The Hindu Business Line : Behind the wheels of the Nano

Pune, March 26 When one walks up to the Tata Nano for a first drive, it is difficult not to approach it with a mixed sense of excitement and scepticism.

The hype surrounding the price and prospects of the Nano has created such an aura of excitement about this minicar that it could put a Ferrari’s crowd pulling capability in the shade.

Answers to our questions about the Nano came after an exclusive test drive at Tata Motors’ track inside the company’s plant near the city. So, what is it like to get behind the wheels of the cutesy, ultra-low cost, small car?

roominess

The roominess of the Nano is what hits you as soon as you get in and though the interior is very Spartan, the centrally-positioned instrument panel and relatively modern dashboard layout makes for a good first impression.

Crank the engine and another surprise awaits. Unlike the widely rumoured, possibly expected, genset or autorickshaw sounding engine, what the Nano sounded like is actually a proper gasoline engine. Sure, there is a mild burble as you start accelerating, but there is very little difference one can discern even in the non-air-conditioned standard/base variant.

The four-speed gearbox is cable operated, yet shift quality is very good. Frankly, the Nano’s gearbox slotting is precise and even better than the sticky, mushy shift feel in the Indica. The Nano’s focus on fuel efficiency from a seemingly puny engine does not show very much on its acceleration abilities. Of course, the comparison has to be with similar sized competition like the Maruti 800 and the Alto.

On long, straight stretches of tarmac, the Nano accelerates impressively and reached a top speed of 105 kmph. We were also told there is not much speedo-error, so the in-gear acceleration levels being indicated could be very close to the real reading.

focus on frugality

Compared to its very impressive, modern design on the exterior, the Nano’s score would be a notch lower when one considers the interiors’ overall finish quality. But, the point really is that the Nano has been put together to only thinly disguise its focus on frugality, though none of that focus may be evident in its performance and reliability.

Make no mistake, the Nano’s heart has been built for the affordability conscious, yet, it has the potential to be a good city car for most types of buyers – those for whom it will be the first and primary car and for those looking to ensure that their sons, daughters and wives can also afford daily transportation that is safer than the two-wheelers they are riding currently.

For most of the other category of buyers who already own a car, the Nano is ‘more’ car than they’ll need, but ‘less’ car than they’ll want.

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