Skip to content Skip to navigation

The God of Small Cars!

It has finally arrived the dream car of the middle class Indian –the Nano, a Tata small car which was unveiled at the Auto Expo in New Delhi last night. Touted as the People’s car and the world’s cheapest at that the Nano is priced at an affordable Rs. One lakh. However it is to be noted here that the sticker price is not inclusive of the 12.5 percent value added tax and transportation costs from the plant at Singur, near Calcutta from where it will be manufactured.

Ratan Tata, the Tata group chairman has shown the word that promises are made to be kept! The announcement of the small car project was made by Tata at the Geneva Auto Show in 2003 where his announcements were received with ridicule but he has proved his opponents wrong and achieved the important milestone in the history of small cars.

The car bearing a resemblance to the Volkswagen Beetle—Europe’s iconic car of the sixties and will be equipped with a two cylinder, 623 cc aluminium engine in the boot. The car is 3.1 metre long and 1.5 metre wide and will be 80 percent of Maruti Suzuki’s M 800 in length but 21 percent more spacious. And It also meets Bharat Stage –III emission norms and has passed frontal crash test which allays any fears of environmental concerns. The petrol driven car also boasts of a fuel efficiency of over 20 km per litre.

The God of small cars will hit the Indian roads in the second half of the year. The base model priced at Rs one lakh at at least two other models with additional features like air conditioning; Power steering will follow a bit later. A Diesel version of the Nano with promises to improve the current mileage will also follow soon after.

With the Nano as option Indians would be able to skip the hazards of uneven biking and hassles of other means of transportation. But a twist in the tale is the risk of traffic congestions in an already choc-a-bloc condition of Indian roads. But that will come later, first let us bask in the arrival of this god of small cars.
Author info

Rituparna Goswami Pande's picture

Journalist, writer

Comments

charlie's picture

Your reporting of small car is very informative and very knowledgeable if someone need to know about the car, as I feel from your article who ever read they can decide they will buy this car or not so well way.
jay's picture

I was travelling the other day with a North American team and the my god! I was surprised the way they were discussing NANO. I mean, I as an Indian, I was not that enthusiastic as they were. But, as on many occasions, I would tend to disagree with the writer on the issue of cars (small or big or whatever) and let me correct the writer and others who have this notion of bikes being dangerous. I have driven bike throughout my life and still prefer them over cars (what size and efficiency). I have a family and I don’t feel threatened at any moment because of my Bike. Yeah, I have heard about rains, but then the thrill of driving in rain, you can never experience that in car. So I would like to request everybody to be bit sensitive about forcing opinions on people who LOVE BIKES. We can have discussion on safety of transports on some other platform because right from Cycles to Bikes to Cars to Trains to Planes, the safety factor is absolutely common, nothing is safer. Anyways, I guess I am being bit over guarded ( or rather jealous) in this matter. Good point to discuss out here is that when this so called GOD OF SMALL Cars hit the market, what would be the maintenance cost, I am sure everybody out here knows the classic Inkjet cartridges case and how you can get them for Rupee 1100 and then you end up paying 8 Rs per page that is printed out and a cartridge refill for about 100 Rs and new cartridge for rupee 500-700. I am proud that we came with this innovation and world is waiting for this car in their sector’s too. But please who love the Bikes will never trade it for NONO, even if it comes for Free. We like your articles because we love the way you write and they are well researched but I personally feel that you become biased some sometimes (I apologize), other than that the article was well researched and written. Lastly, just heard from somebody about the DUCATI bike being launched by Tom Cruise for $72,500!! Hmmmm, now that should put everybody at ease as it’s certainly out of our reach, that means NANO’s into business for sure.
jaay's picture

I was travelling the other day with a North American team and the my god! I was surprised the way they were discussing NANO. I mean, I as an Indian, I was not that enthusiastic as they were. But, as on many occasions, I would tend to disagree with the writer on the issue of cars (small or big or whatever) and let me correct the writer and others who have this notion of bikes being dangerous. I have driven bike throughout my life and still prefer them over cars (what size and efficiency). I have a family and I don’t feel threatened at any moment because of my Bike. Yeah, I have heard about rains, but then the thrill of driving in rain, you can never experience that in car. So I would like to request everybody to be bit sensitive about forcing opinions on people who LOVE BIKES. We can have discussion on safety of transports on some other platform because right from Cycles to Bikes to Cars to Trains to Planes, the safety factor is absolutely common, nothing is safer. Anyways, I guess I am being bit over guarded ( or rather jealous) in this matter. Good point to discuss out here is that when this so called GOD OF SMALL Cars hit the market, what would be the maintenance cost, I am sure everybody out here knows the classic Inkjet cartridges case and how you can get them for Rupee 1100 and then you end up paying 8 Rs per page that is printed out and a cartridge refill for about 100 Rs and new cartridge for rupee 500-700. I am proud that we came with this innovation and world is waiting for this car in their sector’s too. But please who love the Bikes will never trade it for NONO, even if it comes for Free. We like your articles because we love the way you write and they are well researched but I personally feel that you become biased some sometimes (I apologize), other than that the article was well researched and written. Lastly, just heard from somebody about the DUCATI bike being launched by Tom Cruise for $72,500!! Hmmmm, now that should put everybody at ease as it’s certainly out of our reach, that means NANO’s into business for sure.

Pages

Add new comment

Random Stories

Judicial remand for Pakhi Miyan

4 Jul 2009 - 1:50pm | editor
Notorious drug mafia Samsul Haque Talukdar alias Pakhi Miyan was remanded to judicial custody on Saturday. Pakhi Miyan was remanded to CBI custody for five days in connection with the sensational...

Awareness meeting on speed limit of motor vehicles

29 Jun 2015 - 6:42pm | Hantigiri Narzary
An awareness meeting on speed limit of motor vehicles involving motor transport association, senior citizens and public was held at DC office conference hall on Monday in Kokrajhar. The meeting...

Villager killed in Tinsukia shoot out

11 Dec 2017 - 8:38pm | Mithun Baruah
TINSUKIA: A villager died and his son sustained serious injury when suspected ULFA(I) attacked their house at a remote hamlet in Tinsukia district on Monday. The incident took place at 6.30 ...

Action against Subba

21 Mar 2014 - 1:50pm | AT News
Congress party is likely to take action against Mani Kumar Subba, who has filed nomination papers to independently contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Tezpur.Talking to reporters, APCC...

Other Contents by Author

This women’s day I salute those unsung ‘heroes’ who have withstood the onslaught of fickle fate. No they are not faces in the crowd rather they are the crowd whose faces we don’t remember. They are those who are living in the periphery of life, battling everyday issues of home and hearth.I bow my head in reverence to the grit of Mausam’s mother who put aside her grief after losing her only son to Ewing’s Sarcoma in order to stand as a pillar of strength to her broken husband who unable to bear the tempest of misfortune had almost lost touch with reality. I like many others was a helpless bystander of the tale of woe that had fallen like a bolt from the blue on this poor family.  But...
If I had wings and were a birdWould travel the world and orbit the EarthOr had I been a butterfly Eclectic colors would be mineI would hover over trees, flutter over blooms, On a spiritual high, I would go into a swoonShould I be a fish and swim the seaPass through oceans or haunt a reefWith beautiful corals for companyThe heart would leap at Nature’s bountyHad I been a fir tree insteadMy leaves would flutter in snow headsThe flirty wind would kiss my soulThe icy breeze to lift me up, life would be on a rollWhat if I were the season – SpringOrchid blooms, newness to ring inNo, no let me be the sky, the endless blueFar from earth, to keep a watch on youBut then my mind looks to the...
I, KazirangaShedding tears of bloodMy children, the four leggedIn men no longer trust.God’s blessed beings are theyRoaming the wildsIn search of prey and hayOften trapped by wily menCaught unawaresBy a poaching handLeft to dieWith bleeding woundsWith their hornsCut by forest goonsNo where to runNo where to hideTheir haven encroached by thugsTheir skies taken over by two legged bugsFeigned protectionI don’t seekI, KazirangaWill continue to bleedIf there is no messiahLet my children not desireAny solace from cruel fateBut march towards extinction and Heaven’s gate.
The fact that we need to celebrate Women’s Day portends that all is not well in a women’s world. Or else why would we need to single out a day for millions of women who have equal rights and status in the world they inhabit. We don’t have a men’s day which is evidence enough that all is hunky dory with their race.The UN theme for International Women's Day 2013 is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women," while International Women's Day 2013 has declared the year's theme as The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum. But then is it really gaining momentum?As we celebrate Women’s Day today a woman is probably being raped in our rape capital i.e. Delhi or any other...
Lately every morning we have been waking up to screaming headlines of animal killings in the newspapers. Rhinos being poached with their horns brutally severed and left to die,elephants electrocuted or hunted down, their bodies mutilated and left to bleed to death. Gory pictures of animal atrocities splashed in every newspaper, every channel. It really makes one ponder as to how low humans can stoop to gratify their covetous desire for money. Twisted minds are targetting the animal kingdom, mute creatures, innocent beings who do not care nor bother to know how our world has become a slave to money. The world Heritage site Kaziranga National park has seen 20 rhino killings this year and a...
All Hindus become epitomes of excitement to the run up to the festival of the auspicious Durga puja. Pandals coming up everywhere, idols being given finishing touches, revellers thronging the markets, discount offers, designer wear on sale and so on. Everyone is under the grip of puja fever and the associated excitement.But for once if we shift our focus away from ourselves and our frivolous acts and ponder over the plights of those innocent animals that would be sacrificed during the puja offerings, I am sure the smiles in our faces would be wiped off. At least the smiles would vanish from those faces who have a little compassion for the four legged. Imagine the little pigeons, a symbol...
From bedraggled beggars on the streets to the suit clad brokers on Wall Street – the ubiquitous cell phone is everywhere, in every pocket irrespective of the rich / poor status of its owners. It is no longer an item of luxury albeit it’s a must have today, a necessary evil. For technology comes with a price and the technology behind mobile phones is sure to make mankind pay a heavy price – the price of health and safety. The recent furore created in the media worldwide over the possible hazareds of mobile phone radiation has made us sit up and take note of the pros and cons of using the innocent looking mobile handset which had till date so surely and surreptitiously...
Man is an animal first and a social animal later. However, our ‘social’ status has failed to erase our animal instincts, which lies dormant in our basic dispositions. The urge to spread violence, the need to kill, and the thirst to quench our carnal desires are proof that there is still some animal in us. These urges raise their ugly heads in the form of homicides, rape and molestation incidents, and mob violence etc putting mankind to shame. The dangerous of all is our affinity towards the mob mentality that threatens to ensnare us at the slightest pretext and at the slightest of provocation. The term “mob mentality” is used to refer to unique behavioral...
The mellifluous tinkle of the Sarod permeated the atmosphere under a canopy of twinkling stars and a soft breeze that emanated from the somber Nilachal hill. Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan performed at the open amphitheatre in the Kamakhya temple premises striking a divine chord in all our hearts. The setting couldn’t have been more striking. The silhouette of the sanctuary at the backdrop and the stupendous performances of maestros were the perfect mode of the two day Kameshwari Music and Dance festival 2010. Dance and music have been an inherent part of temples in India since times immemorial. In order to appease the gods these art forms have always been...
“The Assam State Zoo encompassing over 130 hectares of land boasts of an astonishing collection of some rare and extinct species of wild animals settled comfortably in their natural habitat.” This is how a website describes the zoo in our city. However, the ‘stay’ of the animals there is far from ‘comfortable’. The captive animals in small enclosures with hardly room for free movement is a far cry from comfortable. The Assam state Zoo boasts of white tigers, one horned rhinos, Swamp tapirs and leopards to name a few. The zoo is also prosperous in the avian branch and plays host to rare species of birds. Sadly, the animals are caged for better viewing of...