Indian user's perspective on Tata Nano
While we have been up-close to Nano even before it was launched, we got to drive it only yesterday. Internally, Onio had elaborate plans around customisation of the Nano car in several themes. We at one point were on the verge of jumping into this game.
Seats are simple with integrated headrest (lot of cost saving there), reasonably stiff and full lumbar support with sufficient thigh rest. High seating position anyway makes the ingress and egress comfortable. Starting the car is noisy. Engine sounds almost like an auto-rikshaw. Throughout the test drive, the engine sound gets a bit screened because of the fan and the street noise, yet not quite. The car is severely underpowered for the AC and ends up almost dragging with the AC on.
Without the AC also it seems to manage with some extra pressure on the accelerator. High head room does make it stand out from the compact Japanese proportions, which were never meant for the Indians. Small nifty steering and great AC (yes it really works in the May heat, better than some Skoda products), make a great swing combo.
Interior finish is average. The kind of styling thought that has gone on the outer styling, is almost absent inside. Side flaps showing out, seat racks barely welded together and rug ends visible all over, are some of the ‘stitched-up’ engineering works. Probably the designers were not involved in some stages of the engineering.
Lighter car that Nano is, along with frugally powered engine, it ends up giving you more than 20 km to a litre of petrol. And now when the petrol prices are headed northwards, (Rs. 68 a litre i.e. a Euro a litre, we are paying in dollars and euros for petrol, while still earning in rupees), it makes a great city vehicle to commute to and from the office.
Overall the car feels like a zingy, air conditioned, upgraded auto-rickshaw. When we are living amidst solidly built cars from Fiat, Skoda and Volkswagen, the feel of solidity is missing as everything appears thin and compromised.
I won’tbe surprised if rural India is not impressed with the vehicle which appears to be more of a city entity.However, as a design thinker I am aware what it means to bring a breakthrough product. Tata Motors would have collected sufficient user feedback by now and must have already prepared the ver-2 of Nano. It does represent the enterprising and bubbling spirit of India that is raring to go global. I pray that the next version would deliver all that I mentioned beyond what regular auto columnists write and deliver a globetrotting product.
I have been following the stories around Nano for long. Entire innovation story of the scooter carrying a family, need for different thinking on the packaging, supply chain innovation etc. has been in focus for quite some time. There was curiosity on the ‘khushiyonkichabi’, the key to happiness.
We drove the top-end version that comes with AC, central locking and fog lamps. Since it has a rear engine, it does not need power-steering. It was smooth without the power steering also. Front seat contouring, I must say has one of the best ergonomics for city driving, compared to many other cars which cost 10 times more than this.
Seats are simple with integrated headrest (lot of cost saving there), reasonably stiff and full lumbar support with sufficient thigh rest. High seating position anyway makes the ingress and egress comfortable. Starting the car is noisy. Engine sounds almost like an auto-rikshaw. Throughout the test drive, the engine sound gets a bit screened because of the fan and the street noise, yet not quite. The car is severely underpowered for the AC and ends up almost dragging with the AC on.
Without the AC also it seems to manage with some extra pressure on the accelerator. High head room does make it stand out from the compact Japanese proportions, which were never meant for the Indians. Small nifty steering and great AC (yes it really works in the May heat, better than some Skoda products), make a great swing combo.
Interior finish is average. The kind of styling thought that has gone on the outer styling, is almost absent inside. Side flaps showing out, seat racks barely welded together and rug ends visible all over, are some of the ‘stitched-up’ engineering works. Probably the designers were not involved in some stages of the engineering.
Lighter car that Nano is, along with frugally powered engine, it ends up giving you more than 20 km to a litre of petrol. And now when the petrol prices are headed northwards, (Rs. 68 a litre i.e. a Euro a litre, we are paying in dollars and euros for petrol, while still earning in rupees), it makes a great city vehicle to commute to and from the office.
Overall the car feels like a zingy, air conditioned, upgraded auto-rickshaw. When we are living amidst solidly built cars from Fiat, Skoda and Volkswagen, the feel of solidity is missing as everything appears thin and compromised.
External styling too, is meant to be ‘cute’ rather than ‘rugged and solid’ as an average Indian would like it. Too much inspiration from Smart Ka or Matiz or Zen Estilo or other contemporary metaphors, could be bad.
I won’tbe surprised if rural India is not impressed with the vehicle which appears to be more of a city entity.However, as a design thinker I am aware what it means to bring a breakthrough product. Tata Motors would have collected sufficient user feedback by now and must have already prepared the ver-2 of Nano. It does represent the enterprising and bubbling spirit of India that is raring to go global. I pray that the next version would deliver all that I mentioned beyond what regular auto columnists write and deliver a globetrotting product.
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