The small car segment has been quite popular among middle class metropolitan commuters. Rising fuel prices and bumper-to-bumper city traffic has made Tata Nano and Maruti Alto 800 a popular and practical choice. Maruti has built its brand over decades with yesteryear's top seller '800', whereas Tata, the Indian car-maker created a hype in the local car market a while ago with the announcement of world's most affordable car.
Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Vxi is powered by F8D 796 cc engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, it generates a peak power of about 48 Bhp at 6000 rpm and peak torque of about 69 Nm at 3500 rpm. Features such as air conditioning, power steering and power windows come as standard in the Lxi version. Design for the car has undergone a complete overhaul in comparison to previous Alto model. The new Alto 800 is slightly taller and faster than its older counterpart. The car weighs around 715 kgs and with its peppier engine, it is perfect for city rides. The car is also loaded with features such as central locking, left side rear view mirror, rear spoiler, front power windows and body side moldings, driver side airbag, integrated audio system with USB port and full wheel caps. The manufacturer charges around 15,000 extra for this bulk in features.
A senior official from Tata Motors said, “With the new Nano Twist, and the Nano eMax a few months back, we have begun this journey of a Nano portfolio that stands true to its brand essence: of a youthful, exciting car offering great value but, at the same time, builds in a different set of features to suit differing customer needs. With all the significant product changes, we have a really easy-to-drive car, great to maneuver, with a distinct individuality and colour and offering what no car can in this price range — a great style, entertainment and music, industry-leading power steering and more”. One of the major changes in the Tata Nano Twist is the optional power steering feature. It is said that the owners of the older Tata Nano weren't actually pleased with the steering, and indeed did not enjoy navigating the car in heavy traffic. To address this longstanding issue, Tata Motors has incorporated an Electric Power Assisted Steering in the new Nano Twist.
Engine specifications have been retained as the earlier versions and the car is still powered by 624cc, inline twin cylinder engine that generates power of about 38 PS with 51 Nm of torque. Legroom and headroom has never been a problem with Tata Nano, the fresh upgrade too, carries the family lineage. Air-conditioning is the best in its class and works well even in high temperature conditions. The instrument cluster has undergone some changes and it now looks better with smart usage of LED lights. With the inclusion of a power steering technology, Tata Nano definitely stands on equal grounds to compete with Maruti Suzuki's top-seller Alto 800.
