Tata to bring Nano to Europe in four years
Tata Nano - small, not beautiful
Author: Robin Brown
Published: 12 February 2008
Tata Motors will introduce its pioneering and astonishingly cheap Tata Nano car into Europe within four years.
German weekly magazine Focus announced that Tata is planning to bring the £1,250 car to Europe, with the Indian manufacturer saying that the small car will comply with Euro V emissions standards.
The 33bhp 0.6-litre car has a fuel economy of 62mpg, but Tata have said this will be improved for the European market.
But with a top speed approaching 65mph, safety is likely to be a more pressing consideration in Tata´s plans to bring the Nano to European markets. Active and passive safety technology will add weight and cost top the car´s production, meaning fuel economy and a miniscule list price will be harder to maintain.
Tata has announced plans to produce 250,000 Nanos a year, with that number rising to a million units in the future. The company is widely believed to be on the verge of buying premium British marques Land Rover and Jaguar from Ford.
The introduction of the Nano has inspired a rush among manufacturers to develop their own ultra-cheap models.
Vauxhall, Ford and Nissan-Renault are among the manufacturers planning to introduce budget models to developing markets.
Don´t expect a European Nano for just over a grand.
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How much would an EU Nano realistically cost? Safety equipment, shipping, emissions improvements, taxes - you´ve got to be looking at two or three grand more.