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Exclusive: Tata Nano Test Drive Report The Nano has been launched today. As always, we bring to you yet another exclusive.
The Nano is a very cute expensive looking hatchback. We aren't complaining.
Exteriors
It is a proper car! Not an autorickshaw with a fourth wheel. The Nano is brilliantly styled and will turn heads everywhere you go. Not only because of the hype it has generated but because it genuinely looks good and can easily pass off as a more expensive hatchback. This is one cute looking hatchback and I won't be surprised if the urban crowd just buys it as a style statement.
Rear hatch is sealed. Christmas tree tail lamps similar to the Indica's.
The Nano is quite tall and if you park it next to an ML, you'd be surprised to see the matching rooflines. But this translates into good interior headroom (which is quite good by the way). Finished in Canary Yellow, the Nano pulled crowds wherever we went. On styling, I'd give it full marks. Build quality is surprisingly good as well. Panel gaps are even and are pretty good considering the price you pay.
Interiors
Open the doors and you're in for another surprise. There is lot of space in the cabin and it doesn't feel as low rent as I had expected it to be. The dashboard is finished as a single unit and there is no glovebox. Instead, the dashboard has a scoop running right across its width where you can store a lot of stuff. The instrument cluster is placed in the centre just like in the Spark. Instrumentation is quite basic. You get a speedometre with one tripmeter and a digital fuel gauge.
Dashboard quality decent, bits like vents feel cheap. Instrumentation is also basic.
We drove the top-end LX model and it gets front power windows, a power socket, air-conditioner, central locking and sunvisors as standard. The base Nano is a bare bones car. You don't even get sunvisors. Even the front passenger seat has a fixed backrest. The CX variant gets an aircon and some interior mouldings along with an adjustable front passenger seat.
Seats are comfy, but lack side support. Base model gets fixed front passenger backrest.
The seats themselves are quite comfortable and provide good underthigh support. But they lack side bolstering which means they let you slide during corners. Seats are placed high so entry and exit is very easy even for old folks. Even with the high seats, there is plenty of headroom. Legroom too is very good. The rear seats have more than adequate legroom even with the front seat set fully back. With the Nano, you will not be left wanting for space, that's for sure.
The gearbox shifts easily, better than the Indica's. Power window buttons hard to reach.
The air-conditioner cooled the front decently, but was struggling to cool the rear in the sweltering heat. The 800 too had similar issues. The load on the engine by the AC wasn’t really felt. A bigger compressor would have been nice though.
Engine, Performance & Gearbox
The Nano is currently powered by a 624cc two cylinder petrol motor. A turbo-diesel power plant of similar capacity is also under development. The petrol engine puts out 35bhp (similar to the 800) and 4.9kgm of torque. The engine is located in the rear under the rear seats and can only be accessed after removing them. The hatch is sealed and cannot be opened. Refinement levels are decent and vibrations are well damped. At idle, you can tell that it is a two cylinder motor, but it's not like an autorickshaw. At low and medium speeds, it sounds pretty decent, but pull it towards its redline, it starts to sound gruff and stained. With an output like that, don't expect it to be a scorcher. But it is quite adequate for city use. It hits a top speed of 106kph and will hit 100kph in 29.7 seconds. It will go to the highway as well, but it performs best at slow and medium speeds.
Neatly packed and tucked in under the rear seat. Accessed via the rear bench only. Engine heat can be felt inside the cabin near top speed.
The engine pulls well initially and the short gearing helps it stay with the city traffic. The four speed gearbox shifts easily and shift quality is better than even the Indica. A five-speed box would have been good. We've been told it is under development. Fuel economy expected is around 18kpl (we haven't had the chance to put it through our regular fuel efficiency test).
Ride & Handling
Handling is benign. Good for beginners and inexperienced drivers. Rides surprisingly well too.
Riding on puny 12inch wheels, the Nano will surprise you with its ride quality. Most bumps are rounded off well and the ride only becomes choppy at high speeds. The front and rear tyre sizes are different. Front 135/70R12 and rear 155/65R12. This has been done to give the car an under-steering characteristic which will be good for inexperienced drivers. The steering feels a little vague around the centre position but otherwise feels direct and provides ample feedback as well. Being tall, the Nano does roll a bit in corners, but it doesn’t feel insecure and is well within the limits. Straightline stability is also pretty good, but grip levels are limited by the narrow tyres.
Tata have a winner on their hands. The Nano will surely bring about a revolution.
Verdict
The Nano offers good amounts of space and comfort. It has an efficient engine which performs well enough in city traffic. It isn’t perfect and owners will want some things like a five-speed gearbox and more power from the engine. But the mouth watering prices will make you overlook those. Tata has achieved what it had set out to do – Affordable motoring for the masses. We have a new people’s car!
Prices are announced - Base Rs 1.23 lakh, CX Rs 1.51 lakh and LX Rs 1.72 lakh. (ex showroom delhi). Booking Amount: Rs 2,999. Booking form is available for Rs 300. Seven year loans available too at interest rates of 11.7-12%
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Originally Posted by panchabhut 
