Preview: 2008 Tata minicar

We’ve read a lot bout Toyota’s and Volkswagen’s new minicars and even got to see them in concept form at last week’s Frankfurt Motor Show, with the respective iQ and up! concept cars. However, until now, not much has been reported about Tata’s new minicar, which is expected to be the cheapest of the lot and could even precede its Euro and Japanese rivals.

New details of the car, including this rendering from Indian mag Overdrive, have now surfaced. According to the source, the car will come with four doors, a rear mounted engine and price tag of just under $3,000. Two engine options will be available, either a twin-cylinder 660cc petrol unit or a more expensive 700cc diesel with common-rail technology and a Bosch developed fuel injection system.

Engineers are reportedly hoping to achieve mileage figures of up to 70mpg (3.33L/100km) and are said to have come close to these levels with prototypes. Initial sales targets for the car are set at 500,000 units for the first year with numbers expected to grow to 1 million units by the end of the third year, and it’s unlikely the car will be sold outside of India.