikas delivered their first Nano AMT (XTA) to my friend this afternoon.


Price OTR Rs.319,144, including zero depreciation insurance, registration and handling charges.

[AlphaLamb]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

However I see a missed opportunity here.
Tata should create a Xtreme variant of this vehicle.
How to do that?

Well put in a turbo charger, bump up the power to max it can get out of 800cc(I figure around 100bhp should be doable with modern tech), give discs and slightly bigger tires.

Real wheel drive means it can drift too. Tata could also create a Tata nano cup with points for drifting!

This comment cracked me up (no sarcasm intended!) as it instantly brought a thought to my mind about how that kind of a machine at such a price band will unleash a new kind of driver for our country, the "Pilots"(tourist drivers, usually folks who runs on the interstate run), one who try to drift/drag race even the most underpowered cars and then to imagine something as described above

[mail2sekh]

The XTA was available for TD today at Concorde Motors , Bangalore.Took it for a spin.
Being a daily user of the yellow bird for the last 5 years, I tend to compare with that - not the twist.
So here goes some initial impressions based on the 20 minute drive.

What felt good -

The driver seat felt wider and cushy,Yeah! Plonked on to it - good support for my back too.
The driver seat adjustment is also smooth now compared to the gymnastics you gotta do to get my 2010 model's seat in position !
New console looks really cool, even the two different trip meters have their own average consumption. Then ofcourse the auto shift indicators,time, DTE etc. It even has an instant consumption level indicator as well !
Audio was loud and clear. Could not try the phone call thingy.
Creep works - good in traffic. Tried it in a ~40 degree incline as well from their basement till ground level with a hump thrown in. Pulled up effortlessly though it felt weird when the car moves up an incline without you doing anything. Kind of Ladakh's magnetic hill feeling he he
AMT shift was smooth and nice to hold - though the driving needs quite some getting used to.
I never felt the power steering as a necessity but after driving this -a world of difference !
The cabin noise has reduced significantly and the AC is chilly as ever :-)
The turn indicator's tak-tak sounds better
Never had a problem with the suspension in my 2010 LX , handles bangalore roads er potholes neatly even today.This one also seems to have carried it forward if not improved.
The boot lid feels SOLID.
The trip meter is retained even after you switch off and switch on the engine.It goes back to the total ODO reading every time in my LX , an annoying niggle nonetheless.
The general flavour of the showroom has also vastly improved with a well informed sales teams, an inviting tea/coffee , plush interiors, colourful atmosphere and brochures etc.
There's a dead pedal :-)

What I hoped would have changed but has not:

Let's face it.The patapatapata has become trr trrr , but not yet znnnggg zznnnggg.

The manual engine was peppy - never felt underpowered for city drives.The AMT felt sluggish. Could not try the manual mode in the 20-min time. Maybe that gives better
control. An interesting incident happened just as I was taking the car out of the showroom. There was this concrete slab at the exit where I stopped the car. I switched to 'A' - the creep was not enough to climb over the slab. However even when I accelerated, the engine started stalling. Finally had to reverse and gather some momentum to get over the slab. In manual we could have done some magic with the clutch and accelerator. Wonder how I will get out if there is no space to reverse

The doors still dont have a half-way stop , if you know what I mean. So when I park the car in front of my house at a slight angle then I will still have to do acrobatics with my leg keeping the door from banging back when I get out along with my baby in one hand and laptop on the other!
Forgot to try the horn - seriously hope they have changed that battery-about-to-die oink.
Lastly the brakes - everyone has said it. TML,are you listening ? I can live with the drums but I may not live without the discs !


Other Stuff :
They say alloys are available for an additional 10K. Wonder whether they have black alloys ? The sales guy also said all 4 wheels are the same size now. Is it really ?
He was also saying that even in manual mode if you do not upshift it will automatically do an upshift after some rpm. Is it ? Could not try considering I could never get past 3rd gear.
I also need a proper mobile holder , Not the ones you get at traffic signals.But wondering where to get one and also space to fix it ?
Waiting to get my hands on it for a longish drive - now the ETA of the XTA is 3 wks.

[budgam.boonyi]

Came across this nifty feature to help maneuver in tight spaces while going through the FAQ section of the nano website.

In case of Parking in very less space with frequent forward / reverse movement – you have to rapidly shift gears from [A] to [R] or [R] to [A] without pressing brake pedal or accelerator pedal and vehicle will creep forward or reverse respectively. The first shift should be done with brake pedal pressed.

Is this function available on other cars with the same gearbox or is it exclusive to the nano? Would appreciate it if someone could test it out and let us know how well it works.

[deltheking]

For the price that's been quoted - this Nano AMT seems perfect for city urban roads and it's ground clearance is a big plus. I was initially planning to buy the Alto AMT but this Nano AMT I think has probably tilted the scales. For the price,it is an absolute absolute VFM - cant stress that enough. Plus the 4 yr warranty and the AMC contract.

But, I feel the product is only as good as the person who sells it and services it. In this area, if Tata steps up their game , they can give a tough fight to other companies. But the big thing will be its reliability. If it is plagued with issues and the AMT proves unreliable - then it will be a lost cause.

I guess, Tata is held to a higher standard now than Maruti simply because the first Nano was plagued with issues and had subpar reliability based on the owners feedback. But, if they improve the reliability and after sales service, then this Nano AMT can be a sales success.

[sun_king]

Got the XTA for a test drive yesterday from Prerana Motors Bangalore, was quite impressed. Needed some getting used to before I could adjust to the AMT. This is precisely the machine the wife is looking for.

Compared to the Nano Twist:

-- Slight reduction in NVH, the engine sound is different and now it is trending away from the three-wheeler clamor.
-- (Cosmetic) Never a fan of beige, so the two-tone dash and the black upholstery made me happier.
-- Braking needs more effort than the Twist, I will join the chorus for discs in the AMT. The Twist scores better in terms of braking because control over the engine plays a part.
-- The Manual mode satisfies the need to fiddle with sticks, once you figure out how to avoid the warning chimes.
-- Creep is fun, too smooth and almost unnoticeable. There may be events in stopped traffic where involvement in a good conversation may cause you to accidentally lift your feet from the brake and the vehicle moves forward ever so lightly to creep into a Mercedes ahead of you.

@mail2sekh:
1) Same horn , will get no respect on the road.
2) Yes alloys are available in Black, I saw one on display in the showroom.
3) Not sure about the up-shifts, but the downshift happen without your intervention if you lift.
4) Tire sizes are still different, narrow ones in the front, wider one in the rear for safety reasons.

Pretty decent package altogether from Tata.