After seeing the news of the Nano on sale in India, it got me thinking as a possible cheap second car (poodle around town use).
I have heard that at a later date the Euro version of the Nano will be available (maybe to meet Euro crash standards) so it will probably be bigger and more expensive.
Probably still a barging though.
So, if the Nano came out for sale in the UK would you buy one ?
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They are saying a Euro version of the Nano would cost around ?4000. But that wouldn't surprise because it would need airbags, ABS, and a load of other safety features for a start. Then probably better crash protection and a more efficient/less polluting engine too.
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4000 Euros says to me either used Golf, Focus or Mondeo.
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I'll be due for a bus pass before too long - I'd rather have that.
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No-one knows the guise it will appear in, so the answer must be "maybe" - there's no other logical possibility.
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The European version is expected to cost £4k according to the BBC.
That's a nice secondhand low mileage, air conditioned and power steered Ford Ka (£3k), and a couple of years insurance and maintenance paid up front. Shallow depreciation, parts and service available on any street corner, and will sell on in a flash at the right money.
For those who must have a new car though, it's a bargain.
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Dealer back up is far more important than initial cost. If it breaks down and needs a warranty job I need to know I can get it sorted locally, competently and quickly.
Peroduas are dirt cheap, but I don't see many of them about.
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There will be plenty that will buy one-just to be seen in something different.
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Its certainly going to be interesting how it is received - the key will be number of dealers and warranty/back-up - if they sort this side of things and introduce the brand properly then it has a good chance.
Re vs a used car - why would you look at brand new city car and compare it with a used Mondeo?? How many people buying a new Toyota Aygo do you think also looked at a used Mondeo? A very irrelevant comment!
Followed up by a rusty Ford Ka option - it just gets better and better :-)
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Followed up by a rusty Ford Ka option - it just gets better and better :-)
There are plenty of 10 yr old Kas still around, which suggests buying a four year old one for £3k is a good choice.
A perfectly sensible, significantly cheaper alternative to a new, small city car.
Edited by DP on 25/03/2009 at 10:53
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Re vs a used car - why would you look at brand new city car and compare it with a used Mondeo?? A very irrelevant comment!
Because that's what I would be looking at if I had 4 grand and needed a car. I buy cars on price as, I'm guessing, most people in this price band do and I don't care whether a car is new or not. Therefore for me it's the definition "city car" that's irrelevant, not the price comparison.
In India the Tata is not a "city car", it's a basic form of 4 wheeled scooter intended to take its occupants pretty much anywhere. Given a choice between a 600cc 4 wheeled scooter and a well engineered but depreciated medium sized saloon for the same money, I would take the Mondeo.
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I would have one if it was the £1200 version. Maybe if somebody imported them and left the owner to arrange a Single Vehicle Approval like a kit car, we wouldn't need all the bloatware on it.
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As Bagpuss says, the Tata is basically an upgrade from a scooter, which can carry 4 people in relative comfort. Compared to a real car the performance is poor. At the Indian price is is worth having, and in India it is marvelous. But thanks to the EU, a European version must satisfy certain safety regulations, which will make the price high. For a similar price you can buy a new Korean car, with a known build quality and reliability. So why buy a low performance car which might not even be built well?
This comes back to the EU. Surely it would make sense to have a special class of car which did not need to satisfy all EU safety tests. After all, if some people stopped using a scooter, and used the car, would that not be a safety improvement?
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The Euro version is likely to be very different but have similar looks. It will be bigger for sure to accommodate crash protection structures and devices. The Nano as it is probably has little frontal crash protection but will be an improvement for buyers compared to carrying a family on a moped.
By the time they make one for Europe, with a bigger engine, electric windows, heater, radio, etc. it will cost too much compared to real cars. Some of the front of the Nano is glued together (I know aircraft are okay with this sort of thing but they tend not to have low speed bumps either).
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Maybe it should have restrictions. It should not be allowed on NSL roads at night or on motorways.
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Some of the front of the Nano is glued together (I know aircraft are okay with this sort of thing but they tend not to have low speed bumps either).
< Off topic>
Some of the BMW E60 5 Series chassis components are also glued together, believe it or not. It gets around the problem of joining aluminium and steel together without contact corrosion.
< /Off topic>
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< Off topic> Some of the BMW E60 5 Series chassis components are also glued together believe it or not. < /Off topic>
As is the Lotus Elise's chassis. There are 12 yr old ones about with no apparent problems.
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"Surely it would make sense to have a special class of car which did not need to satisfy all EU safety tests."
There is, but it only applies to low volume makers.
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In France they have the puttering little four wheel AIXAM and Ligier vehicles. Banned from many dual carriageways and autoroutes. But locally they are treated like mopeds for age and licence qualifications.
Edited by Glaikit Wee Scunner {P} on 25/03/2009 at 11:29
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I'll wait for the Jaguar version.
(Many a true word said in jest.)
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This comes back to the EU. Surely it would make sense to have a special class of car which did not need to satisfy all EU safety tests.
Actually, this vehicle class exists. It covers 4 wheeled vehicles up to 400kg unladen and with a maximum power of 20bhp (I think).
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I would by one as a town car, provided it was at the right price. However, by the time it is made acceptable and safe for the Euro market, and dealer margins are in line with other small cars, and it is priced at the what the market will stand and all taxes are taken into consideration it will end up at around £5.5k. At that price there is a lot of competition.
Bit like Range Rover and Jag in the US selling at much lower prices than the UK where they are made.
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Car manufacturers have long regarded Britain as "Treasure Island" because of what they can get away with charging for their products. Probably why they've started planting them in fields. What a shame. Wouldn't consider a Tato Nano though unless I was confident of being able to jump clear in the event of a crash...
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No unless perhaps it somehow had an alfa badge on it
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Put an Alfa badge on a Punto and some people would drool and probably buy it and claim it was a fabulous car.
No I would not buy a Nano, you could buy a perfectly adequate full size car for similar money, would not buy an Alfa either.
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Thing is, the Nano wont be sold as anything other than bargin basement, so badge is irrelevant really.
IF they can make it half decent to drive and build it well, Id certainly have a look at it if I was going to buy a small car - prejudice should be earnt and so far, I see no reason to dislike the car. If it is ok, it may well be worth a £2k saving over other cheap small cars - but its all iffs at the moment. Im just about to read Autocars article on it - I bought it for that reason!
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Very small boot I think. I doubt rear seats fold on the Indian version.
It is all if/buts because there is no Euro version. But at ?/£4000/$6000 not sure.
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How much is a KA ? What will it compete with at that price ?
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Well just read the Autocar and it is pretty positive really, rather objective for motoring journalism given that it is neither a sportscar nor anything remotely exciting in motoring terms, price aside.
I think the idea is, it is adequate as a means for getting around but for that price, its not going to anything other than transport. I can see why Tata have done it and if they can keep the price down for the UK but refine it a little more for our tastes, I can certainly see it having some success.
It has certainly got the headlines, that is more advertising than most new cars ever get.
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Even in India,I doubt many people will buy the base model-a few extras will almost double the price.
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No. As DP infers, a second-hand KA is a better buy.
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Will probably be considerably more than 4000 Euro methinks what with all the EU leg it will have to pass. Thy reckon the Euro one will be a three cylinder and not a two as well. I would rather a second hand C1 for a city car as it has a decent Toyota engine.
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No
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Its funny how Ka's have been mentioned for rust, how well do you think this will avoid rust? As soon as they see British weather they will probably rust quite quickly, I could be wrong.
The Cityrover was a spruced up car made by Tata which was not well recieved, the Nano would be worse. The Indian has a o-60 time of over 30 seconds, Morris Minors are quicker.
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they will probably rust quite quickly, I could be wrong.
Plastic? The car is made of a lot of plastic.
And don't quote 0-60 times. The Nano for India is not aimed at us in Europe. They transport families on moped type vehicles so it is a step forward.
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I would assume the chassis is still metal though? I would not imagine cheap plastic would be rigid enough. Yep I realised about the 0-60 time was quite stupid when I imagined the rigsaws this thing is designed to replace.
For India it is a brilliant step forward but I just can't see it doing well in Europe. Perodua is the nearest thing we have and they don't seem to sell.
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But the Tata Nano Europa would be bigger, with a bigger engine. The current Nano is not aimed at us.
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A Tata? No ta.
At that price I would rather buy a proper second hand car any day of the week.
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The Cityrover was a spruced up car made by Tata which was not well recieved the Nano would be worse. The Indian has a o-60 time of over 30 seconds Morris Minors are quicker.
is that the speed of the rust ?
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No, not even if they gave them away free, paid all fuel, insurance, maintenance, RFL and provided a disguise to wear when driving.
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