Three Cars India Should Eye This Year

Ambassadors, Premier Padminis, and now, Maruti 800s, are part of the ever-expanding table of contents of India's automotive history hardbound. Our nation now gets its cars tailored to fit its very unique whims and fancies - any carmaker worth their salt has realized this, while well-informed customers are making sure that this trend will remain long term. Gone are the days of hand-me-downs and outdated beasts of foreign burden, but an era has dawned where creases from abusive donning of thinking caps abound on the foreheads of international automotive decision makers prior to car launches here.

There have already been some important new sets of rims in the country this year, with cars like the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and new-gen Dzire, and the Nissan Sunny Diesel, to name a few. But the year's only just completed three strokes, and by the time glasses clink on New Year's, it would have been a rather eventful four-stroke cycle, judging by what's still to debut.

A look at three biggies expected to hit the market before the 2012 calendar gets redundant:

A) TATA NANO DIESEL - THE PLANET'S MOST ECONOMICAL CAR?

Ironically, it seems fitting to begin piecing the three-spoke wheel with one of the smallest cars in the world. Quite simply because there are not many, rather, there is none other like the Tata Nano. With possibly as many patents to its design as the ubiquitous iPod, it obviously did not get the country's tarmac as choked as several analysts were led to believe. Whether it had marketing bungles or bad luck to blame is a different story, the fact remains that the world's cheapest set of four wheels is set to get even cheaper. In the long term, that is, if the diesel subsidy sticks and sensibility prevails.

While no official price estimates are out, the Nano Diesel should be priced in the region of three lakh rupees. However, what's more important is that the running costs of the approximately 700cc oil-burner may hover around a rupee a kilometre because of its targeted fuel economy of 40kpl. To put that in perspective, the cost of using the average 125cc motorcycle in our metros today is around Rs.1.3/km assuming an Rs.80/litre price tag for petrol with a 60kpl fuel economy figure.

Obviously, the "world's cheapest car" title would no longer apply to this version, but it could be replaced with the "world's most fuel-efficient car" nomenclature instead more info. While this would be great news for the Nano's image-reconstruction and "interested" banks, it could potentially cause a dent in sales of two-wheelers. True, that was said about the original iteration of this small wonder as well, and we all know how that theory backfired. Obviously, the Nano would still be three or four times more expensive to purchase, but it would still pip a major USP of a motorcycle - low running costs. All you hardcore biking enthusiasts, you didn't read that here...

We always knew it was only a matter of time till a diesel version of this remarkable little vehicle came to light, but only time will tell if these expectations can be met in desired price bracket. That aside, a still-inexpensive Nano with a strong diesel motor, along with much-needed improvements like an opening rear hatch should give the Nano its best shot at becoming a car for the masses. And, daresay, even for the not-so-masses.