Tata · 2008–2018

Tata Nano

The Tata Nano was a city car/microcar manufactured and marketed by Indian automaker Tata Motors from 2008 to 2018. It was primarily sold in India as an inexpensive economy car for motorcycle and scooter riders — with a launch price of ₹100,000 (US$2,500) on 10 January 2008. The Nano has a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and was initially produced as a four-door saloon car with no rear cargo opening, with a five-door hatchback version introduced in 2015. Tata Motors projected production figures of 250,000 annually at launch. This was not achieved, and various factors led to a decline in sales volume, including delays during the factory relocation from Singur to Sanand, early instances of the Nano catching fire and the perception that the Nano was unsafe and lacked quality from its aggressive cost cutting. Actual sales reached 7,591 for model year 2016-2017. The project lost money, as confirmed by former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry and by 2017 Tata Motors management. In 2017, Tata Motors said manufacturing would continue due to the company's emotional commitment to the project. Production was eventually halted in May 2018. The Sanand Plant subsequently manufactured other hatchbacks, including the Tiago and Tigor.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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History

After successfully launching the low cost Tata Ace truck in 2005, Tata Motors began development of an affordable passenger car that would appeal to the many Indians who ride motorcycles. The purchase price of this no frills auto was brought down by dispensing with most nonessential features, reducing the amount of steel used in its construction, and relying on low cost Indian labour.. The design featured only a driver's side wing mirror, one wiper blade, only three lug nuts per wheel and a fuel tank without filler cap. Tata said it was the first time a 2-cylinder petrol engine was being used in a car with single balancer shaft. At introduction, the Nano received attention due to its low price of 1 lakh rupees (Rs. 100,000). Some promotional material labeled the vehicle as "The People’s Car". Expectations and effects. Expectations created for the car during the run up to its production were out of proportion with realised sales. A 2008 study by Indian rating agency CRISIL projected the Nano would expand the nation's car market by 65%, but, as of late 2012, news reports have detailed the underwhelming response of the Indian consumer to the offering; sales in the first two fiscal years after the car's unveiling remained steady at about 70,000 units. Tata intended to maintain a capacity to produce the car in much larger quantities, some 250,000 per year, should the need arise. It was anticipated that its 2009 debut would greatly affect the used car market, and prices did drop 25–30% prior to the launch. Sales of the Nano's nearest competitor, the Maruti 800, fell by 20% immediately following the unveiling of the Nano. It is unknown if the Nano has had a lasting effect on the prices of and demand for close substitutes. In July 2012, Tata's Group chairman Ratan Tata, who reti

Price

Announced as the lowest priced production car in the world, Tata aimed for a price of one lakh rupees, or ₹100,000, which was approximately $2,000 US at launch time. Only the very first customers were able to purchase the car at that price, and as of 2017, the price for the basic Nano started around ₹ 215,000 ($3,400 US). Increasing material costs may be to blame for this rapid rise in price. Compared to the Volkswagen Beetle it had a relatively low price, though still high in terms of the average salary of an Indian industrial worker or farmer. In 1990, a Beetle from Mexican factories was priced at $5,300, about $13,061 in 2022. The Ford Model T's initial price was about $850, equivalent to $30,458 in 2022. The price of the Nano was only just higher than the corrected price of the Briggs & Stratton Flyer of the 1910s, with the Flyer costing US$125 ($1,767 in 2016), while the Flyer might be classified as more of a go-kart than a car. Cost-cutting features. The Nano's design implements many measures to reduce manufacturing costs.

Technical specifications

The Nano (2012) was a 38 PS (28 kW; 37 hp) car with a two-cylinder 624 cc engine mounted in the rear of the car. The car complied with Bharat Stage 4 Indian Emissions Standards, which are roughly equivalent to Euro 4. The development of the Nano led to 31 design and 37 technology patents being filed.

Tata GenX Nano (2015–2018)

In May 2015, to revive the model's sales, Tata Motors introduced a series of enhancements both inside and outside the car. The name was changed to GenX Nano to underline the changes, the range was offered in 21 different versions, among them a 5-speed automated manual transmission. Electric power steering, air conditioning, and Bluetooth radio were available on top models in addition to new colors and alloy wheels. The body was strengthened and the front and rear bumpers were changed, which slightly increased the length to 3,164 millimeters. The interior was also redesigned with new fabrics and improved soundproofing. The rear hatchback and 5-seat homologation were introduced. The engine remained the 2-cylinder 624 cc (38.1 cu in) with 38 hp.

Alternative power plants

The Nano was driven by a petrol engine. Though several variants were proposed, none were put into production. An upscale version was shown at an auto show. Compressed-air engine. Tata Motors signed an agreement in 2007 with a French firm, Motor Development International, to produce a compressed air car Nano. While the vehicle was supposed to be able to travel approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) on $3 US of electricity to compress the air, Tata's Vice-President of Engineering Systems confirmed in late 2009 that vehicle range continued to be a problem. Electric vehicle. Tata discussed the possibility of producing an electric version, and while it showcased an electric vehicle Nano at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, no such car came onto the market. If an EV Nano had been produced the expectations were that it would have been a highly affordable electric car using lithium-ion batteries and having a range of 80 miles (130 km). A Norwegian electric car specialist, Miljøbil Grenland AS, was named as a proposed partner in the project. There was, however, an electric version of the Nano released for fleet operators like Ola by Jayem Automotives which was called the Jayem Neo EV, launched in 2020. It was discontinued in 2019-2020 and only 400 were made. Tata Nano CNG emax (Bi-fuel). The Nano CNG emax was launched in October 2013. It could run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas. Initially, it was to be sold in Delhi and parts of Maharashtra and Lucknow, where CNG was available at fuel outlets. The bifuel engine was powered by both CNG and petrol. In natural gas operation, the engine delivered maximum power of 33 horsepower and 45 Nm of maximum torque. The tank had a capacity of 32 liters (8 US Gal/7 UK Gal) of CNG. Tata Super Nano. In December 2014, Coimbatore-based JA M

European export

An upscale Nano concept car called Nano Europa was shown at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. However, there was no progress towards producing or marketing this upscale specification.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Tata Nano
Manufacturer: Tata Motors
Production: 2008–2018
aka: Tata GenX Nano (facelift 2015–2018)
Assembly: India: Gujarat, Sanand (Sanand Plant)
Class: City car
Body style: 4-door saloon car, 5-door hatchback (GenX Nano)
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Platform: Tata X3
Engine: 624 cc I2 SOHC MPI petrol
Transmission: 4-speed manual, 5-speed AMT (2015+)
Wheelbase: 2230 mm
Length: 3099 mm, 3164 mm (GenX Nano)
Width: 1390 mm
Height: 1652 mm
Kerb weight: 600 -
Designer: Justyn Norek, (I.DE.A Institute)
Top speed: 105 km/h

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q152238CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_NanoCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1377313007 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tata_-_Nano_-_Kolkata_2011-09-15_5184.JPGCC BY 3.0 · Photo: Biswarup Ganguly · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.