Tata Motors unveiled the eagerly awaited $2500 people's car - Nano at the country's biggest auto show, assuring that the four-wheeler will cost Rs one lakh as promised and meet all safety and emission norms.
"Since we started the project four years back, there has been a steep increase in input cost, but a promise is a promise," Tata Group chief Ratan Tata said after displaying his dream project at the ninth Auto Expo in the Capital.
The car will cost Rs 100,000 (one lakh) at the dealer end but attract Value-Added Tax and transportation cost.
Tata's pet project seeks to lure two-wheeler riders into buying the car that costs half as much as those currently in the market.
While critics had been skeptical about the car meeting safety and emission norms, Tata said Nano would meet Bharat Stage-III emission norms and can also meet the stringent Euro 4 norms.
The car has also gone through a full frontal crash test as per standard norms, he said.
The Nano is eight per cent shorter than Maruti 800, the cheapest car on offer currently in India, on bumper to bumper length, but is 21 per cent more spacious, Tata claimed.
The 624 cc Nano comes with a 33 BHP petrol engine, but a diesel variant would also be launched.
The Nano will come in three variants -- standard and two deluxe models with air conditioning. The standard version will cost Rs one lakh, excluding VAT and transportation.
Tata also allayed fears expressed by environmentalist R K Pachauri and green activist Sunita Narain that the car at that price would add more vehicles, leading to higher pollution.
"Pachauri will not have a nightmare and Sunita Narain can also sleep," he quipped.
It is the world's cheapest mass-produced car from their stables.
The launch marks the realisation of a dream for Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata, who is looking forward to silencing critics of the project.
Tata's Nano fulfills common man's dream: Union Commerce Minister, Kamal Nath
As the Tatas unveiled the Rs one-lakh car in the Capital, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said it will help the common man shift from two-wheelers to four-wheelers.
"It is a proud moment for India. It demonstrates India's technological and entrepreneurial ability. The car will help people move from two-wheeler to four-wheeler and it will leap-frog the two-wheeler," he said at the Auto Expo on Thursday.
9th Auto Expo kicks off
With around 2,000 participants and 1,20,000 square feet of display area, the 9th Auto Expo would be next only to the Shanghai Motor Show in terms of space occupied and is expected to host over 12 lakh visitors during 10th -17th January.
"This time around not only our display area has doubled but the participation has also increased considerably. There will be four global launches of cars out of a total of 25 new launches during the expo, which is inclusive of components," CII Deputy Director General Gurpal Singh said.
In terms of business, he said, this year's expo is likely to generate double the amount from the last one.
The 8th Auto Expo two years ago did a business of over Rs 10 crore.
He said of the 2,000 exhibitors, as many as 60 percent are domestic while the remaining are global players.
Adding a feather to its cap is the fact that the Auto Expo has received accreditation from OICA (Organisation Internatinale Des Constructeurs D'automobiles) of France.
Organized jointly by Confederation of Indian Industry, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India, the 9th Auto Expo would be open for general public from 10th -17th January at Pragati Maidan at New Delhi.
Entry tickets have been priced at Rs 500 for business and Rs 150 for general public. - DDNEWS
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