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Tata
Nano, the poor
By CUDJOE KPOR
Friday
February 22, 2008
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| Photo:
Sun News Publishing |
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Tata Nano is the world’s cheapest car. The four-seater
subcompact car costs about N300,000 (or 1,750 euros). Its
price is easily affordable to young men and women, including
university graduates, buying their first car.
The Nano would make them get rid of the tokunbo-buying mentality
and uphold the time-tested value of honesty which is a rare
virtue among the young ones. As such, new employees can own
their first, brand new car without the dishonest practice
of stealing from their employers’ vaults.
Manufactured in India by Tata Industries, the Nano’s
two-cylinder engine generates a top speed of 105 kmph (or
60mph), burns up fuel at about 20 kilometres per litre (or
40m miles per gallon) and outputs about 33 horsepower of torque.
However, those who expect luxury cars’ flashy dashboards
instrumentation and state of the art accoutrements such as
air bags, power steering, power brakes and air-conditioning
will be disappointed. The ultra-small car has no radio, no
CD or video player, only one windshield wiper and no passenger-side
rear-view mirror.
As Spiegel online put it, “the new car from India is
supposed to do for developing countries, what the Volkswagen
Beetle did for the Western nations – manufacture an
affordable car for the masses.”
Moreover, it added, “the world’s cheapest car
may not be technically impressive now. But Tata works closely
with European heavyweights such as Bosch and Mercedes-Benz.
So, its Nano will likely become a force to reckon with in
coming years.”
Indeed, as one German newspaper cited by Spiegel online hailed
the arrival of the Nano, families and small business transporters
which, up till now, have been accustomed to driving Keke Marwa
and Okada motorcycles, putting a roof over their heads in
the Tata Nano would be the equivalent of ascending into the
owner-driven “luxurious transport.” |
