The Tata Nano undergoes a makeover as it prepares to welcome the new year
Sometimes it takes more than just an idea to make a difference.
Possibly that’s what this automotive revolution called the Tata Nano wished to achieve, but fell short of the objective on a number of counts.
When Ratan Tata shared his vision of a ‘people’s car’, many a family rejoiced with the thought of possessing their first set of wheels with a roof on top. As the Nano appeared in the market, it became an instant hit and Tata dealerships witnessed long delivery periods for it. Its tiny 624-cc mill did the job well, but the plastic quality of the cabin wasn’t quite up to the mark.
After about two years of error correction, the company seems to have made some more changes to this micro car, hoping to get all the permutations and combinations right. The new Tata Nano for 2012 comes with engine tweaks to deliver 38 PS of power and 51 Nm of torque (as against the earlier 35 PS and 48 Nm). This being the only change under the hood, the other changes are all on the surface. The car now gets new colours, body-coloured bumpers, an outer rear-view mirror on the passenger side (as an additional accessory, though) and an impressive new cabin.
Booster-assisted brakes, with which only the higher models were equipped earlier, have now been made standard on all the variants of this car. The quality of plastic and upholstery has been upgraded and the Nano now has a pleasant beige interior. The company also makes claims of a better fuel-efficiency in respect of this 2012 upgrade.
While the 2012 Tata Nano has been priced at Rs 2.29 lakh (OTR, Pune), its other variants retain the old price-tags.
Story: Gasha Aeri
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
