Last year, here in Geneva, the Tata Nano was the sensation, and not only for those who thought a two thousand dollar car for the developing-country masses was world-changing. This year, the sensation is that the Nano is for the rest of us, too—at least for those of us with empty pockets and miniscule automotive requirements.
The Europa looks like a pimped Nano: endearingly odd, amoebic, functional and like nothing else. Inside, there is incredibly cheap looking leather and plastic and four electric windows, The technical differences to the basic Nano are manifold: a three-pot engine with automatic transmission, power steering, ABS, ESP, airbags. The philosophy, said a Tata spokesman, is the same: a car that meets all regulations and the most essential customer preferences.
It should be on the European market in 2011 at a price point of around five thousand euros, which is around 25% lower than any other car today. Tata, incidentally, is not promising that price, but guarantees it will be the most affordable car on the market. To this Genevan correspondent, the Europa looks like a revolution.
If you can afford 5000 euros for this, you can afford 6500-7500 for a Dacia Sandero.
But will it blend?
MBella: my thoughts exactly. And I’d rather take the Dacia any day. Now, if this Tata cost say, 3000 euros, that might be a game changer…
However I do see the 1000-2500 euro difference being significant in Eastern European markets. When your monthly income is measured in hundreds of euros, 1 or 2 grand in the price of a car makes a big difference.
I’d buy a new a Nano, just for the hell of it. If the price is right, I could even pay cash.
For $2500 in India this is a great car.
For 5,000 Euros ($6,328) this is a horrible car.
The Dacia range is more than twice as good for less than twice that price.
Also, Mitsubishi has the i, which is a much better version of this concept.
Mitsubishi doesn’t have a LHD version yet, but they do sell it in Britain:
http://www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/i/range.asp
The British price isn’t very relevant (British car prices never are); in Japan the Mitsubishi i is only 1,060,500 Yen, or roughly 8,465 Euros.
http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/i/lineup/index.html
And Mitsubishi is supposedly working on a LHD version.
Why do they need power steering on a car that small ?.
I agree with what folks have said so far. The price is dangerously high for Europe.
One thing to keep in mind is that with rebates you can get a Fiat Panda or Citroen C2 in this price territory.
I would also add that Renault picks up sales of the Dacia Logan in markets like Spain. The Logan’s a very good car, considering the price. In particular it was designed from the start to be robust and fairly easy to work on. Will the Nano be the same? I’m doubtful.
With the Nano being engineered *up* to European regulations, I have serious qualms about everything. I’ll wait to see the crash tests and hear what folks have to say after driving it, but I’m not optimistic.
I’d want to know the specs on the Euro version as well, before hating or loving the idea. My idea was to take the original Nano and give it a more robust drive train and 14 inch wheels for nto much more money. Make power windows, a radio, power door locks and power steering an optional power package, as well as optional A/C. This way, you could get a $3,500 base model that could enter American freeways and for $6,500 you could get the fully loaded “luxury” version. Of course, the cost of government mandated air bags would need to be added to those prices.
What will the cost be in EMTALA visits for the taxpayers to foot the emergency room bills for former Tata Nano drivers?
Well the good thing for the Nano Europa is that it forces Renault to keep Logan and Sandero prices honest. I mean, these cars have been selling increasingly well not just in Eastern Europe, but also Western Europe. Not just Spain, but Italy, France and mighty Germany as well. So the temptation for Renault to mess with the price is there.
Anyway, I agree with all above. The Logan (and I should know as a brother, father-in-law and I have one) and Sandero (mom has one) is a good car. You Americans can check it out on your next European or Mexican vacation, though for some reason the Logan is a Nissan in Mexico, Dacia in Europe, and Renault in all of Latin America, and a Sandero is a Renault in all Latin America including Mexico, but a Dacia in Europe. Jeez, makes as much sense as GM’s branding strategy!
I think the Nano will not be such a direct competitor to the Dacia. It strikes me more as a city-only car, and will compete with the smart and the like. It has a good chance in that segment, undercutting the smart in price substantially.
I’d take the Nano. Why? Rear engine RWD. That thing must be incredibly fun to drive in the winter.
@Garak
Dito! Can’t wait for it to arrive in Portugal!
FromBrazil: Jeez, makes as much sense as GM’s branding strategy!
Dacia is an Eastern European brand which was well known in the old communist bloc for making license-built Renaults. Dacias were never meant by Renault to go to Western Europe, it was supposed to be their low-value EE & nearby emerging markets brand. And there were quite a few Logan predecessors (i.e. Solenza) that weren’t so great. Renault has its own cars in the segment (i.e. Clio) so if the Logan was called a Renault in France people might wonder why exactly buy a Renault Clio for 13,000 euros when you can buy a Logan for 5-6. And as I said, Dacias came to WE by accident (people started importing them from EE, and then Renault figured they might as well sell them directly).
For the same reason, a Fabia is a Skoda not a VW. Renault and VW are more upscale marques than Dacia and Skoda.
In Latin America, however, no one ever heard of Dacia, and people have a different expectation of what a Renault might be perhaps; it is an emerging market targeted by the Logan; so it makes more sense to sell it as a Renault than to introduce a new brand and spend tons of money promoting it.
Have no idea why it would be a Nissan in Mexico. That just seems odd. Does Nissan have a history of selling cheap cars in Mexico?
This car was designed to be an improvement on a moped. Apparently three people riding a scooter is common in India. It succeeded on that score. It will transport four people. They will not stay dry when it rains. They can even turn on a heater if it is cold. Or wind down the windows when it is not (yippee). Brilliant, especially when you compare it to the two-wheeled alternative.
How well it works in the first world remains to be seen. It was built to be cheap. Slapping airbags into it will not make it safe in a crash. An airbag doesn’t do much good when the rest of the car tears itself apart upon impact. The brakes are tiny. If you add ABS they will still be tiny. I’d rather take a used Dacia, thanks.
I just used M$ Paint to edit the pic and removed about 6 inches below the door handles; basically removing the license plate. Now THAT’s a cool little car!
(I would post it but my art skills are embarrassing.)
In Iran the Logan is sold as Renault Tondar90
I doubt the mexicans would fell comfortable with the Renault brand. The Symbol is sold up there as Nissan Platina.
To me the branding strategy makes perfect sense: use the recognized brand, with established network in each country to sell the car.
Instead, selling as a Dacia would require: new network, marketing money, customers recognition… and that takes years to develop, and money $$$$$. Add to the injury that Dacia comes from the old commie block…
Dacia sold cars briefly in Venezuela. And even the latest one was ummmm, questionable… So it makes sense to sell the Logan as Renault here.
Edit: just checked the mexican Nissan site. It’s called Nissan Aprio. But, personally, I’d take a Tsuru over a Logan any day. In fact, if I were going to purchase a new car, I wouldn’t even go to check that thing.
Dacia had quite a bad reputation back in the days. And Renault is selling them as “Dacia by Renault” through Renault dealers in France and Belgium.
When it was introduced in France salesmen were quite reluctant to sell them because their commission on the car was quite small (around 50 € if I remember correctly). Nevertheless it’s an interesting car made of Clio bits and the “commercial” version (a station wagon without the rear windows) is quite a bargain to lease.
@hazard
I read somewhere that in Mexico, Ranault is identified with Europe and Europe-style cars (read hatches), so Nissan, as a purveyor of Jap sedans, would be a better “fit” for a sedan…Go figure.
@stingray
Two things:
You don’t know what you’re missing. Honestly, in its segment it is a very strong contender (piense Siena pero más grande).
Renault has been basically putting all that cash into Brazil. I mean, before starting to produce here they had a very limited cache. AFAIK they have never made a profit down here (with the exception of last year). Maybe they are a t a turning point as the Logan/Sandero turned them into an also-ran into a brand people actually remeber to cross shop.