Here’s another update towards the Nano. It did take a day to come, but perseverance paid off well. Sometimes it is not just about covering an event for the heck of it or just because it falls as a part of your job but is also about developing relationships. We at CarWale believe in establishing and maintaining a healthy relationship with everyone, be it you, our users or the guys in the automotive fraternity. So I took my time, waited patiently at the Tata hall (not that it was easy, I must add!), chatted to their officials cordially, cracked jokes with them, got friendly. All this to bring you a comprehensive coverage of the expo. Not something just to top the Google search for a day or two, but to show up naturally whenever you want anything related to the Auto Expo.
We were one of the very few guys who were allowed to go near the Nano to get a real feel of the car and the same was the case with the New Indica. The Nano being the flavour of the moment, allow me to talk about this exciting offering here. The exterior of Nano, you all know by now, are pretty alluring. It looks fresh and has that zing factor going for it. The same cannot be said about its interior, which not many would have seen clearly. The very basic, plain-jane affair that it is, interior is not as lively as the outside looks of the car. The dash, as said previously, has good storage space owing to the curve which forms its basic architecture. The mid-mounted speedo is optimistically calibrated to 120kmph and the floor mounted gear shift lever is not complemented by anything. The centre console just hangs there in the middle, but we have to accept, the design is rather pleasing.
The exposed metal runners for the seats also shout at cost cutting techniques, but apart from this, it does not lend a good feel to the interior of such a good looking machine. It somehow just does not gel. Or maybe since you absolutely adore the exterior looks of the Nano, the stark naked interior does not cut the cake for you. Yes, I think that is what the reason is. It took me quite a while and all this time I was just standing near the Nano, admiring the way it looked and questioned “what went wrong on the inside then?†And then it dawned on me, the Nano is going to be available for just a little over a lakh. Oh, and lest you take me the wrong way, let me tell you that the plastic quality can be called comparable to that of Maruti 800’s. But the whole deal on the inside evokes a sense of expectation. An expectation of something more. Ah, we humans are always too greedy!
The space, surprisingly, is rather good for a car of such diminutive stature and I am sure that four average sized Indians will not find it difficult to fit in. Quite an accomplishment that!
The Nano has attracted a mixed bag of reactions from within the auto industry. Some are smitten for good by it, some have their feelings reserved while some are skeptical. Mr. Lheem of Hyundai, complementing the effort, earlier said in response to a question asked regarding the Nano that he believed a 70kmph odd top speed would add to the already chaotic traffic scenario in the country. A lot of heads nodded in agreement to this statement. Not mine though. Why? I’ll tell you why. Because even today, what is the speed that you and me average throughout the time that we are behind the wheel? 20? 25kmph? Alright, let us give it some due, assume it is 30kmph odd. Now, why would a car that is capable of doing 70-75kmph max be a problem child in this case? It is the same for a guy traveling in his posh mobile office powered by some ‘V’ thousand engine delivering the power which could make the world rotate! So essentially, the Nano and that luxo barge would share the space on the roads. Also, let us assume that you do get some free stretch and you decide to floor the throttle. Where you will be doing a hundred, the Nano would be hopping around at 75kmph and even that, according to Indian rule book is not permitted on city roads. But yes, no one follows it.
Face the harsh reality of Indian motoring. The traffic will always be slow if the road infrastructure does not take a giant leap. Tata realized it and have vowed to give a good product to the masses. And if it is only speed that you are concerned about, go get a M3 and drive your heart out on the autobahns in Germany. The Nano will surely add to the traffic, but will also enable a large number of bikers to shift to something that is safer. And is this not what we all want, that our motorists be safe, always? My plea and reasoning is that stop criticizing Tata for bringing out a cheap car that will drive masses into the future. Instead ask the government to give us better roads, improve the ones already there and look at practical solutions that are lying in huge numbers at the desk of the head ‘babus’ in blueprints. Improvement of road infrastructure will lead to a better life for all, I am sure. So Tata, go for it. Cheers!
