I sold my used Matiz car which I used almost for four years. As the car was getting more demanding, maintenance wise, I considered it wise to sell it out for which OLX helped!
1st August was the day when the pearl white fully loaded Tata Nano LX became part of my family. What propelled me for this car which had a poor tag with it? I always believed in me, especially when it came to automobiles and mobiles purchasing!
My wife said, If you have less money for car then why do not you go for Alto instead? I politely told her, If I get more than Alto with at least less than one lakh rupees, what makes sense to shell out more money just because it was from Maruti?
What I meant indeed?
== LOOKS*
I compared Nano with Alto and Eon . I found Alto a confused car as far as the looks are concerned.Headlight like Ford Figo, Front grille like some other car, rear like I10 and so on. EON did present some freshness and good’fluidic’ design, but Nano was a fully’innovative’ design with an unconventional tall boy look.
== OPERATING COST*
I have driven Nano more than 1300 Km for last four months. Never was the time I kept my any of the car windows rolled down as I kept air conditioner ON always. I have got minimum 17 Kmpl and maximum 19.5 Kmpl inside the city.Just completed first servicing and I have been told that the mileage is bound to increase! Yeppy!
I am sure that apart from anything related with a hatchback, mileage is the most important factor for this segment and I was not an exception to this. With each passing day fear of petrol price hike keeps increasing!
== INTERIORS*
Interior is basic as compared to EON. But the awesome space it offers in the form of ample legroom and headroom for driver and the three more adult passengers is simply amazing. Even a six feet tall like me feels happy as a driver as well as a passenger. Have got Blaupunkt music system with two speakers on the front doors.But the 2013 Nano has four speakers and Integrated Music system with Bluetooth.
Seats are comfortable and with dual tone beige colour, however I have covered it with free seat covers! Dashboard is slim but accomodated my favourite’Gods’ there for their grace always! There are two beautiful Glove Boxes each in front of the Driver and the front passenger.One of them has separate lock to keep important and valuable items. These Glove Boxes has improved the looks of the already cute slim Dahboard.The central instrument cluster is pretty and looks prettier in night with Renault Duster like orange backlit panels .All digital meters and indications for Fog lights, high beam, engine oil, battery, engine temperature( only when high temp reached) .Four AC vents look good.
The Battery is placed below the front seat but secured and almost covered. The Gear lever is placed in such a way that it’s very convenient for the driver to use it. However the movement of the lever is not that smooth like the i10. One more thing I did not like was that the Steering Wheel is placed little lower which took almost a week for me to settle down in this car. But now I feel no irritation after I learnt through more driving with more adjustments with the space adjustment with the seat.
The Steering Wheel is smaller and cute with three spokes in LX model. Operating it is like a toy indeed! Activating horn is very easy as pressing’anywhere’ on any part of the spokes with activate horn. But, the horn is too sweet to dispell any live obstruction on the road!
The ’Diggy’ is comoufledged at the back above the engine behind the back seat. The Heat shield used is quite effective which does not allow the heat to dissipate inside the passenger cabin. Once I drove the car for around 75 minutes in city with a normal bag inside the diggy. when I took it out, it was heated very mild. Here again I did not like six butterfly screws to open the engine compartment to check engine oil, brake fluid etc. You will be full of sweat by the time you unscrew all the screws!
All the doors have pocket of sufficient’depth’ to keep items. Quality of material is good, if not extraordinary. The front view is very clear, even the side view for all the passengers! I feel, it’s the’widest’ among all cars in India! Same is the easy ingress and egress where even a tall boy or my wife in saree feel very easy to come in and go out. Very commendable job by Tata because even some SUVs may not have such wonderful system!
Controls for front power windows are’wrongly’ placed as one needs to’bow dow’n to operate it.
However, the latest nano has corrected this!
== HANDLING*
No hatchback can beat Nano in this Department!
Only 4 meters of turning radius, 180mm SUV like Ground Clerance and almost no weight on front tyres as compared to rear with engine.
It`s a breeze to drive Nano in city bumper to bumper chasing traffic. Also small space is sufficient to zip in a crowded parking space!
Brakes are normal not exceptional like many other small cars.
Headlights are so effective that you actually feel like to plan your trips for the evening! Once the Headlights are ON the Nano certainly feels like a big SUV for the onlookers. Looks even more attactive with all the integrated Fog lights and one more light just below the Rear Spoiler and Indica like tall Backlights.
The single blade wiper is good enough for this car and looks’natural’ part of the car. Rear view mirrors both at driver and front passenger side looks good and effective as mirrors. Thick A-piller did disturb me initially but very soon I got used to it!
Driving in Rainy season was good experience with Alloy wheels and good ground clerance.
== THE AC*
You bet with me! The AC performance is so wonderful that you will like to keep one additional Nano just for AC even if you already have a Sedan!
Switching AC on does not affects the pick up of the car unlike any sub 1000 cc car. This car is just above 600 cc and the AC is indeed miracle. Even the mileage is hardly affected!
== TEMPTED TO COMPARED WITH MY BIKE*
It has just 15 litre Fuel tank which my Baja Caliber has! It has a ARAI mileage of 25.4 Kmpl which a 500 cc bike has!
== CUSTOMER CARE AND SERVICING EXPERIENCE*
The Toll free number is responsive, though I needed to use it once only! .
Getting Servicing appointment is easy and as per your will. just make a call!
The reception at the Servicing centre at the Society Motors Kanpur was more than satisfactory with all industry standard customer amenities available at the waiting lounge.
The Spare part list is displayed here at the reception area and the spare for Tata are priced reasonable, though I did not need it during my first servicing!
== FINAL VERDICT*
If you have strong desire of a NEW car and want great mileage, great handling in city, unconventional looks, AC, Heater, Music system but have less money at your disposal go for it for EMI as low as 15 Kg Onion and down payment as low as E byke!