Tata plans a new, higher-quality Nano

The Indian manufacturer, founded in 1945 under the name TELCO, has always been known for offering products of “fair” quality at a very affordable price.

In fact, its history is full of important milestones, such as the partnership with Fiat in 2006, or the 2008 acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover from the giant Ford. But without a doubt, Tata will be remembered for the 2009 launch of one of the most controversial vehicles in automotive history. We are talking about the Nano, that small 4-door car with which the brand aimed to “motorise” the Indian people, just as Seat had done for Spain back in the 1960s.

To achieve that historic goal, Ratan Tata, the brand’s chairman in India, set out some guidelines: the Nano had to be cheap to manufacture, have 4 wheels so it would be very practical, and be very affordable for the public. All these characteristics came together so that the Nano would hit the market at the end of 2008 with a price of 2,200 €.

At first the Nano was a great success, but little by little sales of the small Tata have been declining, to the point that since 2009 only 229,000 cars have been sold, and, in comparison, sales in March have fallen 87% compared with the same period last year.

So Tata and are now thinking about its successor as a much more versatile vehicle, safer, faster and better equipped, so that its sales range can expand considerably and, potentially, export it to European countries, where it would have to meet safety, emissions and quality standards far stricter than those in India.

Source | Wordcarfans