Tata Motors introduced the Nano hatchback to provide a safe and affordable vehicle for the Indian middle class; however, the project faced lots of problem from the word Go. Tata Motors invested in a new production unit in Sanand, Gujarat to develop Nano. Now, the maker feels that the biggest dent on the Nano is being projected as the "world's cheapest car".
While the Tata Nano failed to create much buzz among buyers, the Maruti Alto has been doing tremendous business for the maker and remained India's top-selling car. Now, the homegrown automaker is planning to introduce an all-new car based on an updated Tata Nano platform, which will compete against the likes of Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon. Codenamed as the Tata Pelican, the small car will be manufactured along with the Nano at the Sanand factory.
The new Tata Pelican will be equipped with a newly developed 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine. It was speculated that the maker is aiming to introduce the two-cylinder 800cc diesel motor; however, few reports suggest that the maker will not introduce the diesel equipped car. To be positioned above the Nano, the new Tata Pelican is likely to be priced around Rs. 2.5 lakh and is likely to be launched by the second half of 2016.
The current Tata Nano is powered by a 624cc, 2-cylinder petrol engine that churns out a maximum power output of 38PS and a peak torque of 51Nm. The maker is also planning to launch the new Nano Twist AMT in the country in the Q2, 2015.
