Tata storms Europe with Nano Europa

Many doubted Tata Motors' ability to turn out a 1-lakh, or roughly $2,500 car, but they have proved the skeptics wrong and now a special edition of the car will soon be headed for sale in Europe. The Nano Europa, as the model will be called, promises to meet all safety and crash standards, thanks in part to ABS, ESP and airbags as standard equipment. No rating for the car has yet been obtained or released, however. Plans to sell the Nano in Europe have been brewing for almost as long as the car has been in development. "The Nano has also generated wide interest in developed countries, since its unveiling in Delhi and its presentation here last year. We are delighted to present the Nano Europa for future launch in such markets," said Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Motors. Powered by a three-cylinder gasoline engine, the car is the definition of efficiency, spouting less that 100g/km of CO2 - sure to be attractive in emissions-conscious Europe. A five-speed slushbox sends the power to the ground. To help keep things compact and even more efficient, electric power steering is used. The Europa is slightly larger than the standard Nano, however, at 10.9ft (3.29m) long and 5.18ft (1.59m) wide, with a sligthly lengthened wheelbase of 7.48ft (2.28m). Tata is pitching the car on its strengths - affordability, maneuverability and efficiency - which could be a winning combination in the current global economy. The car goes on sale in India on March 23. Pricing and release dates for the Europa hasn't been announced.Tata Nano Europa

by burke #1, Posted: 3/3/2009

I would be wonderful that those winds could come to USA...and it would be even better to by one of those cars with the same money you would expend to by a plasma or LCD TV...
by SuperSkyline89 #2, Posted: 3/3/2009

I'd be interested in finding out how much this costs in Europe, because it sure as hell isn't going to be $2500. I did a case study on this car for an engineering course called "Concurrent Engineering and Design". They brought the price down to 2500 by taking out many things we take for granted. Airbags and ABS are the most significant obviously, but also small things like 3 lug nuts instead of 4 or 5, one wiper blade, and wheel bearings that start to rapidly disintegrate at anything over 45 MPH.

To enter a western market, a lot of those things would need to be improved or added.
by Siddarth Raja #3, Posted: 3/3/2009

I can't see how they would make it less than $4500-5000. Still it's pretty damn cheap and I like the way it looks. I don't know about the safety of my family in one though.
by TaeKwonDonkey #4, Posted: 3/3/2009

@superskyline89, in India the traffic congestion is so bad you don't really get the chance to get up to 45mph, I would know
by SuperSkyline89 #5, Posted: 3/4/2009

So would I, my parents are from India, I've also been there. I wasn't trying to make it look bad, it's just that the wheel bearings are one of the various parts that need to be replaced to enter western markets because of different traffic conditions.
by Mike #6, Posted: 3/4/2009

I actually kinda like it. It would be a nice alternative to a Smart for half the price. I think if they can get the safety up but keep the price down, they should have a market in the U.S. I think about the success of the Smart in the U.S. and that's a car that costs between 12 and 23,000 dollars! Even at $7 or $8k, this would be a hit especially among new drivers or the just-out-of-college crowd looking for a first car.