It was christened as dawn of a new era aided by superior technology and engineering efforts. Ratan Tata surprised the automotive industry in 2009 when he introduced the Tata Nano, the 1 Lakh Rupee Car, in front of the world. It was an epic moment.
But, now that the Tata Motors have come out with the concept of its new Nano Europa model – the Tata Pixel – for the selected overseas markets; questions are being raised whether Tatas could abide by its lucrative $2500 price tag for the dream car in the foreign markets.
On Tuesday, Tata unveiled its upscale city car concept based on Nano model in this year’s Geneva Motor show, for the European markets. This futuristic Tata Pixel, which is powered by 1.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine, comes bundled with high tech features like optimized aerodynamic drag, low rolling-resistance tyres, stop-start technology and intelligent battery charging.
When the ‘Scissor’ doors of this four-seater car rotates upwards to allow passengers in, its exterior-look aided by innovative diamond-shaped door system gives imagery feeling of an angel with the wings spread all around.
The 3-metre long Pixel also boasts of the ‘Zero Turn’ drive feature – which enables manoeuvrability and parking of the vehicle in the tightest of spaces through rotation of the outer wheel forwards and inner rear wheel backwards during low-speed manoeuvres, while the front wheel turns at acute angles.
This fresh city car concept also comes with integrated human-machine interface concept from Tatas Motors for its new generation programs. What’s more? Europeans will also be able to seamlessly integrate the vehicle’s key controlling functions through their Smartphone or a Tablet.
Without any doubt, such high-end features can not be satiated at a paltry $2500 tag. In fact, it can not be done even at double the cost of $5000. So, ultimately, the cheapest car won’t be the cheapest for the Europeans; but a high-end replica for a low-cost Nano.
What according to you could be the price-tag of this petit Europeanized car?