You might not expect the world's cheapest car to be a looker, but the sight of a canary-yellow Nano pottering along India's streets turned plenty of heads this afternoon.
The admiring glances – from cheering schoolchildren, sleepy-looking bullock-cart drivers and gawping motorists – probably owed as much to the relentless hype that has surrounded the vehicle’s launch as to its snub-nosed aesthetics
But many people who have seen the car in the flesh do consider it “cute” – even saying that the styling compares favourably with many hot-hatches costing several times as much. If tiny, bumper car-esque motors are your thing, you’ll probably like it a lot.
It’s only when you climb into the cabin, however, that the Nano really comes into its own. The most pleasant surprise is the amount of space inside. The car is more than capable of accommodating four “healthy” six-footers, though at a cost – a serious lack of luggage space. The boot has a volume of 130 litres, enough for a couple of modest overnight bags. Also, it’s only accessible by folding down the rear seats and not from outside. The Nano, it turns out, isn’t a hatchback, and it isn’t built for touring.
With the engine weight being in the rear, the non-power steering is responsive enough (there’s supposed to be a bit of understeer, apparently, to suit inexperienced drivers). The four-speed gearbox does its job with a minimum of fuss. The turning circle – at eight metres – is a joy.
The ride quality isn’t bad either, even on India’s less-than-pristine roads, which is impressive when you consider that the Nano is travelling on a set of rather diminutive 12-inch wheels. At higher speeds there is a fair amount of vibration and the noise levels rise quickly. There’s also a bit of a roll on cornering (probably because the Nano is surprisingly tall) – but what did you expect for £1,400 plus taxes and extras?
The one serious drawback is the lack of pick-up from the 624cc two-cylinder engine. Tata says that the Nano wields enough clout (it puts out 35bhp) to keep pace with Indian traffic, and that was true on the congested streets of Pimpri, the town where the Nano testing centre is located. It has a top speed of 106kph and can reach 100kph in 29.7 seconds.
But I wouldn’t want to have to rely on it to keep me out of trouble on one of India’s highways (such as the one back from Pimpri to my home in Mumbai, which has been named “the death highway” after a string of serious accidents).
The first version of the Nano that The Times drove was the top-end LX model, which comes with front power windows, air-conditioner, central locking and sunvisors. The finishing of the trim on our pre-production model was OK – about right for the price, of about 180,000 rupees [£2,480] (the exact cost depends on where you live in India).
Later, we took the base model (the true Nano, if you like – the one that costs 100,000 rupees ex factory) for a quick spin. It really is a no-frills car. The lack of air conditioning was felt immediately as the temperature climbed into the 90s on the afternoon of our drive.
So was the absence of sunvisors, which came close to feeling like a cost cut too far, given India's climate.
So, would I buy one? Well, no – but I’m not the target market. The Nano is a good city car, but is not enough fun to drive (unless you really, really enjoy pulling very tight U-turns) to snap one up for the motoring experience. And though it is built solidly enough and marvellous for the price, I’ve some reservations about that tiny engine.
It is, however, most definitely a proper car – not the 600cc rollerskate that handles like a cardboard box that so many cynics had forecast and the fuel economy, at about 18 kilometres per litre, is excellent. The lower-specification models cost about three times as much as a good 100cc motorbike, which still makes it a steep trade-up for its target audience – aspiring middle-class families who are currently travelling on two wheels. But it’s hard to imagine them not wanting one.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/new_car_reviews/article6002338.ece
No comments:
Post a Comment