Tata Motors announced it will be accepting orders for the world’s cheapest car starting April 6. The car is a four-seater powered by 624cc engine delivering a whooping 56 mpg. The first 100,000 cars will sell for around $2000 (for the base model) and as you can imagine the demand is huge!
The company already has a model for European market in the making and also plans to come to the United States sometimes in 2011 or 2012 but the price of the American version will be more like $4000.
How does Nano compare to its American counterparts? I have rolled up some numbers below for comparison. Keep in mind however that Tata Nano is a really small car. It measures a little over 9 feet long, 5 feet wide, and is smaller than Toyota Yaris. The base model has no air bags, AC, ABS, or even a radio!
Most fuel efficient:
| Fuel Efficiency | Base Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Prius Hybrid | 46 mpg | $22,720 |
| Honda Civic Hybrid | 42 mpg | $24,320 |
| Smart Fortwo Coupe | 36 mpg | $12,635 |
| Nissan Altima Hybrid | 34 mpg | $27,345 |
| Volkswagen Jetta Diesel | 34 mpg | $22,270 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | 33 mpg | $26,870 |
| Ford Escape Hybrid | 33 mpg | $30,370 |
| Toyota Yaris | 32 mpg | $12,925 |
| Mini Cooper | 31 mpg | $19,200 |
| Honda Fit | 31 mpg | $15,420 |
Source: 2009’s 10 most fuel-efficient cars in America at Autoweek
Least Expensive:
| Base Price | |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Accent GS 3-door | $9,970 |
| Nissan Versa 1.6S | $9,990 |
| Kia Rio | $11,495 |
| Smart Fortwo Pure | $11,990 |
| Chevy Aveo LS | $11,965 |
| Toyota Yaris 3-door | $12,205 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS | $14,120 |
| Pontiac G3 | $14,335 |
| Mitsubishi Lancer DE | $14,340 |
| Kia Spectra LX | $14,550 |
The first two positions are a marketing trick Nissan and Hyundai have engaged into to get the title of the cheapest American car (more here)
More on Tata Nano:
1) Its for countries with small space and more people
2) No safety, for countries with blood and lives are cheapest
3) For countries, with lawsuit verdict takes ages, so nobody fears nobody and can sell anything unsafe
4) For countries, where kids can be seen driving cars when they are 12!