[Reisender]

Tata Nano is expected to hit the US market either in 2011 or 2012 as a 2012 model. This will be known as the 2012 Tata Nano America, which will be a tough competitor for other group of minicars in US market.

Tata Nano was launched first in India during 2007. This was a blessing for millions of people to get this small car at an affordable price of just $ 2,500. The 2012 Tata Nano America is being called as the 21st century Model T.

The Tata Group's CEO, Ratan Tata came up with this small genuine car that can seat four passengers quite comfortably. This small car was a big relief for most of the people in India. Many Indian families, who cannot afford to have a car, would travel on a two wheeler with four persons on it.

Tata Nano is a mini car, which is shaped like an egg. It is a four door model car, which has taken it from the original British Mini of 1960's. Tata brought a deluxe version called Nano Europa at the Geneva Auto Show held on March 2009. This Nano Europa was meant to be launched in other developed countries in future. The source says that Tata Europa would be released for sale in UK, Spain, Italy, and Poland markets.

The new and the latest version of Nano is the US version of Nano called the 2012 Tata Nano America. This Tata Nano in US would compete with 2011 Chevrolet, 2011, Ford Ka, Smart ForTwo, Scion iQ, and other minicars in US. 2012 Tata Nano America will measure 129.5 inches in length, 62.2 inches in width, and 65.0 inches in height. The base curb weight of this car is 1,475 pounds. The wheelbase measures 89.8 inches. The 2012 Tata Nano America is 7.5 inches longer than the basic Tata Nano model. The wheel base of the Nano America is 2 inches longer and larger.

2012 Tata Nano America is a subcompact car with rear wheel drive. Its engine is placed in the back. It has a 1.0 liter 3 cylinder engine that produces 65 horsepower and 65 Ib-ft of torque. This new Nano America has a five speed automatic transmission, which is replaced by the basic Nano's 4-speed manual. The 2012 Tata Nano America is modeled after Nano Europa in Indian markets. The 3-cylinder engine is based on the Europa model. The Tata Nano America claims to have very low CO2 emissions. It gives a fuel economy of more than 50 miles per gallon.

The interior of the new 2012 Tata Nano America will have a high quality interior trim with leather upholstery. The outside appearance of the small car will surprise you with the more spacious interior. The new Nano American version will have a restyled strong bumpers placed for the Western crash tests. The Nano America will also have a rear wiper and washer. Unlike basic model of Tata Nano, the Nano America will have safety features like four airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, stability system, which are standard safety features found in top trim levels.

2012 Tata Nano America also include air-conditioning, fog lights, front power windows, and power door locks. The new Nano America is more stylish in design. All these features in 2012 Tata Nano America comes with the base price of $ 7,000, which is very impressive for a person with low budget.
Source: 2012 Tata Nano America to be launched soon in US

[EP.]

Considering the size of the car and the size of american people, I think the Nano will be better of as a Single seater.

[DicKy]

Looks like there is no news in other places about an American Nano or Tata entering that market.
I maybe wrong but not sure of the authenticity of the news.

[teamveevee]

Everything else written in this could be true. But the timings could be abosolutely wrong. Rata Tata mentioned in various interviews that Nano will be introduced in US. I would expect the US version a 2013 or later model. No reports on Nano completing any NHTSA tests yet, a precursor to the introduction. No announcements about dealerships either...Being the first product in US, there will be lot of pre-launch publicity instead of a silent introduction. So it is tooooo early to speculate....

[FourWheelDrift]

I have to say that the timing of this article, leads me to question it's credibility. It's awfully close to Apr 1, and for some, the fun and games start early.

OT : another early smelly rat = Raikkonen set for Nascar - Autocar Raikkonen set for Nascar

[volkman10]

Nano could be launched in US and EU in 2015!

The new Nano will be far more sophisticated than the ultracheap model that has flopped in India despite a world of hype.

We are redesigning the Nano for both Europe and the U.S

It will get a bigger engine and "more bells and whistles," including such features as power steering and traction control. Tata said it will be priced below $10,000.

Andy Goss, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, said there have been no discussions about using Jaguar Land Rover dealers to sell the Nano

Cheers!

http://www.autonews.com/article/2012...#ixzz29M1Dpw9b

[Fraz33r]

Even I read the news.

However; I would have expected TATA to release the PIXEL (Is this even in development ?) in these countries which makes more sense. TATA needs to go a long way with their designs, inorder to make a dent to an already thin market which appeals only to cities as of now.

The "cheap Car" trick hasn't really worked in India; and my guess is will not work in these developed countries where financing is easily available and people change cars here at a slight of displeasure.

[ACM]

The Nano in it's present state would be best used as a golf cart - without doors in the USA. . It just would not make it on the roads.

But yes some thing similar to the Nano Europa with revised exteriors an engine capacity boost along with better interiors, safety kit and much better tyres can indeed take on a Smart Car like positioning but that was known to be made by Merc and the Nano will not be known as made by Jag but by TATA and how that works for a fun lifestyle city go around needs to be seen.

I believe it is better suited for Europe than for the USA. They also need to keep quality in check as the western world of law suites and recalls can be quite a nightmare for a new entrant.

[CaliAtenza]

there is a thread about this over on VWVortex-The Car Lounge:

A post from there: "I think Tata is underestimating the barriers to entry in the U.S. We are a finance-oriented market that thinks in terms of cost/month, rather than simply price. The major players (with the support of its captive finance companies) are churning out cars with 0% finance and insane lease deals, which allows a person to score a brand new Versa for as little as $125/month. Less than 10% of the population actually buys vehicles outright without a source of financing. So let's say a Tata sells for $7500 here once federalized, it'll likely have to partner with a 3rd party bank for its financing source (higher rates), the monthly savings will likely not be material. It has to be so cheap that a typical customer would seriously consider buying it outright like a TV or drier. Anything over $5k would mean flop IMO. Any comparisons with the Fiat 500 or MINI are a fail, as a Nano doesn't make a fashion statement in 3rd world countries like India much less North America."

In short, it wont work. The Fiat 500 sells reasonably well here though, but that is because the car is seen as a cute, cuddly, fashion statement.

[Fraz33r]

^ Adding to it, Fiat 500 and Mini have a legacy of their own. Some people buy these cars as a part of family legacy. Nano is no where close to them. I would really like to see the cocept version of PIXEL to come on the streets.

It is like, something that has come from an apple factory

[teamveevee]

The western media is flooded with news on the same....Unlike the indian media, each news paper has it is own story.
Car and Driver: http://blog.caranddriver.com/adventu...no-in-the-u-s/

It troubles us to lend even a sliver of credibility to the impossibly unlikely scenario in which the Nano could be sold here, but for the sake of argument, here’s why we think there’s no chance of it happening. For one, Tata has no distribution network, no dealers, and no parts suppliers in the U.S. Using Jaguar/Land Rover’s infrastructure would be prohibitively expensive for what’s meant to be a sub-$10,000 car—to say nothing of a showroom brand combination that makes Mercedes-Benz and Smart look like caviar and champagne. Government regulations for crash standards and emissions would be absurdly high bars. (The Europe-specific Nano passed EU crash tests, but bear in mind that even if U.S. rules are no more stringent, they are different to the extent that even big automakers like BMW need to redesign cars under the skin to placate authorities on both sides of the ocean. None of this even scratches the surface of how unwilling Americans would be to accept a vehicle like the Nano here, or that Tata royally botched the marketing of the Nano in its home country.

Los Angeles Times http://www.latimes.com/business/auto...,7793011.story

So the owner of some of the world's most opulent vehicles wants to bring to the U.S. a car with fewer amenities and horsepower than your average lawn mower.

To do so, the Nano would need to be brought up to U.S. crash and safety regulations. Items like air bags, stability control and power steering would need to be added, and there would likely be a bump in horsepower from the current car's 37 (yes, 37).

Auto Blog http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/15/r...ice-tag-under/

With the US economy still slowly recovering, a car for under $10k could have plenty of appeal. But the Indian automaker has several obstacles to overcome first, not the least of which is building a dealer network for the Nano. Tata owns Jaguar and Land Rover, but that group's CEO, Andy Goss, says there has been no discussion about using those dealers to distribute the Nano.

Perhaps the updated US-bound Nano will be more like the Nano Megapixel concept (pictured above) we saw at the Geneva Motor Show back in March. That car had a longer, 138-inch wheelbase and a larger 325cc engine supplemented by two electric motors. It's safe to assume that if Tata wants to keep costs down so that it can offer the car below $10,000, the next Nano won't get a hybrid powertrain like the Megapixel, but perhaps it will pick up some of the car's size and styling cues.

There likely will come a day when Indian companies—probably joined by analogues from China—sell cars in the U.S. Rather than hocking products conceptualized and engineered for their home markets, like the Nano, they’ll be vehicles actually designed and built with U.S. sales in mind first and foremost. But that day isn’t coming as soon as 2015, no matter what you believe about the direction of the U.S. economy. - Car and Driver

Would you buy a sub-$10,000 small car? Remember, it can't mow your lawn. - LA Times