Tata Nano

At the beginning of this year, we sold our Indica and purchased a Swift-Dzire (ZDI), which we found to be very practical and perfect for our Indian needs. We didn’t have any thoughts of buying a new car anytime soon. However, things took a sudden turn when Pamela started a new job in May. We were quite content with having just one car and, for my daily commute from Hebbal to Old Airport (approximately 20KM one way), I personally opted for BIAS (Bangalore International Airport - Volvo).

But as the rains arrived, our situation began to change. There were times when I had to spend hours waiting for the bus, and enjoying the rain with a cup of tea on a balcony is one thing, but being stuck on the road with an umbrella is another. That’s when we thought, “Why not get a second car?”

We scoured classified ads, but nothing seemed to click. There were only three cars on our list:

• Nano - Pros: Price. Cons: No power steering and more, as listed by others.
• Alto - Pros: A complete car compared to Nano. Cons: Price difference, almost 1.5L to 1.8L different between different trims.
• Reva - Pros: Alternative fuel. Cons: Long-running cost with battery replacement, niche car, and a relatively high price, 4.25L with AC model.

After test driving the Nano and Alto, Pamela said she was okay with the Alto but not with the Nano (due to the lack of power steering).

We left the Reva along the way and didn’t bother with a test drive. However, after ten days of consideration, I decided to test drive the Nano. It’s definitely different from all the cars I’ve driven to date, and I found that I can manage it in city traffic for a few days a week. My plan is to drive this when I know for sure I will be late; on other sunny days, I can always take the BIAS and have a worry-free commute.

Now, why the CX model? Having AC in the car was a must, so the basic model was dropped. We felt the LX was overpriced by another 30K, as we wouldn’t be driving this car in extreme conditions and didn’t need features like fog lights. With the current 20K discount, the on-road price for the CX is just 2 lakhs, which sounds right for me. The dealer promised to include sun film, mud guards, and floor mats as complimentary additions. We might need to change the seats from vinyl to fabric after some time.

The paperwork for the purchase was quite straightforward. I had never bought a car like this before. When I purchased my first car in the USA, it took almost 4 hours of marathon negotiation. However, the delivery was a frustrating experience. After a 4-week wait, we finally received the Nano yesterday. The delivery dates from the dealer kept slipping, which was disappointing. Last Sunday, we even submitted a cancellation request if they failed to deliver it early this week. On Monday, they assured us they would deliver it.

P.S. I have driven the car for the last two days, and the odometer reads only 82KM for now. It’s okay to drive, but it definitely doesn’t feel like a complete car. The picture is from the Nano website; the car comes without alloy wheels.