Tiny car is big deal on U.S. tour with 70 mpg
MARSHALL TWP, Allegheny County — Peewee Put-put. Lilliputian Limo. Chihuahua Chariot. Tessie Two-stroke.
The potential nicknames for the tiny, Indian-made Tata Nano displayed at SAE International on Wednesday seemingly are endless.
The rounded, 10-by-5-foot, four-passenger car has 12-inch wheels and a two-cylinder gas engine that gets 70 mpg on the highway, where it can achieve a top speed of 65 mph.
But environmentally or novelty conscious consumers need not rush to buy it. The Nano is available only in India.
Kevin Noe, chief marketing officer for Tata Technologies, said the car was engineered backward, because Tata chairman Ratan Tata insisted the auto sell for about $2,000. Noe said design engineers normally are given specifications, then design the product before a price tag is attached.
But Tata wanted to produce an affordable car for average Indian households, many of whom use motorcycles to transport families of four or more. Noe said Tata's goal was an auto that was affordable yet safe and comfortable.
The resulting Nano is being displayed all over North America in the "Better Innovations Tour," which made a stop at SAE Wednesday morning. The tiny, four-door car boasts surprising roominess in the passenger compartment, and an 8-inch hood covers a 624 cc engine that is no bigger than a bread box.
"Now if you want to throw four suitcases in it and drive to the airport, it may not be the right car," Noe said. "But a trip to the grocery store or to run errands? It's perfect."
He said the car will be marketed in Europe next year, but there is no timeline on its U.S. debut because it must be re-engineered to meet stringent safety and design standards here. Noe said the car does meet current safety and air-emissions standards in India.
Noe said the Nano was rolled out of the factory in India in September 2009. He said a lottery was held to get one of the first 100,000 of the 200,000 cars produced that year, and all the tickets were sold even though the cost was the entire $2,500 sticker price.
"If they delivered this vehicle to you, you are a rock star in India," Noe said. "It's delivered with police protection and everything. It's the pride of India right now."
He said the Nano plant will crank out 500,000 cars per year for as long as the public continues to buy them. Noe said the Nano parked behind its tiny trailer at SAE International on Wednesday is the only one in the United States.
He said the national tour includes the headquarters of John Deere, Goodyear and Chrysler as well as design-oriented institutions such as Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The car's European tour will begin in June.
David Schutt, SAE International's CEO, was thrilled the Nano and its handlers made a stop at the company's office in Thorn Hill Industrial Park.
"It's a neat opportunity for us," Schutt said. "It's not been in too many places in the U.S."
Regarding the Nano's potential U.S. debut, Schutt said Tata is an intelligent man who is no doubt thinking about what it would take to market an economical Nano in the United State. But Schutt said the safety, environmental and style standards inherent in the U.S. auto industry would necessitate major changes in the car.
Schutt wondered if the American motoring public is ready for such a unique design and concept in an automobile since luxury sedans remain lodged in car buyers' minds.
"There's still some love affair in America (for big cars,)" Schutt said.
He suggested the Nano could be test marketed in an area where smaller cars are more prevalent, such as California. Schutt also suggested the younger generation of car buyers could be more inclined to buy an auto that is radically different from the norm.
The Indian Nano comes equipped with air conditioning and power locks and windows, but no radio. Noe said a connection for an iPod was installed instead.
