The Tata Nano, India's $2,500 Car

133 messages, Last post on Sep 08, 2009 at 8:20 AM

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2009 Tata Nano First Drive - First Impressions: Not ready for life in America, but a real car nonetheless.(more)

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#111 of 133 Re: Ready Or Not, Here It Comes! [hpmctorque] by sixthflick Jun 05, 2009 (7:58 am)
Replying to: hpmctorque (Jun 05, 2009 6:59 am) Nice! ...and THAT is why I bought stock in Tata Motors. It's already up over $4 per share from where I bought and they haven't even started exporting them nor producing as many as they'll need. Replies to this message: ateixeira (Jun 05, 2009 8:21 am)
#112 of 133 Re: Ready Or Not, Here It Comes! [hpmctorque] by fintail Jun 05, 2009 (8:00 am)
Replying to: hpmctorque (Jun 05, 2009 6:59 am) What will this embodiment of globalization costs when it hits the first world? Not a penny less than 5-6K I am sure. The media is running with these eye-catching 2300-2500 numbers, but those are not realistic. And I would love to see one of those things crash...just by appearances, they seem to be a lot less imposting than even a Smart. I also wonder how workers are treated in those factories... Replies to this message: hpmctorque (Jun 05, 2009 8:03 am) nortsr1 (Jun 05, 2009 8:16 am)
#113 of 133 Re: Ready Or Not, Here It Comes! [fintail] by hpmctorque Jun 05, 2009 (8:03 am)
Replying to: fintail (Jun 05, 2009 8:00 am) Yeah, $2,300-$2,500 for a federalized one seems wildly optimistic.
#114 of 133 Re: Ready Or Not, Here It Comes! [fintail] by nortsr1 Jun 05, 2009 (8:16 am)
Replying to: fintail (Jun 05, 2009 8:00 am) I wholeheartedly agree with you. By the time the Tato is made "Safety worthy" with all or stringent safety requirements, you can bet that car with the added costs and "weight addition"...you will never see 65 mpg or $3000.00 base car.
#115 of 133 Re: Ready Or Not, Here It Comes! [sixthflick] by ateixeira Jun 05, 2009 (8:21 am)
Replying to: sixthflick (Jun 05, 2009 7:58 am) As they say, when you hear rumors, buy, when the news finally comes out, sell.
#116 of 133 From Today's New York Times... by hpmctorque Jun 11, 2009 (1:35 am)
Tata Nano at Fiat-Chrysler Showrooms? By Nick Kurczewski Rajanish Kakade/Associated Press "Tata Motors says it hopes to sell the ultra-cheap Nano in the United States in two years. But how? It’s no secret Tata Motors, India’s largest domestic automaker, wants to introduce its low-buck Nano city car in the United States. After all, a small matter like a global recession suddenly makes marketing the car, billed as “the world’s cheapest,” about as easy as selling snow cones in the Sahara. Speaking at a meeting for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University last week, Ratan Tata, chairman and chief executive of the Tata Group, said he hoped to see the Nano arrive in North America by 2011, according to Reuters. This is despite the need to engineer the Nano to meet United States safety and emissions requirements, not to mention the search to find a suitable location to sell the cars. So how does a company hope to re-engineer a car within two years for a market where it has absolutely no sales presence? Luckily for Tata, the answer to these problems could be solved with a call to Fiat-Chrysler. Despite continued legal battles over the deal, a healthy Fiat-Chrysler union could pave the way for the Nano’s coming to the United States. Fiat and Tata already share many joint ventures. Tata sells Fiats in India and has access to the Italian company’s diesel engines. The two companies share a giant factory in India, and Tata has developed a pickup truck that Fiat will sell under its own name. Fiat’s chief executive, Sergio Marchionne, has also routinely stated his desire to introduce a budget brand to fit below Fiat’s already economical range of vehicles. An American or European version of the Nano, minus Tata badges, and possibly wearing a dormant nameplate from Fiat’s past (Autobianchi, anyone?), could give the Fiat Group its cheap car brand and Tata an entry into markets in Europe and the United States. Considering that the Tata Nano can exceed 50 miles a gallon, even a revised version (fitted with air bags and a larger 3-cylinder engine) could help Fiat-Chrysler meet tough new Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards that start taking effect in 2012. These new regulations will push car company fleet averages to more than 35 miles a gallon by 2016, up from the current level of about 25. A fuel sipper like the Nano could help." Replies to this message: gagrice (Jun 11, 2009 5:36 am) ateixeira (Jun 12, 2009 7:34 am) gagrice (Jun 12, 2009 2:24 pm)
#117 of 133 Re: From Today's New York Times... [hpmctorque] by gagrice Jun 11, 2009 (5:36 am)
Replying to: hpmctorque (Jun 11, 2009 1:35 am) I think Tata is going to be a force to reckon with. Our lame auto industry is on life support. Tata is offering a line of vehicles World wide that GM could have built if not for having their head in the sand the last 25 years. Their line of small diesel trucks will be well received if we ever get rid of the Chicken Tax. They are already able to meet the mileage requirement set by CAFE. None of the auto makers here can claim that. India has the engineering and labor force to become the largest auto maker. Fiat may be the smart company joining forces with Tata. And now being handed Chrysler as a gift from Obama. They could push GM and Ford to the rear. http://cvglobal.tatamotors.com/index.asp Replies to this message: ateixeira (Jun 12, 2009 7:34 am) gagrice (Jun 12, 2009 2:24 pm)
#118 of 133 Re: From Today's New York Times... [gagrice] by ateixeira Jun 12, 2009 (7:34 am)
Replying to: gagrice (Jun 11, 2009 5:36 am) No kidding, the chicken tax has kept a lot of little trucks away. 25%, right? That's a virtual ban on importation. Replies to this message: gagrice (Jun 12, 2009 2:24 pm)
#119 of 133 Re: From Today's New York Times... [ateixeira] by gagrice Jun 12, 2009 (2:24 pm)
Replying to: ateixeira (Jun 12, 2009 7:34 am) I like to remind those that are always harping on free trade destroying the Domestic auto market. We may be the most restrictive. That law passed in the 1960s was to protect the D3 PU truck market from outside builders.
#120 of 133 That's a reminder for rockford... by iluvmysephia1 Jun 13, 2009 (9:19 am)
gagrice. He never let us forget the inequities of our free-trade agreement. rockylee will post again on Edmunds. It's only a matter of time. He'll get lonely.