subject: Tata Nano Hatchback Completes Three Years, Diesel And Cng Version On Cards [print this page] Tata Nano is considered to be the most inexpensive car in the global market. The car which was launched in India in 2009 has turned three years old. The journey so far has been a roller coaster ride for the small car with sudden upsurge and fall of the sales of this petite car. The sales were at peak when the car was launched three years back in 2009 however, it gradually dropped to low numbers with the coming time and as people witnessed problem with the car. This was a very ambitious and special project for the company's chairman Ratan Tata. Numerous fire incidents related to the small car were reported in last three years which led to company recalling the hatchback and it also launched a new version of the hatchback last year in the month of December. Tata Motors is now developing the CNG version of the Nano along with a diesel version too. If rumours are to be believed the company might also launch the electric version of the hatchback soon in the Indian car market.
The first happy and lucky customer to buy this wonder car in Mr Ashok Raghunath Vichare who based in Mumbai city. His Nano has been driver a meagre 5,000 kms so far which is quite low. The customer happily shared his views about the car, he said that the he has not faced any issues. The owner of the hatchback further mentioned that the hatchback delivers a good mileage to him which is extremely relieving especially in such scenario when petrol prices are hiked after every few months.
The hatchback garnered highest ever sales with 10,000 units sold in the month of March this year. While in November 2010 the hatchback witnessed lowest sales with meagre 509 units sold in that particular month. This was the only period when Tata Nano sale in India had fallen to three digits. In retrospect, the total sale of Tata Nano ever since its launch in India since 2009 has been close to 200,000 units. On the contrary the company had expected nearly 250,000 units to be sold every year.
However the sales figures for the last three years show that the company has majorly failed to achieve that target. The hatchback was launched in India with the vision that it will be taken as a budget car which will suffice needs of those who dream of buying a four wheeler but have to satisfy themselves with a two wheeler only. Tata Motors had envisaged attenuating sales of Maruti's iconic small car Maruti 800 and Maruti Alto.
However, Nano could not even get close to sales of these cars. The petite car stole the show at the Delhi Auto Expo held four years ago at the Pragati Maidaan where it was being referred as 'Lakhtakia car' by the auto enthusiasts. Tata Nano price in India was its major USP and this what brought this hatch in limelight, however it still could not manage to make it a best seller in the mini hatchback segment. The company has high hopes from Tata Nano Diesel which is anticipated to be launched in India by the year 2013. The diesel variant is expected to be very fuel efficient, speculations suggest that Tata Nano diesel mileage would be somewhere around 40 kmpl which is a huge number. We also look forward to seeing if the diesel powered Nano could change things for the domestic auto major, Tata Nano. Tata Nano CNG is also in the works and hopefully it will also be able to appeal the Indian customers.
