Statistically amusing to the first world, but quite crucially to developing nations is the latest in cheap motoring: the Bajaj RE60.

The price is not out yet, but this 45-mph urban vehicle should undercut the Tata Nano’s $2775 base price. This drop in cost comes at the cost of performance: the 200cc unit in the Bajaj might be larger than that found in a leaf blower, but it’s a third of the size of the Nano’s engine. The Bajaj may only weigh 400kg compared to the Nano’s 600, but in this situation, the power to weight ratio advantage is only exciting on paper.

The RE60 seats four and sports a tiny turning circle of 3.5 making it potentially popular with Indian taxi drivers, many of whom currently operate auto-rickshaws.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Tata Motors Ltd., has announced a recall in India to replace the starter motors of all Nano models sold between July 2009 and October 2011.

“We are replacing the starter motors of the previous Nano variant with those of the our new 2012 edition,” spokesperson Debasis Ray said. “There are no safety concerns. We have developed a better starter motor which is installed on the new Nano.”

The new 2012 Tata Nano was introduced in the Indian market in Nov. While, Ray didn’t provide a specific number of how many Nano’s will see the replacement, he did say that the process has been going on for the past few months and that Tata has already replaced starter motors on about 50,000 units of the Nano to date.

Just on a side note. In November 2010, some questions were raised about the Nano’s safety after a couple of them caught on fire.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: MarketWatch

With sales numbers much lower than anticipated for the car, Telsa has made some changes to the Nano and its variants that add a lot more features to each trim level.

India’s most fuel efficient car is getting better gas mileage, greater color options, and improved interiors. In addition, the car boasts the best fuel efficiency, best air conditioning, and lowest CO2 emissions in the country.

Tata also upgraded the suspension in the car, added an anti-roll bar, and gave it a new, louder exhaust. The Standard version now has the breaks available on the CX and LX, both of which come with tip-tap mirrors on the driver and passenger side. All models get a new interior, and exterior colors come in up to 10 options.

Tata Motors has sold around 130,000 Nanos since the car was launched in April 2009.

- By: Alexandra Koken

The Tata Nano may be the world’s cheapest car but the model has just been transformed into a work of art costing an estimated and outstanding $4.6 million USD.

The special-edition Tata Nano, which we highly doubt will ever be driven, features 5,000 years of Indian Jewlery-making.

“GoldPlus Nano 1 marks the convergence of diverse and culturally distinct jewellery motifs that hailed in India,” Tata said. “The facade of the car houses a bow of over 14 jewellery styles. From the marvelous Meenakari to the charismatic Kundan, the car has it all.”

The model is not for sale.

- By: Omar Rana

The flatpack house is 215 square feet and consists coconut fiber or jute walls and has a life expectancy of 20 years. The company plans on offering prefabricated kit with windows, roofs, doors, and more. Also in the works is larger versions with rooftop solar panels and a veranda.

Tata plans to offer the flatpack home to private buyers who have plots of land and to state governments who could offer the homeless a place to live.

The flatpack homes are currently being tested in West Bengal.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: MSNBC

Tata Nano

The Tata Nano has been selling well for Tata Motors – so much so that the company has decided to double production of the cheapest car in world.

With the production increase, Tata Motors will be producing a total of 20,000 units of the Nano a month this fiscal year.

Tata sold a total of 8,707 units of the Nano in March. That’s pretty close to the record high of 9,000 units sold in July 2010.

While safety concerns over the Nano sent sales of the car falling down to 509 units in November, revisions put in place along with incentives started tempting new customers.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoCar

Tata Pixel Concept

Yes, by now most of us know that the cheapest car in the world is the Tata Nano, which made its debut in India in 2008 with a starting price tag of 100,000 rupees ($2,172 USD). But what if a car like the Nano comes to the United States?

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Tata bringing a version of the Nano to the United States and it probably won’t be the last. Nonetheless, if Tata does bring the Nano to the United States it will have to step up the safety of the vehicle.

With that in mind: “It won’t be a $2,000 car; it will be a $7,000 or $8,000 car,” Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Group, said at an event at Cornell University’s College of Art, Architecture and Planning. “But it will still be, in comparative terms, a car that the U.S. would accept.”

Whenever the Nano decided to come to the United States, Tata said that it would be produced “the same design philosophy” and “frugal engineering” that informed development of the Nano.

Tata Pixel Concept:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: NYTimes

Tata Pixel Concept

Now that the hype of the Tata Nano is starting to die off, Indian automaker Tata Motors has decided to offer the European market its own, sexier version of the pint-size compact. The Tata Pixel Concept made its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show last week and hints at a future subcompact for the European market.

Known as the ‘the most package-efficient four-seater in the world’ the Tata Pixel is powered by a small rear-mounted 1.2L 3-cylinder turbodiesel engine providing a fuel-economy of close to 70 mpg.

The Tata Pixel Concept also introduces ‘My Tata Connect’ the first integrated human-machine interface (HMI) concept from Tata Motors for its new generation program. The system allows seamless integration of the driver’s smartphone or Apple iPad with the vehicle’s infotainment system.

Looks good? Of course. Can it work? Time will tell.

Tata Pixel Concept:

Press Release:

The Tata Pixel, a new city car concept for Europe

Most package efficient four-seater in the world ‘Zero turn’ drive maximizes manoeuvrability when parking Innovative ‘scissor’ door system allows entry and exit in the tightest of spaces CO2 emissions of just 89 gm/km and combined cycle fuel economy of 3.4 litres/100km. The Tata Pixel, with ‘Zero Turn’ drive and an innovative diamond-shaped door system, is a new city car concept for Europe from Tata Motors. Based on the Tata Nano, the Pixel – at just over three metres in length – is the most package efficient four-seater in the world, comfortably accommodating four adults, unlike a typical city car which is either a two-seater or can accommodate two adults and two children only.
The Tata Pixel’s ability to manoeuvre and park in the tightest of spaces is made possible by its Zero Turn toroidal traction-drive Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT). This highly efficient, cost-effective system assists rotation of the outer rear wheel forwards and the inner rear wheel backwards during low-speed manoeuvres, while the front wheels turn at acute angles. The result is a turning circle radius of just 2.6 metres. The glass area on the scissor doors provides excellent visibility even in the most extreme turning manoeuvre.

The ‘scissor’ doors rotate upwards from the front to allow all four passengers to effortlessly enter or exit the Tata Pixel, even in the tightest of spaces, while the doors’ large glass area provides excellent visibility.

A forward sweeping roofline, with minimal front and rear overhangs, accentuates the youthful styling, while the window graphic features an interchangeable island that can be used to change the exterior appearance whenever desired.

The Tata Pixel also introduces “My Tata Connect” — the first integrated human-machine interface (HMI) concept from Tata Motors for its new generation programmes. “My Tata Connect” enables seamless integration of the user’s smartphone or tablet with the vehicle’s infotainment system and also allows controlling key functions of the car. This provides a customised, user friendly, all-in-one touch screen display, while also allowing the driver to remain seamlessly connected to the external world in much the same way as they would be when at home or in the office,istening to favourite songs, internet news and sport or stock updates. In addition to serving as the infotainment display when docked in the instrument panel, the tablet also allows temperature, ventilation and air-conditioning settings to be adjusted through its touch screen, as well as displaying information on the vehicle’s performance.

A 1.2 litre three-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, positioned at the rear of the Tata Pixel, gives lively performance. The engine is a low-friction design, featuring variable coolant and oil pump and rapid warm-up technologies. With optimised aerodynamic drag, low rolling-resistance tyres, stop-start technology, and intelligent battery charging, the Tata Pixel returns European combined cycle (NEDC) fuel economy of 3.4 l/100km and CO2 emissions of just 89g/km.

- By: Omar Rana

Tata Goldplus Nano

The Tata Nano is known as the world’s cheapest car – however, to celebrate the 5,000th anniversary of Indian Jewelry, Tata Group will cover the world’s cheapest car in gold. Teaming up with Titan, a subsidiary of Tata Group, Tata will build the Goldplus Nano by April/May 2011.

The winning design, seen above, was chosen from a total of 13 designs submitted from across the country. The Tata Goldplus Nano will be India’s first jewelry car and is being created to help boost sluggish sales of the car.

Tata sold a total of 509 units of the Nano in November 2010, down from 9,000 units in July.

Tata Goldplus Nano:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: IBTimes

Tata Nano

To make customers feel better after several Tata Nano’s caught fire, Tata Motors announced that it will offer a 4-year manufacturer’s warranty on the world’s cheapest car. The warranty will be extended to all existing customers of the vehicle.

Earlier last month, Tata announced it would contact 70,000 Nano owners to offer them the option of installing “additional safety protection in the exhaust system and the electrical system.”

“We have noticed instances of additional foreign electrical equipment having been installed or foreign material left on the exhaust system,” Tata said in a statement.

Tata sold 509 Nanos in November, a decrease of 85 percent from a year earlier.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Reuters

Tata Nano

Sales of the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, plunged 85 percent in November 2009 to 509 units. That is lowest figure since the Nano made its debut last year. The drop in sales comes as customers face difficulty in accessing loans to purchase vehicles.

In an e-mail response to Bloomberg, Tata Motors said that it is hiring more sales people at dealerships and is working with banks to help buyers get loans.

Just last month, Tata’s CEO Carl-Peter Forster said that a lack of financing options available to buyers was causing a decrease in Nano sales. Banks in india are hesitant to lend money to low-income customers due to concerns that they may default.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Bloomberg

Tata Nano

Tata Motors has announced that it is offering owners of the subcompact Nano, the world’s cheapest car, the option to install safety protection in the car after a couple of them went up in flames last year. Tata will reach out to 70,000 owners of the Nano to offer them the option of installing “additional safety protection in the exhaust system and the electrical system.”

Tata said that the move is not a recall and that the fires were specific to the units.

“The investigation, by a team of internal and international experts, has once again concluded that the reasons for the incidents in few Tata Nano cars are specific to the cars which had such incidents,” Tata said. “We have noticed instances of additional foreign electrical equipment having been installed or foreign material left on the exhaust system.”

Tata sold 3,065 units of the Nano in October, down from 5,520 the month before.

- By: Zain Haq

Source: Reuters

Tata Nano

In some not so surprising news today, the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, is about to undergo a price jump. Tata said that it is currently contacting customers on the waiting list to tell them that the car will see a 3 percent to 4 percent price jump.

The original asking price for the Tata Nano is 100,000 rupees, which is about $2,100 USD in today’s foreign exchange rates. Tata said that customers who have already left deposits for the car and are waiting for delivery will still get the original price.

The mini Tata Nano celebrated its 1-year anniversary on Saturday. Ever since it’s been on sale, Tata has sold a total of 45,000 units in a country with over 1 billion people. In comparison, FoMoCo sales that many F-150 pickups in the United States in one month.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: DriveOn

Tata Nano

Tata Motors today opened the doors to another plant to build its $2,500 Nano compact car that will increase output to meet rising demand for the car in the south Asian market. The factory in Sanand, western Indian state of Gujrat, will build about 250,000 Tata Nano units annually. The plant may end up producing as many as 350,000 units a year.

Tata said that the new production facility will help clear the backlog of Nano.

“More Nanos on the road is crucial to establish the brand as a car for the masses,” said Vaishali Jajoo, a Mumbai-based analyst at Angel Broking Ltd. “Exports of the Nano were always in the cards and this factory will help achieve that as well.”

The Nano will make its way to Europe in late 2011. U.S. sales are rumored to start in late 2012 or early 2013.

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Geely IG Concept

Geely is planning to make big headlines when it steals the title of the world’s cheapest car from the Tata Nano, which costs $2,500. According to a report by AutoCar the Geely subcompact will based on the Intelligent Geely (IG) concept shown at Beijing and will cost between $1,500 and $2,000.

Geely, which recently purchased Swedish automaker Volvo from Ford, said that the production IG will also be of better quality than the Tata Nano.

Power for the Chinese version of the IG will come from a 988cc gasoline engine making 70-hp and 69 lb-ft of torque. An electric version of the IG will come out around 2014 or 2015 allowing for a total range of 93 miles. Of course, you can expect the electric version to cost a little more than the gasoline model.

There’s even a chance that Europe and the United States will see an electric version of the car.

- By: Kap Shah

Source: AutoCar

Nissan’s upcoming $3,000 Tata Nano rival for the Indian market is expected to increase the company’s profitability as it takes advantage’s of its local partner’s, Bajaj Auto Ltd., low-cost production techniques.

Gilles Normand, Nissan’s corporate vice president in charge of Africa, the Middle East and India, said that while in talks with Bajaj, the company “discovered that their margin on three-wheeler activities is by far above our current margin on our four-wheeler activities.” He said that “the low-cost car will contribute to our growth in terms of volume and profitability.”

The subcompact vehicle, expected to debut in 2011, will go on sale in India in 2012. The $3,000 price-tag is being kept as a goal to stay competitive with the Tata Nano.

About 50 percent of the Indian four-wheel auto market consists of models priced below $8,000, Normand said.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Apple will start selling its iPad outside the United States later this month, however, CEO Steve Jobs has yet to specify a date. Those who are anxious to get their hands on one, or want to capitalize on the uncertainty, are traveling all the way to New York to pick up a bunch of units.

Amit Jain, who owns an electronics shop in Mumbai, said he sold 5 64- gigabyte iPads for 100,000 rupees ($2,250) each as of April 7 after they reached India through unofficial distributors. That”s triple the $699 that the iPad retails for in the U.S. and just $250 less than India’s cheapest car – the Tata Nano.

“We have customers who are willing to buy,” said Jain. “So we maintain our margins.”

Apple has sold more than 450,000 iPads in less than a week after its introduction, Jobs said on April 8.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Bloomberg (via AutoObserver)

We’ve been hearing about Hyundai’s Tata Nano since last year and today we have more details along with photo renderings of the compact car. According to Hyundai”s Advanced Technology Center head, Cho Won-suk, the car will arrive on the market by next year.

Hyundai’s Indian sources say that the car will be powered by a 800cc engine and will be a direct competitor to the Tata Nano and the Suzuki Alto.

According to the Business Standard, the car is currently under development in Korea and prices are expected to start around 2 lakh ($4,500 USD).

Photo Rendering: Hyundai’s Subcompact Car (Tata Nano Rival):

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Indian Autos Blog