Speculation is rife that Tata Motors will begin selling the CNG variant of Nano by Diwali of 2012. The manufacturer has already unveiled it at the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo held in January 2012 and is conducting test runs presently. At the Expo, it attracted many people because of the considerably lower running costs of CNG vehicles as compared to those powered by petrol. Its final production version is expected to have a dual fuel engine, which can run on petrol as well as CNG.
Nano CNG is likely to have the tried-and-tested 624 cc, 2 cylinder engine used in the petrol variant, though it will be modified to burn CNG as well. This motor will be supplemented with a 4 speed manual transmission system and its power and torque generation capacity will be similar to that of the current version's. The fuel tank will have maximum capacity of 15 L of petrol and 35 L of CNG and will be placed such that it does not reduce the luggage space of the model any further. This car will stand 3099 mm in length, 1495 mm in width and 1613 mm in height, thus maintaining the compactness that its previous version is known for.
Tata Motors will use the modern sequential injection technology in the CNG variant of Nano. The sequential injection mechanism makes sure that the car does not lose power and delivers optimum performance throughout the drive, while simultaneously saving fuel to the maximum extent. Nano CNG is also expected to come with a leakage detection system that will stop the supply of CNG even if it detects the smallest of leaks. This is probably in order to ensure that the car does not attract negative publicity due to spontaneous combustion, which affected the sales prospects of the original model.
It is anticipated that Nano CNG will come with a manual switch that will enable the driver to choose between the two fuel options. According to experts, the car will be priced approximately Rs. 15,000 to 20,000 more than its petrol version, which will help it retain the title of world's cheapest car. The upcoming Nano is expected to deliver fuel economy of 25.4 kmpl and have class-leading carbon emissions of 92.7 g/km. Its weight will also go up as it will weigh 710 kg as compared to the 600 kg of the petrol variant. Therefore, the company has used independent lower wishbone, MacPherson Strut with gas-filled dampers and anti-roll bar to absorb shocks in the front. On the other hand, independent semi-trailing arm with coil spring and gas-filled shock absorbers are present as the rear suspension.
