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Photo: Ramesh Sharma

Trendsetter Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Group, with the company’s new car Nano

“Mr R.K. Pachauri, you need not have any nightmares now,” said a smiling Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Motors, unveiling the ‘Lakhtakiya’ car at the ongoing Auto Expo in New Delhi.

Anybody who is somebody, and also anonymous nobodies who drive down to office on a two-wheeler, can dream big now. What’s more, the dream is not going to cost the environment a great deal, if the engineers behind the new car are to be believed. Pocket friendly for the common man at just a lakh, the car had been in the news before its launch.

Named Nano – ‘Some wise souls advised us to call it ‘Buddhu’ car, quipped Tata – the new car is said to be nothing short of a dream for the cash-strapped lower middle class. The enthusiasm in the public showed at the launch. People climbed over chairs and table tops and journalists from even small town magazines and periodicals made it to the Capital for the launch that was nothing short of a noisy, crowded event in itself. Even ‘phoren’ media persons made their presence felt as all roads leading to Pragati Maidan wore a crowded look.

The much-awaited car promises to change the way of low cost urban transportation and increase the car density in the Capital. Incidentally, Delhi at 85 cars per thousand people already has the highest car density in the country, much ahead of the national average of eight per thousand. With a sloping front, engine at the rear, Nano will have a 33 hp 623 cc engine. In terms of size the car is a mere eight per cent less than the good old Maruti 800. From the inside it is as much as 21 per cent bigger. It is likely to give a mileage of 20 kilometres per litre. As far as emission is concerned, it is Bharat III model and is said to be capable of passing Bharat IV. It has also passed all the safety norms and crash tests, Tata told a crowded press conference.

The car comes in one standard and two deluxe models. The base model is priced at a dealer price of Rs one lakh. The VAT and transport charges will be extra besides the insurance and road tax.

Targeted at those families of four which ride a scooter with a child in front of the father and one sharing the rear seat with the mother, the car has already unleashed a lot of interest and debate with some NGOs claiming that it might have harmful effect on the environment, and others raising objections to the land acquired for the plant. However, as one could make out at the first show of the car, the common man could not care less. He has his car right here. Other cars and bikes at the Expo can wait.

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