Tata had launched its ‘one lac car” Tata Nano in the year 2008. It did receive a lot of attention from the people as well as the critics who were keen in finding out what a 1 lac car can offer. But unfortunately, Tata Nano did not become a success when we talk about its sales. The company has been struggling since then to boost the car sales. It has offered various discounts, launched face lifted versions etc but all have gone in vain. Now Tata is planning to launch a diesel variant of its Nano. As reported by Autocar India, Nano diesel is already under test drives. They have caught a glimpse of this new car and it does have a few new features to offer.
The pictures captured of Nano diesel reveal that the front bumper has been redesigned and this time it has a larger air inlet for better heat dissipation. The car also has rounded fog lights. The rest of the bumper is exactly similar to the newly launched 2013 Nano. In the rear, the exhaust pipes have been shifted to the left. The pictures reveal a proper hatch door this time for Nano. A key hole and a door handle are evident in the new Nano diesel.
It is found out that turbo charger for this Nano will be provided by the world’s number 1 turbo charger manufacturer, Garret. This is also confirmed front the official website of Garret which says that they will be making smaller turbine for this mill. Therefore it can be expected that Nano diesel will house a 3 cylinder engine offering a displacement of 800 cc. The car will be able to give an output of 42.9 bhp and even greater torque. The diesel model might also offer a fuel economy of 30 km per litre.
Tata Nano Diesel will be the cheapest diesel run car in India which will be definitely awarding for the company. At present, Tata Nano is built in Gujarat at the Sanand plant. This plant has an annual output of 2,50,000 units but is being used only about 20% of its total potential. It is expected that the diesel line up might put the plant to a more optimized use.
The price for this diesel variant will be quite high as compared to the petrol variant of Nano. It is expected that this car will offer a tough competition to several top petrol run models in the market. Nano diesel will make its way into the market, early next year, although no official statement regarding its launch has been made by the company. The car might be tagged with a starting price of Rs 2.4 lacs while the top end model will cost RS 3.25 lacs.
Source: Autocar India
