Nitol group keen on Nano assembly unit in Bangladesh

With the Nano all set to hit the Bangladesh roads this February, the distributor of the Tata cars there, now plans to open talks with the Mumbai-based auto major to set up an assembly unit of the small car.

Tata Nano 2012

“Bangladesh is a viable economy. We will grow very fast here. Therefore as soon as we introduce the vehicle, in two moths we will have an idea about the market. Then we will start negotiating with Tata for the assembly plant,” Abdul Matlub Ahmed, Chairman of Nitol Group, distributor of the Tata Motors in Bangladesh said.

The Bangladeshi company has finalised the deal with Tata Motors to import and sell the Tata Nano in the country.

“We are expecting to introduce Nano in Bangladesh sometime in February. We will import about 2,000 Nano cars in the first year for the Bangladesh market. We are importing all the models and will see the market response. Then we will finally decide on the import programme on the basis of demand. Our idea is to reach at least 10,000 a year in the next couple of years,” Ahmed said.

The vehicle was scheduled to be launched in Bangladesh in October last year, but it got delayed following some pricing issues.

As high import duty will cost the common man's car about Tk 6.5 lakh (Rs 3.8 lakh), the distributor wants the car to be assembled in Bangladesh.

“Definitely an assembly unit here will be cost effective. But we are not sure about the logistics part the and the fresh investment required to make. We will have to do a lot of study,” he said.

However, Tata's spokesman declined to comment on whether the auto major has any plan to come up with an assembly unit in Bangladesh.

Although the company did not give any timeline, Tata Motors had earlier said, it was considering the option of assembling the Nano abroad through export of completely knocked down units (CKD).

The home-grown auto major started exports of completely built units (CBU) of the Nano to Sri Lanka and Nepal last year. Between April and November 2011, Tata Motors exported 1,728 units of the small car.

Apart from Bangladesh, the company plans to export the car to other Asian countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Mayanmar. It is also working on an upgraded version of the Nano for the developed markets in the US and Europe.

The car has also reportedly evinced interest from some overseas companies like the Teco Group of Taiwan, which has expressed keenness to manufacture and sell the vehicle in the respective countries.

Source: Business Standard

Tata launches Nano Valentines Edition in Goa

2012 Tata Nano Valentines Edition

Are you looking to gift your loved one a special and a different gift which beautiful, cute and safe? Here is a chance to gift your dear one a fun loving car.

Auto Industries, Tata Motors Goa dealer has launched a special Nano Valentines Edition in Goa. A new way of saying that one loves you and cares for you.



The Nano Valentines Edition is available only on the Nano CX with added features.

The Nano Valentines Edition will be offered in 2 colours Rouge Red and Neon Rush (green) only. Only 20 units of the special edition will be made at the offer is valid only a select period or till stocks last.

The added features include:

• Integrated Tata Audio /MP3 System with USB
• A Pen drive on which one can store your favourite songs
• A Mobile phone along with a phone holder stand
• Remote Central locking
• Fog lamps
• Air freshener
• Protective Sunfilm
• Mattings and Mudflaps
• Valentine special exterior graphics

All the above costs come at an extra cost of Rs. 20,000. The Nano Valentines Edition is priced at Rs. 205,993 ex-showroom Goa.

The new 2012 Nano is powered by a 624cc which now has a power output of 38Ps and 51 on Torque.

More Images:


Source: Goa On Wheels

And the discounts only get bigger on the 2012 Tata Nano hatchback!

Tata Motors is pulling out all stops to push the Tata Nano, a practical city hatchback that is frugal and easy to park. The latest move by Tata Motors to sell the Nano is by means of a hefty discount that Tata is offering as exchange bonus for your old two wheeler of car. The exchange bonus works like this; You exchange your old two wheeler or four wheeler for the new 2012 Tata Nano. Tata Motors will pay you INR 20,000 extra, over and above the exchange value of your old two wheeler as the exchange bonus. In the same way, for four wheelers, Tata will pay you INR 25,000 extra as exchange bonus.

2012 Tata Nano

These exchange bonuses are over and above the flat 10,000 rupee cash discount that Tata is offering on all models of the 2012 Nano. Effectively, exchanging your old two wheeler will fetch you a 30,000 rupee discount on the Nano while exchanging your car will fetch you a 35,000 rupee discount on the 2012 Nano, both sizable discounts indeed. At the discounted prices, the 2012 Nano looks like a superb value proposition for folks wanting a frugal city run about that is inexpensive to buy and run as Tata does have attractive all-inclusive maintenance packages at INR 99 per month.

2012 Tata Nano LX Interiors

The 2012 Tata Nano comes in three variants, Basic, CX and LX. All three variants of the 2012 Nano have got a wide range of upgrades to improve performance as well as fuel economy. The 2012 Nano comes with a slightly more powerful engine with altered gear ratios to make the car quicker than before. Also, the improvements in the engine and transmission has meant that the Nano is now the most fuel efficient car in the country with a whopping ARAI certified mileage figure of 25.4 Kmpl. All these improvements come without any increase in price of the Nano, which has been retained at previous levels.

Source: ICB

Tata Nano sales continue to grow! Clocks 7,723 units in January 2012!

The Tata Nano’s sales have climbed for the fifth consecutive month, in a very positive sign for both the small car and its parent company, Tata Motors Limited. The Nano registered 7,723 units in January 2012, a marginal improvement over the 7,466 units that Tata Motors dispatched to Tata dealers across the country. Tata Motors recently launched the upgraded 2012 Nano, which brought in a host of improvements, right from the interiors to the gear ratios of the car, very crucially without any increase in the price of the car.

2012 Tata Nano LX

Along with the big improvement in the Nano, Tata Motors has been offering attractive discounts and down payment offers on the 2012 Nano to push sales. Another effort from Tata Motors has been the push into rural areas of India with standalone Nano kiosks, taking this budget hatchback closer to people, which seems to slowly be delivering results with sales growing steadily over the past few months. That said, the Nano is still quite a mile away from being a profitable venture for Tata Motors and this is what will be bothering the powers to be at Tata.

Small cars sell at wafer thin margins and more so the Nano, which is the least priced car, not just in India, but the whole wide world. This means that Tata isn’t really making money on the Nano considering the volumes that this car is doing. After setting up a factory plant capable of producing over 250,000 Nanos a year, more than 75% of the capacity at Tata Motors’ plan at Sanand, Gujarat is unused. Typically, Tata needs to use at least 60% of the capacity to stay profitable with the Nano. This, evidently isn’t happening currently.

The diesel Nano, which will be Tata’s hope will not be here until 2013. But before that, another option for Tata would be the CNG version of the Nano, which the automaker showcased off at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo. The Nano CNG might be good alternative to the diesel engined Nano for the time being, in bigger cities and towns at least, where CNG is more easily available. The sooner Tata makes the CNG Nano available widely, the better for the brand. Tata also showcased a Nano with disc brakes at the Auto Expo, perhaps an inkling of things to come from Tata in the future.

Source: ICB

Tata Motors is planning new marketing strategies to push Nano sales

Tata Nano 2012

The company aims to undo the 'Nano is a poor man's car' perception in the Indian market.

At the 2012 Auto Expo, Tata Group chairman, Ratan Tata admitted that there had been quite a few blunders in the way the Tata Nano was marketed and distributed in the country. To make the necessary correction and to boost the sales of the small car, the company is now gearing up to introduce new marketing and distributing strategies in the Indian market. The new strategy aims at reaching out to multiple segments of target customers and to undo the perception that the Nano is a poor man's car.

"Quite a lot of marketing activity is in place now - reaching out to the target segments, network strategy, handling the customers at the dealerships, tie-ups with various financiers." said Mr R Ramakrishna, the company's vice-president. "Every single segment is falling in place now." Ramakrishna added.

According to the company, a typical Nano buyer is relatively scared to go to a full-fledged car showroom and therefore, the company is setting up exclusive showrooms to sell Nano cars in Tier-III and Tier-IV cities across the country. Apart from the existing showrooms, Tata Motors has so far set up around 105 exclusive Nano showrooms and 250 special kiosks. Altogether, the company now has around 750 sales points where the Nano is available.



Source: On Cars

Nano 2012 May Cost More In Year 2012

Tata Nano 2012

Next year onwards, you may have to cough up more to own a Nano. Tata Motors is seriously considering increasing prices of its ultra low-cost car.

The price hike is expected to be in the range of Rs. 5,000 on its newly-launched Nano 2012 model. However, the timeframe of the hike is currently not known. “Tata Motors will have to increase prices as the product was launched at a similar price to that of the previous Nano,” said sources. When contacted, a company spokesperson said, “We do not give guidance on pricing.”

The company in November had introduced additional features for the Nano at the same price point. The upgraded Nano features new interiors, a powerful gasoline engine and better fuel efficiency. “The cost is going up on the material side due to rupee fluctuations. Also, the new Nano is generating good response from customers, hence it would be easy for the company to pass on the hike,” said an analyst with a domestic brokerage, requesting anonymity.

On the other hand, experts feel that the recent replacement of starter motors in all older models of the Nano could affect the sales of Nano 2012 on a short-term basis. According to a news report, Tata Motors is substituting the old starter motor with a new and ‘better’ one, currently used in Nano 2012. The company will replace this component free of cost for around 1,40,000 Nanos sold so far.

According to a Tata Motors spokesperson, the exercise cannot be termed as a recall. “We are just replacing the component. The exercise was started in October and has already covered 50,000 vehicles so far,” he said.

“Indian customers do not forgive easily. The market is anyway weak. The incident might have a short term impact on the new Nano sales,” said V G Ramakrishnan, director with Frost and Sullivan.



Analysts say the replacement exercise undertaken by Tata Motors is by far the biggest in the India. Recently, Toyota recalled 41,000 Etios and Liva cars to replace a faulty inlet pipe to the fuel tank. Similarly, Honda Siel in September recalled 72,115 units of City sedan to fix faulty power window switches.

Sales of the Tata Nano were 6,401 numbers in November 2011, compared to 509 units sold in November last year. Tata Motors sold 39,646 units Nano between April and November 2011, compared to 40,976 units sold during the same period last year.

Source: DNA India

2012 Tata Nano: A detailed preview

You do not need to step inside the 2012 Tata Nano to know that the vehicle has been given a complete makeover. The multiple color range that it has been provided with including unique colors, like Rouge Red and Papaya Orange, makes this statement as soon as you take a look at the vehicle.

Tata Nano 2012

The Exteriors:

Though the car has been launched as a low-budget hatchback, Tata Motors has not shied away from giving a stylish look to the 2012 Tata Nano. The bonnet, though small, gives a petite appearance to the car. However, other than the additional eight colors that the vehicle comes in, it is hard to identify any other features within the car exterior that are strikingly different from the previous model. The only major additions that have been provided to the exteriors of the vehicle is an additional rear-view mirror on the passenger side, which indeed is a sensible and essential addition. Also, the top end LX model has been provided with plastic wheel-caps.

The Interiors:

If you were getting a bit disheartened looking at the exteriors and thinking that it’s the same vehicle with minor adjustments, just open the door of the vehicle and the refreshing change provided to the interiors gives you the feel of stepping into an all-new car, altogether. It really seems that the authorities at Tata Motors have indeed been listening to their customers. The manufacturer has definitely taken a lot of pains in livening up the interiors. The LX model has been given a beige-colored dashboard with a central console and the gear knobs have been given a silver finish. With the seat fabric also being provided in beige, the cabin gets a feel that we all desired for. The standard version has been provided with graphite interior that exudes a lot of freshness. Similarly black is the chosen colour as far as the interior of the CX model is concerned. The two-toned door pads with deeper pockets are also a significant notch up from the initial model that had been introduced.

The other comfort feature that was definitely required, and hence is being appreciated greatly, is the provision of adjustable headrests in the front seats. Though these headrests have restricted movement, yet the development is significant as the earlier model just had a one-piece seat. The front seats also are more supportive to their occupants. As we move to the rear, we are again reminded of the huge space the Nano has packed inside, almost a size greater than all competitive budget hatchbacks. Comfort issues of the rear seat passengers have also been addressed with the height of the seat back being raised to provide better support to the shoulders.

Power and Mileage along with Driving Comfort:

The manufacturer has definitely put in work on the 624cc engine. Not only is it more fuel-efficient, the power has also been increased to 37BHp (the previous model was at 35BHp). Torque has also been raised to 5.2kgm. The Nano retains its city driving aspect and now offers increased fuel-efficiency of 25.4 km/liter (23.6km/liter was provided by the erstwhile model). The overall driving comfort have also been refined further as you experience less shocks while driving.

A complaint we always held while driving the erstwhile model of the Tata Nano was the heaviness of the steering when operating at a slow speed. The suspension has been definitely given a fair revision and the effect seems noticeable with the steering being a little lighter. However, some degree of effort is still required on the steering, particularly when parking the vehicle. Power steering is not something that one might see in the very near future. This has been addressed to a certain extent, though, with the tight-turning circle of the Nano, that enables you to weave through city traffic. The vehicle also has improved stability with the anti-roll bar provided at the front, doing its job well.

Pricing:

The best news among all these however is the fact that all the updates provided have not been accompanied with a corresponding increase in price. Ex-showroom pricing of Nano 2012 for Delhi is:

Standard Model - Rs.1.4 Lakh
CX Model - Rs.1.7 Lakh
LX Model - Rs.1.96 Lakh

Source:Indian Drives

Tata Nano 2012 launched!

Tata Nano 2012

Tata has launched the small wonder in its 2012 Avatar. The Nano gets a power upgrade delivering an impressive 38PS of power (earlier 35 PS) and 51Nm of torque (earlier 48 Nm).

Even with higher power the car delivers an impressive 25.4 kmpl (earlier 23.6 kmpl) as certified by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI)

• More fuel efficiency at 25.4 kmpl
• New premium interiors
• New vibrant colours
• Best-in-class air-conditioning
• Lowest CO2 emission, among cars in India
• Booster-assisted brakes in the Standard variant

The ride and handling, also already highly appreciated by existing owners, now has become even better with a revised suspension set-up, including an anti-roll bar at the front, and a steering mechanism made even easier. While the cabin is quiet, a racier sounding exhaust note now gives the Tata Nano a more assertive road presence. Booster-assisted brakes, already available in the Nano CX and the LX, have now been added to the Nano Standard as well. The Nano CX and LX now have tip-tap mirrors on both the driver and passenger sides. For the Nano Standard, which already has a driver side mirror, the passenger side one can be installed as an accessory.

The interiors are completely new with enhanced premiumness in look and feel – luxurious beige in the Nano LX, rich black in the Nano CX and stunning medium graphite in the Standard version. The exteriors are now a veritable vibgyor of 10 colours, eight of them new — Pearl White, Rouge Red, Aqua Blue, Neon Rush, Serene White, Meteor Silver, Mojito Green, Papaya Orange, Sunshine Yellow, and Champagne Gold. New half or full wheel caps accentuate the distinctiveness.

Commenting on the introduction, Mr. P.M. Telang, Tata Motors’ Managing Director – India Operations, has said, “Tata Nano owners, over 90% of whom are highly satisfied with their choice, have given us valuable insights on what more can be done. We have introduced some of these ideas. We will continue to add features, as has been our tradition across our product portfolio.”

The three trim levels and their key features are:

Tata Nano Standard: The standard version comes with three colour options — Rouge Red, Aqua Blue, Serene White — along with clear headlamps, tubeless tyres and tip-tap driver side mirror, booster-assisted brakes and front suspension with anti-roll bar. The interiors comprise dual-tone vinyl seats and fold-down rear seat.

Tata Nano CX: The Nano CX comes in six colour options — Rouge Red, Champagne Gold, Neon Rush, Meteor Silver, Papaya Orange and Serene White. The interiors have been refreshed with trendy black fabric seats, ebony black interiors, fold-down rear seat with nap rest. Besides these, the variant offers best-in-class air-conditioning with heating (optional), parcel shelf, booster-assisted brakes, tip-tap mirrors on driver and passenger side and half wheel covers.

Tata Nano LX: The top-end variant comes loaded with features like premium beige fabric seats, central locking, door handles, front power windows, cup holder in front console, provision for 12V socket, body coloured bumpers, fog lamps, electronic trip meter, rear spoiler, full wheel covers and tip-tap mirrors on driver and passenger side and booster-assisted brakes. The Nano LX comes in six premium colours –  Pearl White, Papaya Orange, Mojito Green, Sunshine Yellow, Meteor Silver and Champagne Gold.



All the variants come with an unmatched warranty of 4 years or 60,000 kms, whichever is earlier.

The Tata Nano will continue to be available at the same price. The Tata Nano is priced (ex-showroom, Delhi), at Rs.1.40 lakhs for the Nano Standard, Rs.1.70 lakhs for the Nano CX and Rs.1.96 lakhs for the Nano LX.

The Tata Nano is available across 676 outlets. Customers can buy the Tata Nano at an extremely low down-payment, starting from Rs.15,000, and high tenure financing (up to 60 months).

Source: Tata Motors

2012 Tata Nano to be launched on 21st Nov 2011

2012 Tata Nano

Tata Motors has been planning upgrade to its little wonder for quite some time now and various new technologies have been experimented with in the past including 3-cylinder engines and even a diesel powerplant with mind-boggling FE figures.

At the same time, enthusiasts too have been waiting for some major changes to the product which took world by storm. There have been talks of power steering, Nano Europa styling, even Tata Pixel has been a contender for second iteration of Tata Nano.

So, the time has come and TATA have folded their sleeves to provide an all new refreshed Nano or rather NANO 2012.

The face-lifted model will get a host of cosmetic changes including new seats and fabric, new front seat headrests, a beige-coloured dashboard to brighten up the interiors, passenger-side outside rear-view mirror, new wheel-cap design and floor mats, and will be available in attractive new colours.

The Nano gets significant mechanical changes. The steering geometry has been reworked and the castor-angle optimised to reduce steering effort, a major complaint in the current car. The new car gets tweaked suspension setup and an anti-roll bar to further improve its ride and handling. Tata’s engineers have increased body stiffness too by making changes to the structure with better bonding of the body panels. This will see an improvement in refinement levels.

Tata has also raised the power by nearly 10 percent, from 35bhp to 38bhp. However, there will be no significant performance gain as the step-up in power has been offset by taller gearing in a bid to achieve the magical 25kpl figure that till now has been accomplished only by other Tata cars — the eV2 and eCS.

The feature list is as follows:

1. If it isn't 25, it isn't enough
Tata has had a fixation with this quarter century mark for quite some time now. It all started with the Indica eV2 and now there is no looking back. I still wait for the time when they will include UV vehicles in their 25kmpl brigade. Guess then, a lot will be pardoned on the quality front.

Well, as the news goes, Tata Nano is now the most fuel efficient Petrol car in the country as per ARAI certification.

2. Its still not power steering but it is lighter
Tata have incorporated some serious changes in the steering column and ride and handling of the car to make the steering "much-much" lighter and anyone owning the old nano would instantly fall in love with the nano 2012.

Again, not truly up to customer expectation a la Power steering but, TATA has looked into the issue and come up with ingenious, and cost effective solution for the time being.

3. No more hang on tight on turns.
Tata have introduced a Anti-Roll bar on this edition to dramatically improve ride and handling of the vehicle. Further, suspension has been tweaked for a softer ride. It is not an auto after all !!!

4. Gone are the days of clatter
Here Tata has gone more than just minor tweaking but actually delved right into design of the vehicle. The B Pillars are now wider, there is more insulation on certain parts and exhaust noise too has been brought down bringing down NVH levels considerably.

Once again, there is no 3 pot powerplant but genuine effort has been made and ingenuity has ruled above complete overhaul.

5. Mirror, Mirror on the car.
Tata went full cost cutting first time around and while some of the omissions were accepted (reluctantly!) by the junta, this was one omission that did not go down well with the customers, especially ones commuting in heavy traffic cities. We are referring to the Left Hand side ORVM.

Though, Tata has been supplying LHS ORVM for quite some time through its service centres but Nano 2012 brings this feature as standard on CX and LX versions with LX getting body coloured ORVM.

6. So comfy...
One of the major changes in this edition of Nano is the seats. Gone are the times of non-existant seat comfort and in comes softly cushioned seats with proper headrests. Frankly, this is a change which will appreciated by all and instantly be recognisable from older iteration. Good Job people!

2012 Tata Nano CX Interior

7. Beige it is, even for the cheapest car in market
Interiors have been revamped. Centre console now stands out in terms of quality of knobs as well as colour choices.

CX gets fabric door linings and seats with silver centre consoles. Beige rules as soon as you step into LX variant. On first impression, new interiors do aim to provide a upmarket feel to the humble car and ticks many right boxes on the interiors department.

8. Look at my new shoes
Not much of change here in terms of upgrade. LX gets full 'alloy look' wheel cover while CX is handed down earlier half wheel caps from old LX.

9. More colour options. Maybe one for your each dinner gown
Tata have scrapped all older colours except Sunshine Yellow and Champagne Gold to bring in much bolder and premium shades. There are 10 colours (4 Non Metallic, 6 Metallic) in all with 8 shades being introduced with Nano 2012. Nano LX gets more exclusive shades unlike only Sunshine Yellow in previous iteration. Pearl White from Tata flagship Safari too gets an introduction in Nano LX and personally is a top choice.

2012 Tata Nano in Pearl White color

Important Notes

1. There is no change in Product pricing at the moment for new product.
2. Tata has been shipping new Nano from past few weeks and most dealer will begin showcasing vehicles from this week itself.
3. There is no change in exterior appearances of the vehicle except introduction of LHS ORVM on CX and LX versions.
4. No design cues have been borrowed from Nano Europa.
5. It is not an intermediate product between major product introduction. Tata expects to sell this vehicle through 2012 or atleast till end of 2012. 

Courtesy: AutoCar India & Team-BHP