Some of us might still remember the mini-car Nano made by the Indian company Tata; recently, Nano is taping into the American market. The Nano was designed to be a step up from a motor scooter, along with cheap pricing, developers hope to lure Indian families off their motorbikes. Could the risky venture into the US market benefit the company? One of the selling points for the Nano was it’s price tag of about $2,500, however, due to safety regulations of the government and the taste preference of consumers, a few more features were added bringing the price up to $10,000. These additional features include addition of airbags, air conditioning, and a 60hp engine (35-hp in the Indian version), but some argue even with these updated features the Nano is still considered too basic for Americans. With the increased price, Nano has now lost its main advantage of being the cheapest car.
Another factor that may have consumers second-guess purchasing these cars is the size of a Nano. Being nearly two feet shorter than a BMW Mini, it might be hard for a driver or passengers of a larger built to sit comfortably in the seats. Despite the negative feedback, the CEO of India’s Tata group, Ratan Tata, seems to have confidence. “The US is a very enticing market”, he said, “We hope that the sub-$10,000 car has appeal.”
What do you think about the Tata, will it be successful breaking into the US market, and would you buy one?
To see a video of the Nano crash test click HERE !
Sources
http://nvonews.com/2012/10/16/tata-nano-usa-release-is-a-reality-price-begins-at-around-3000/
http://autos.aol.com/article/tata-nano-coming-to-usa/
http://autos.yahoo.com/news/tata-bringing-world-s-cheapest-car-to-the-u-s-.html