Tata Nano: First Test Drive

The Tata Nano is finally here, sadly for the skeptics it is real and funnily enough for the competition it does even more than its most fervent

supporters deemed it possible. How do we know this when the car was launched only today? Because we are among a select few who actually got to test drive the Nano through traffic infested streets, national highways and swirly ghats!

Everyone knows the social cause to which Ratan Tata tried to find a solution and the overall solution has manifested itself into an automobile unlike any in the world. The Nano in itself is the epitome of the phrase “man maximum, machine minimum” principle. Our day long drive in the Nano gave us a sense of all what we wanted to know, on the performance and behavioral fronts.

Speaking of performance, the Nano is no slouch but isn’t a rocketship either. Given that median speeds in India are very low, the Nano has ample poke from its motor to run alongside a BMW in sketchy traffic clearly annoying the Bavarian bruiser but then that is the objective, of running along as easily in the city as it is painful for the BMW to hold its horses in check.

Thanks to it being light in weight, the steering gear is unassisted rack and pinion and the smallish steering wheel only needs slightly more effort than you would have wanted. Of course in future we would get electronically assisted power steering but for now even the direct version is more than adequate and spot on in its efficacy.

First look at the Nano may not impress you in terms of dimensions but even though the car looks tiny and miniscule in images but it is only when you come up close to it that you can make out that its virtual length constitutes the very cabin space! The Nano can definitely be termed as cute yet sensible.

The Nano drive was excellent, but we know that what really excites the ever price-conscious Indian car consumer is in fact the complete package that Tata has to offer with its new small car. With the recession hitting most automobile giants across the globe pretty hard, how long will Tata Motors be able to uphold common man’s dream car in the turbulent market?

Needless to say, big revolutions start with small ideas. We enjoyed driving the Nano and for you we have a special report so keep reading.