| Tata Nano, world's cheapest new car, is unveiled in India - The Times |
| 10-01-2008 |
The world's cheapest new car,
a four-seater hatchback with a 100,000 rupees price tag
(US$2,500, £1,250), was unveiled in India today. Tata Motors's
much anticipated Nano - cheaper than some CD stereo systems in
a top-end Mercedes - will bring car ownership into the reach
of tens of millions of people across the world. Despite the
secrecy surrounding today's grand unveiling in Delhi, there
had been glimpses into the design of the four-seater that has
a top speed of 75 miles an hour and is held together more with
strong glue than nuts and bolts. While the price has created a
buzz, critics say the rear-engine mounted vehicle will lead to
millions more cars hitting already clogged Indian roads,
adding to mounting air and noise pollution problems. Others
have said Tata will have to sacrifice quality and safety
standards to meet the target price. Tata says the car will
conform to European standards but there remains scepticism in
the market about its safety and its ability to maintain
assembly-line emission outputs after being driven on India's
congested and crumbling roads. An initial production run of
250,000 cars a year, or nearly a quarter of all annual car
sales in India, has sent environmentalists into a spin. The
United Nations's chief climate scientist, Rajendra Pachauri,
the winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, said last month
that he was "having nightmares" about the prospect of the
low-cost car. |