US gives a grudging thumbs-up to Tata's Nano

Chidanand Rajghatta / TNN / Jan 11, 2008, 20:33 IST

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Snippy sarcasm and grudging admiration greeted the Indian debut of the Tata Nano in the US, where there are nearly twice as many cars as families.

US gives a grudging thumbs-up to Tata's Nano

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Tata Group chairman, Ratan Tata, poses in the company's new Nano car during its launch at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi (Reuters Photo)WASHINGTON: Snippy sarcasm and grudging admiration greeted the Indian debut of the Tata Nano in the world's most mobile society, where there are nearly twice as many cars as families.
It seemed that American reporters were present in droves at the event, judging by the coverage the buggy received here.

It made news on almost every media outlet, including the evening network news watched by more than 30 million viewers, causing one wag to remark that the US was hit by the "El Nano" effect.
"It can seat five people...if no one breathes," ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson said sardonically against the footage of the event. Time dubbed it an "upstart econobox." And Popular Mechanics headlined its story "Nano Is the $2500 Car That Might Change the World," before the reporter hits the brakes.
"From where I stood, crushed between an elbow-throwing television reporter and three teenagers, also jockeying for position and armed with cellphone cameras, the Nano looked underwhelming," he wrote. "Automotive journalists had traveled from the four corners of the globe too see a golf cart crossed with a jelly bean."

Wired magazine thought it was pretty cute. "C'mon, it's practically smiling," its correspondent wrote. MotorTrends magazine called it the world's "ultimate reverse status symbol."
The attention Tata's Nano is getting here is hardly surprising considering the United States is home to the largest passenger vehicle market in the world. As of 2004, it counted 243 million automobiles for 135 households, about two cars per family.

For decades, Detroit has been the center of the automobile world and home to the Big Three auto giants. The fact that the city appears to be in terminal decline seemed to bring a greater focus on the landmark development in design and the fledgling market in India, where there are only seven cars per 1000 people and huge possibilities.
The $ 2500 price tag astonished a country where the cheapest listed car is the Chevy Aveo, which costs about $10,300 in a stripped-down Value version. "You can now buy a pair of Tata Nanos for about the cost of breast enlargement surgery," chortled one blogger, in a society that appears to be as obsessed with the human anatomy as it is with an automobile chassis.
"Detroit...could buy a modified version from Tata," advised another. "Think of the advantages. If the car gets a flat tire, the driver can just pick the vehicle up and put it in his pocket."
Auto aficionados argued about the cost benefits of the ultra-compact buggy versus the environmental price of not meeting modern emission standards.
"If all the gas-guzzling SUVs on US roads were replaced by Tata Nanos getting 50 mph, would the US meet its obligations under the Kyota Accords?" someone asked. "I was wondering when is this car is going to be in sale in El Paso TX 79838," wrote in one hopeful.
But prospective customers hoping that Tata would drive to the American market were told by all outlets that the Nano wouldn't be available in the US anytime soon.
Beyond the fact Tata doesn't have dealer network in the US (although it is about to take Land Rover and Jaguar off Ford's hands), the Nano almost certainly wouldn't meet US emissions and safety regulations, Wired magazine advised the enthusiasts.
Don't let the low sticker price excite you too much; the only Nano you'll see in the US will be of the zero-emissions iPod variety, Cars.com stalled.

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